Models wear Chen's designs in her 2016 spring/summer collection's show in Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Sensing an opportunity back home, she returned to Shanghai in 2009 and founded Grace Chen. Chen trained her own couture team that uses both Western couture techniques and traditional craftsmanship.

She was one of the main designers for the leaders and their spouses at the APEC summit in Beijing last year.

Chen showed her first ready-to-wear collection and couture at the China in Paris showroom in October, together with six other Chinese brands, and she is now planning to open a boutique in Shanghai, in addition to her existing store and couture salon in Beijing's Central Business District.

While Chinese culture is a constant inspiration for her, Chen does not like the idea of literally loading Chinese patterns onto her designs.

"Logos and patterns make me feel uncomfortable. I want to explore something deeper," she says.

Instead of making clothes that scream "look at me", Chen says she aims to offer understated chicness that can stand the test of time.

"Our clothes are not cosmetics, they are nutrition. They change you from within. You are still you but become better," she says.

Chen's inspiration usually comes from her sharp eye that can detect the beauty within every woman.

"There are so many women who have not recognized their own beauty. It takes time, and wearing the right clothes helps you discover your beauty. Once you feel beautiful, your life will be different," she says.