I don’t want to say that I'm just a designer. In most cases, I tend to introduce myself as a female entrepreneur. This is not for any gender-related reason; I just think the title is more inclusive. I identify myself with all things chic, sensitive, critical, emotional, creative and logical. I believe my thoughts and personality include both male and female characteristics. This may be because my experience of living alone in a foreign country since childhood has cultivated my very independent and efficient behaviour patterns.
‘Beauty’ is a very important aspect of my life. Capturing the sense of beauty makes my excitement about art and fashion irreplaceable. I would also like to use self-creation to explain my understanding and remodelling of beauty, as this has enabled me to, resolutely and quickly, create my own brand, Luem.

I left China at the age of 17 to go and live in London, and I noticed complete contrasts in the two countries both in terms of culture and education. In this open and rich city, I gradually came into contact with art, photography and music. This was a completely new aspect of my life. I found that fashion and art were new and challenging for me, which aroused my great interest in exploring them. I applied for a fashion degree at Central Saint Martins, and then completed three years of fashion knitwear courses. In 2016, I continued to study knitwear at the Royal College of Art. During this period, I tried to brand the female image I wanted to create. Compared to building up experience, it is more important for me to understand myself. Travelling, communication, and images of life have allowed me to step into my own mind. I believe that true self-expression is the only sustainable way to create.

I’ve always held the idea of self-creation, as well as an interest in exploring Chinese and Western cultures. I hope that the brand will carry more valuable thoughts and ideas, and shape images that resonate with women all over the world. This is what I’m trying to achieve through Luem. I am privileged to be able to devote myself wholeheartedly to a career that I love, express my love for it, and to stick to my true beliefs.

I would say it’s when the clothes complete the final process, when people see the finished products and try them on. These are the moments that give me new feelings and inspiration. I'm always pursuing further fashion appeal, so when people redefine Luem with their own identities, these collisions stimulate me and push me to shape the brand further. These identities will be reorganized and transformed once again into Luem’s elements.

I hope that women who are dressed in Luem will be confident and wise and never constrain themselves. Instead, they should always look to explore and strengthen themselves and remain assertive. I want to see open minds, intelligence, and diverse personalities. You'll also find that Luem is always seeking a balance between classic and modern. We are inspired by the classic quality and tailoring of the past to redefine patterns and materials, thus creating exquisite and personalized pieces, and constantly bringing new surprises to customers.

I have mixed feelings about the sea, and the video depicts it from different angles so that everyone may see it from different perspectives. It is more of an emotional rendering and association. The feeling I want to express the most is in the mobility and power of the sea. I also want everyone to feel the beauty, smartness and intensity of women. If we talked about her personality, I think she should be a symbol of sensibility and courage. This is what I learned from the Fisherman and the Siren.

Personally, I prefer something that’s outstanding yet implicit; subtle beauty with a soft form and slight aggressiveness, overlapping with masculine power. The whole painting depicts an unusual and mysterious feeling. This delicate and strong collision, along with Luem’s image, are perfectly balanced; soft on the outside, strong on the inside, with rationality and sensibility coexisting together.

This is exactly what I mentioned earlier – to try to encourage women to develop ‘diversity’. Another source of inspiration for this season are the Japanese professional female divers, (‘ama’ in Japanese, which can be translated as ‘sea woman’), so you will experience a feeling of relaxation. In the local area, these sea women are respected, and their status is magnified. They dress casually and rely on the sea water for a living. They are a powerful and representative group who love work and life, bravely move forward, and do their best to shoulder social and family responsibilities, which shows the vivid expression of the natural beauty of women. I think that their elegance and femininity come from the heart and are also reflected externally in an implicit way.

Printing and knitting are mainstays of our brand. This is a result of my in-depth exploration of colour and texture when I was at school. Combining quality raw materials with innovative ideas is the core of the brand, so you'll see how we put together an exquisite combination of craftsmanship to illustrate our pursuit of details. At the same time, we believe that women who are dressed in Luem are those who pay extremely close attention to fine details and are in constant pursuit of high quality.

Aside from the Fisherman and the Siren, we also focused on 19th-century womenswear. We referred to classical lines and craftsmanship, so we used a lot of manual work such as anti-wrinkling and ruffling. We adopted constant draping and experimentation on the human body because the series will be reminiscent of the unfettered sea and the release of nature. Therefore, the fabric is hand-treated to maintain its drape and magnify the feeling of agility

I think Shanghai is currently the best place to represent the new generation of Chinese fashion. It is also the city that receives fashion information the fastest. Many international students and multi-cultural choices are developed here. At the same time, Shanghai itself has a very historical and cultural atmosphere, and is home to many trendy and classical museums, bookstores, coffee shops and specialty stores that give you a lot of possibilities to explore and match your preferences. You'll see a lot of different tastes and flavours collide. Shanghai Fashion Week also magnifies this diverse city.

Although this is the first show I have held, I already have a certain understanding of its form. Friends around me and acquaintances within the industry also have a wealth of experience to share with me. We’re all moving forward together, of course, I’m not alone in all this. I have an excellent team behind me and I work closely with them to ensure everything works as expected. Although I have always felt extreme pressure during this project, I hope that I can give positive and calming emotions to the people around me because I know that only by keeping a low-key state can I handle everything in a clearer and more rational manner.

I hope that Luem can bring more exciting series and pieces so that they become something that everyone truly expects to see from this brand. I hope to develop products and feelings that everyone will really want to own. The Luem brand will always keep the elements of printing and knitting held high and give a better understanding of it to more people.

I have been assertive with my own fashion sense ever since childhood. I am recognized by the people around me, so I’ve always been confident in selecting clothes and matching colours. This makes me feel like I was born to work with colours and clothes. I also have a great interest in the analysis of female images. Watching people on the streets and touching on different cultures in life have prompted me to discover the commonality and charm of each individual woman. I want to convey this in all my designs. I think only fashion can fully express this in the most powerful way. I often go to Issey Miyake and Maison Martin Margiela stores in London. Issey’s use of colour and Margiela’s reinterpretation of shape and fabrics are excellent and have generated a great sense of curiosity and exploration of fashion in me. They have also enabled me to realize where my main interest lies.

I think I’ll be in the middle of the zone, down to earth to do what can be achieved now, and if there is a suitable opportunity to take a big step, I will try – with the support of steady and positive feedback.

For me, art is a kind of nutrient and energy. It lets us look at life from a variety of perspectives. Associations and dreams are probably what I find most fascinating in my life. Art enriches my associations, so I can use them to link all aspects of work and life, so that things are always fresh and exciting.

I personally find Anish Kapoor's work fascinating because he breaks the balance between classic and contemporary. This momentum of vision inspires Luem in many ways, such as communication, not only to the audience but also the surroundings and space of nature.