Brand builder returns in triumph from French fashion scene

"People were more conservative and couldn't accept fashionable designs. Some said that my pants were too tight and others said the suit collars were too low."

However, with the rapid emergence of a wealthy class in China's cities and a growing awareness of international brands, Jefen began to develop a following and in 2006 turned a corner.

"In 2006, the number of Jefen stores increased to 18 and income reached 60 million yuan," Xie says.

Meanwhile, Scitech Plaza offered the company larger space on the building's third floor.

With the business growing, Xie decided to realize his Parisian dream.

In the same year he also launched Jefen by Frankie, an offshoot higher-end brand, in France, priced at 20 to 30 percent more than other Jefen clothes. It focuses on formal evening dress using futuristic designs.

"Jefen by Frankie was sold in France through shows and showrooms, and most of the buyers came from the US and Japan. However, when the economic crisis arrived in 2008, sales volumes of the brand were also hit," Xie says.

He chose to bring the Jefen by Frankie brand back to China in 2008 to be sold alongside the original brand in his network of stores across the country.

Xie has also scaled back his Paris shows to concentrate on the Chinese market.

"As my market is mainly in China now, it is not appropriate to invest much time and money in shows in Paris," he says.

However, his connections to France remain and not just in the fashion scene.

In October 2011, he cooperated with Cafe de la Paix of Paris to design a dessert named Mixture of Chinese Fragrance and a French Sweet.

And this year and last year, his designs were in fashion shows at the Paris Le Grand hotel.

While his designs have a strong European influence and use mainly Italian fabrics, they also contain Chinese elements, among them Miao embroidery techniques.

"I spent a long time in Yunnan province learning embroidery methods there and the delicate and intricate patterns. I hope to do something for Miao embroidery and help local people get some orders to improve their lives," he says.

In his spare time, Xie plays golf and travels a lot to keep fit and open-minded.