Su loved the courtyard where her dream began so much that she ordered a replica built when the magazine moved into a decent office building in the central business district after the publication snowballed to become a big fashion group.

Only a few Western fashion houses had entered China by the mid-'90s.

Su grabbed opportunities to see catwalk shows open only to small circles of professionals and interviewed designers. She did anything she could to find foreign fashion magazines to learn from their writing.

She rode her bike to meet counterparts from Marie Claire, Vogue and Cosmopolitan to discuss cooperation opportunities.

Her passion and talent impressed the magazine's advertising head, who persuaded Wu to let her join the ads team in 1997.

She was reluctant. But she soon became the best salesperson.

Su became editor-in-chief when the magazine partnered with Bazaar in 2001.

She has grown up with the country's fashion industry.