Discover how Yuhan is elevating Chinese designers on the
international stage
Yuhan Liu is a visionary force in the fashion industry, seamlessly blending her journalistic prowess with entrepreneurial acumen to elevate Chinese designers on the global stage. As the co-founder of the China Fashion Collective, Liu has been instrumental in providing a platform for emerging talents to showcase their creativity at prestigious events like New York Fashion Week. Her journey from a successful journalism career to becoming a celebrated entrepreneur is a testament to her dedication and passion for bridging cultural divides through fashion. Recognised as one of the Forbes China 100 Most Influential Overseas Chinese, Liu’s work continues to inspire and pave the way for future generations of designers.
In this exclusive interview with Entrepreneur Prime Magazine, Yuhan Liu shares her motivations for transitioning from journalism to entrepreneurship and how her experiences have shaped her leadership of the China Fashion Collective. She discusses the impact of her recognition by Forbes, the challenges and opportunities faced by her organisation, and her commitment to promoting sustainability within the fashion industry. Liu also offers insights into her long-term goals for the China Fashion Collective and her vision for its evolving role in the global fashion scene. Join us as we delve into the mind of a trailblazer who is redefining the boundaries of fashion and culture.
“Fashion is not just about clothing; it’s a powerful
medium for storytelling and cultural exchange.”
What motivated you to transition from a successful journalism career to entrepreneurship, and how have your experiences in journalism influenced your approach to leading the China Fashion Collective?
Soon after beginning my career at the New York branch of China Daily in 2011, I had the opportunity to cover a New York Fashion Show in the heart of Manhattan. It was a group fashion show featuring designers from Shenzhen, China’s fashion industry hub. I was amazed by the immense talent of Chinese designers and felt that they truly deserved a global platform like New York Fashion Week to showcase their creativity.
Following my time at China Daily, I joined a Mandarin-English bilingual fashion and lifestyle magazine under Observer Media in midtown Manhattan, New York, where I served as Managing Editor. This role gave me even deeper insights into the fashion and media industries. With my bilingual and bicultural background, combined with my professional experience, I realized that I could help emerging designers, brands, and industry professionals gain international visibility.
In 2017, I joined hands with my former colleague from the Observer Claire Lin and established China Fashion Collective. We produced a show for Cai Meiyue, China’s top bridal designer, at Pier 59. From that point, China Fashion Collective truly took off.
In conclusion, I’m incredibly grateful for my journalism career at China Daily, Observer Media, and The New York Times, and I love my current role as an entrepreneur as well. These two aspects of my life—journalism and entrepreneurship—bring me immense joy and fulfillment every day.
Being recognized as one of the Forbes China 100 Most Influential Overseas Chinese is a significant achievement. How has this recognition impacted your work and your vision for the future of the China Fashion Collective and your other ventures?
This award is a prestigious recognition and I feel lucky to be included. Honestly, the recognition does boost the credibility in both Chinese and international markets on personal level and on the business level.
It helps me build trust with friends, industry counterparts and clients more easily, so I’m very grateful for the recognition. This also opened doors for valuable partnerships, collaborations, and new opportunities for expansion in both China and the US. Although the recognition only comes after 11 years of hard work, I found it inspiring and motivating to continue the hard work. Being a better self, a better entrepreneur.
What inspired the creation of The China Fashion Collective, and what is the primary mission you aim to achieve with this initiative?
I was amazed by the immense talent of Chinese designers and felt that they need a global platform like New York Fashion Week to showcase their creativity. And New York is the perfect place to bring people and culture together, it’s
one of the most embracing cities in the world. China Fashion Collective just recently did a New York Fashion Week show at the iconic Cipriani in downtown Manhattan, we showcased 60 pieces for Amazon’s top menswear seller
Coofandy and women’s sleepwear Ekouaer which turned out to be a big success.
Our mission is to deliver exceptional quality and design to a global audience, making it accessible for everyone to experience. In today’s connected world, boundaries no longer limit creativity.
In what ways does The China Fashion Collective aim to showcase and integrate Chinese culture and heritage into the global fashion scene?
• Enpowering emerging Chinese designers on the global platform;
• Encouraging up-and-coming designers collaborate with international talents and designers for more sparks in the art of fashion;
• Promoting green-fashion/sustainable fashion concepts to our community.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in establishing The China Fashion Collective, and what opportunities do you see for its growth in the future?
The biggest challenges we faced were during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022, when the whole world, including China Fashion Collective, came to a standstill. However, as the world recovers, China’s talents, artists, businesses, designers..are once again pursuing international visibility and expanding into global markets. This resurgence presents an ideal opportunity for China Fashion Collective as well.
Following the success of our September show, we’ve already received inquiries for the February show and branding opportunities for Q4. With so much on our plate, New York continues to offer tremendous opportunities for international businesses like ours.
How does The China Fashion Collective address sustainability within the fashion industry, and what steps are being taken to promote eco-friendly practices among participating designers?
Good question. One of our clients, Kokolu, is a brand I’m especially proud to work with. They produce fashion items such as sneakers, hats, and tote bags, and more; I’m a huge fan of their products—I still use their sneakers and nylon-like tote bags made entirely from recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. Kokolu is committed to using only environmentally friendly materials, and sustainability is truly at the core of their brand. We, on behalf of Kokolu, worked with
Alexix Ren, one of the most influential personalities on social media (under EWG Management) to promote the idea of using sustainable-material-made fashion items among her 18 million followers.
Recently I’ve been invited by Amazon Shanghai, Amazon Shenzhen, SohoWork and other platforms for panels, and I always take the opportunity to highlight Kokolu’s story and their dedication to sustainability. As the fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to global warming, I believe China Fashion Collective also has a responsibility to promote sustainable values to our audience and partners.
What are your long-term goals for The China Fashion Collective, and how do you envision its role evolving in the global fashion industry over the next few years?
• Promote sustainability values to designers and brands;
• Help emerging designers from Asia continue to gain international visibility;
• Foster more international collaborations;
How do you incorporate elements of Chinese culture and heritage into your designs, and what aspects are most important to you?
Actually many of our designers are Parsons Grads, or Central Saint Martins Grads, or top design schools from Asia, many of them are young and international citizens, only a very small number of them infuse some Chinese elements into the design, so that’s probably not our focus 🙂
