Dalston boys

Says Liu: "Our products are aimed at dynamic, professional men who put excellent quality above all else, quality of design and quality of materials. The Chris & Tibor brand is based on this ethos. Individuals who typically buy our products are confident and stylish with a strong fashion conscience; they are, however, unwilling to sacrifice their needs for practicality."

Another recently launched brand, Golden Lane, specializes in women's accessories, which are described as having a very British sensibility. In fact Liu is a dedicated Anglophile, making the most of both work and leisure opportunities in his adopted country.

He says: "We have been based in London, individually and then as a design team, for about more than a decade now and can't imagine being anywhere else. There is a life and spirit to London that you don't find anywhere else. This of course applies to the fashion industry, but it is equally evident just walking down the street. Specifically the Dalston bag was named after the area that our studio is based in.

"Italian Vogue proclaimed Dalston the 'coolest place in Britain'. It isn't actually glamorous, compared to its neighbors it's really rather shabby and it's noisy, too. But it's always attracted an arty crowd.

"At night time, some of the coolest kids in London come out to play, giving the area the hip vibe it's now famous for. We also have hip British designers Christopher Kane, Mario Schwab and J. W. Anderson as neighbors, so the creative atmosphere is right here, and it is a really buzzing place."

Liu can also turn his hand to more formal projects. Some years ago, during a state visit by then President Hu Jintao, he was asked to put on a show at the London College of Fashion for then first lady Liu Yongqing.

Other visitors from China, friends and family or professional contacts, take advantage of Liu's encyclopedic knowledge of London, particularly its vibrant fashion and arts and culture.