Brand builder returns in triumph from French fashion scene(2)

It was initially a tough sell, but Xie has managed to establish a market for Jefen and expand the company from three staff to more than 600, with turnover in excess of 400 million yuan ($65 million) last year.

"We are growing on average 30 to 40 percent a year, except for 2012 when turnover increased by just 20 percent because of a slowdown in the economy," says Xie.

This year marks another turning point for the company, which released its latest clothing collection, Samsara, at BeijingFashion Week in April. Xie says it is undergoing a "rebirth" to become a larger brand.

"We are figuring out how to make the jump," he says. "As I am employing more people I feel I have a responsibility to expand the business to offer them a better life. I hope to have a quality design team working for the company instead of just myself."

These are ambitious plans for Jefen, whose business life began in a 20-square-meter shop on the fifth floor of Scitech Plaza, one of Beijing's first high-end shopping malls. The company now has 80 shops across China.

In the early days it was difficult for the shop to attract customers. "We were placed among children's brands and out-of-season clothing sales areas in the shopping mall in 2000 and few people knew much about designer brands at that time," Xie says.

"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.