Entrepreneur turns Chinese culture into eye-popping couture

Liu Yatong is not a trained fashion designer, but that doesn't prevent the former marketing director from having a slot in the tricky world of fashion.

The marketing expert-turned-entrepreneur debuted his runway show in Beijing in September, ahead of the ongoing China Fashion Week.

The collection opened with extravagant gowns with a bold color combination of black and gold, a symbol of royalty in ancient China. The show continued with a second chapter of ready-to-wear pieces with traditional patterns and modern silhouettes. Supermodels Sophia Kao and Jessey Meng, also close friends of Liu, ended the show.

Highlighting Beijing-style embroidery, which was a privilege for the imperial family in old times, the collection is a tribute to Chinese culture, Liu says.

"China-inspired fashion can actually be both stylish and wearable," says Liu, who is in his early 30s.

The front row at the show was filled with more than 30 movie stars and business tycoons, all of whom are personal friends of Liu.

Born in Xi'an and raised in Lanzhou in northwestern China, Liu got his first fashion epiphany from style magazines that his family brought from Hong Kong. He majored in human resources and psychology in university, while devouring biographies of Christian Dior and Coco Chanel in his spare time.

In 2003, Liu started working as a marketing specialist for Sohu, one of the earliest major Chinese Internet companies, and later made his way up to marketing executive and director at two other Internet giants, Alibaba and Tencent.

Asked about his secret of climbing corporate ladders, he says his mantra was: "Never complain and never surrender".

With all the experience and networks he had gathered at Internet companies, Liu founded his own talent agency, managing singers and actresses alike.

He launched his high-end line E.Lau, which spotlights Beijing embroidery, in 2013, when China-inspired fashion was just starting to pick up momentum.

What he lacks in fashion-design expertise, Liu makes up with an acute sense of business and a powerful celebrity network.

"In the end, it's all about being good with people and integrating everything together," he says.

His first collection inspired by blue-and-white porcelain was worn by dozens of celebrities and soon made a name for Liu.

Liu then expanded to more affordable fashion in 2014 with the launch of Tongrentang, which uses digitalized Chinese prints.

Liu is not the first one to capitalize on China-inspired fashion. There are established predecessors like NE.Tiger and Guo Pei.

"For me, they are not young enough. Each is targeted at a special age group for special occasions. But I want to create something everybody can wear in their daily life," Liu says.

Tongrentang is now sold in 50 multi-brand stores in 25 cities. Liu says it sells especially well in northern China, where "the Chinese culture is more deeply rooted".

The brand is going to open eight independent stores in Beijing in November and more in northern China later. Liu also plans to open franchise stores and launch online shops in the near future.