Born near Beijing, Uma Wang , 42, was one of the first established fashion designers to emerge out of China, more than a decade ago.

After graduating from the China Textile University in Shanghai, she moved to London to study at Central Saint Martins and in 2005 started her own label Uma Studio with a small line of knitwear. Through her collaborations with Italian leather factories she has become known for clothing that fuses leather with knitwear. She has won numerous awards including the Shanghai Fashion Week award for the Finest Craft and Best Creativity.