Aiming to go global

A model wears a creation by Grace Chen during a runway show in Lancaster House in London in June.

The cast included a descendant of the Russian royal family, Princess Olga Romanoff, and philanthropist Ella Mountbatten.

Backed by an investment from private equity firm Cheng Wei Capital, Chen is now eyeing a bigger audience globally.

"We have always had a strategy to capture the top of the pyramid in any market. Whenever we enter a new market, we start from the top. For the British, royalty is at the top of the pyramid. That's why we had the show in a palace and the audience came from that circle."

Besides a salon in Beijing and the House in Shanghai, Chen plans to have a studio either in Paris or in London.

She is also considering a store in Hong Kong or Macao to cater to the Southeast Asian market.

A pioneering couturier in China, Chen is confident about the potential of the market in China.

"It is a huge one. A lot of people haven't recognized this, but it is. We are doing so little," she says.

Chen also plans to launch a menswear couture line next year.

Meanwhile, Chen is considering developing a line that targets young, urban professionals between 25 and 40.