[Photo/China Daily]

Founded in 1993, Dishang, like most Chinese companies, started by manufacturing for international brands. But it has switched focus to design and innovation as it seeks to build its own brands.

It is now one of China's biggest clothes exporters. And the value of its exports have increased an average of 15 percent annually in recent years, reaching $1.5 billion in 2016.

Meanwhile, Dishang has acquired brands including American casual-menswear brand Izod and French womenswear brand Feraud, both of which showed their latest collections at the competition last month.

Feraud showed a youthful feminine summer collection of casual and evening wear, while Izod presented a collection featuring calm hues and structured outerwear.

Speaking about Feraud's offering, Zhao Min, the brand's general manager, says: "Consumers these days are no longer categorized by age but by style preferences."

Separately, Dishang has built an industry platform that connects more than 100 designer studios, 3,000 fabric makers, 800 manufacturers and 400 brands.

In a related development, Dishang is looking to buy more overseas brands as it seeks to expand, says Zhang Shizhe, Dishang's deputy general manager.

"We are constantly looking to expand our pool of brands," he says.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the Dishang Group in April, praising its endeavor to export and to focus on technology and innovation.