The dynamic duo

Bu says he has few friends among his contemporaries but enjoys meeting many people in his line of work.

"Learning about their lives and stories helps me improve myself," he says.

"It helps me balance a meaningful life with the vulgar and vain circumstances I'm in."

Bu was born to a family of ordinary workers in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

His father died in 2005, when Bu was 25. It was after his father passed away that Bu discovered his dad's buried but deep love for him. Bu says his father was a railway worker, and was not often at home.

Bu's mother still soothes his emotional upsets.

"Love made me grow up overnight," Bu recalls."I decided to live like a real man."

Bu met Fan that year - a low point in the actress' career.

Bu knew straight away he had met the right person for him to work with.He was inspired by Fan's never-say-die spirit.

"We share our thoughts about almost everything, and especially fashion," Bu says.

"She soon became my muse. I don't think I'll ever meet another person like her. She's irreplaceable in her ability to properly wear my designs, including my stranger garments."

Red Carpet Fashion Awards critics agree and say they "can't wait to see what else she gives us".

The duo has become such close friends that when Fan's mother can't get her daughter to go to bed on time, she enlists Bu's help.

"Bu has been my Bromeo (close male friend) for years," Fan tells the Beijing News.

"We talk about almost everything. I wanted to support him by wearing his first design, the crane gown, which he tailored for me."

The gown is the first of his Christopher Bu series. The designer says he received an influx of orders after Cannes.

Bu plans to open boutiques to sell his brand, as there is a growing demand in China for formal gowns, he says.

Bu is blunt about his dream - to get rich.

"I hope to use wealth to carry on the legacy of traditional skills and to help young people who also dream of working freely, without the interference of concerns about money," he says.

"I discovered how hard it is to find skilled embroiderers when creating the crane gown. Another goal for designing that gown was to leave a legacy and to use Fan's influence to teach young people to respect old crafts."