Lu Yan makes a comeback to the runaway not as a supermodel but as a confident designer. Photos Provided to China Daily

On the sunny side of the streets

Green is the new black

"I have been involved in controversy since I was a model. Time will tell who is right and who is not. I didn't pay attention to the critics when I was a model, and I certainly won't as a designer. Whatever they like to say, say it," she says.

Born in rural Jiangxi province, Lu grew up in a mining area where her parents worked. At 18, Lu took part in a modeling competition in Beijing and then stayed on in the city to pursue a career as a model. She was soon discovered by renowned stylist Li Dongtian and photographer Feng Hai for her unconventional look, which caused much debate about beauty in China at the time. Lu later went to Paris and New York to expand her modeling career and study the fashion business.

Now a career woman, a mother and a wife, Lu says her child is her biggest comfort while her French husband a "steady career adviser".

Unlike other designers' labels, Lu didn't want to name the brand after herself because she wants people to "buy the clothes because of the design, rather than my name tag".

The spring/summer 2014 collection, which was the first collection of Comme Moi, hit the stores without the prelude of a fashion show or publicity, but it sold out within days. Orders of this season's collection doubled from last season.

The spring/summer collection was priced at 1,000 yuan ($162) to more than 4,000 yuan while the prices of the winter collection are yet to be released. The collection will be available in 10 stores in 10 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.

Lu says she will consider opening independent stores when the time is right. But she says having her clothes in multi-brand stores is currently the best way to sell her product as she is still learning about the business.

"I don't have the ambition for hundreds of stores. I will be very happy if we can have 10 independent stores in three to five years. I hope it's a brand that can last over time, a brand that is cherished for its brand value rather than how much it sells."