Born and raised in Qingdao, China, Huishan Zhang left home at 17, spending time in Paris and New Zealand before arriving in London to study at Central Saint Martins, where he completed both a BA in Fashion and an MA in Pattern Cutting. As a student, he caught the eye of Delphine Arnault, who selected him from a pool of talent to train at the Dior haute couture atelier in Paris, an experience that gave him the couture techniques he would go on to build his own brand upon.

He launched his eponymous label in 2011, presenting his debut collection in a Paris showroom to buyers who admired the craftsmanship but questioned whether “Made in China” would sell. His debut Dragon Dress was acquired for the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, and his first collection was picked up by Browns, the same boutique that first believed in John Galliano and Hussein Chalayan.

Named International Chinese Designer of the Year at the Elle China Style Awards in 2014, featured twice on the BoF 500 list of people shaping the global fashion industry, shortlisted for the LVMH Prize in 2015, and a recipient of the BFC Fashion Trust in 2016, Zhang has steadily built one of fashion’s most distinctive propositions — an East-meets-West romanticism rooted in Chinese craftsmanship and couture precision.

In 2021, a liquid gold sequin Huishan Zhang gown worn by Gemma Chan appeared on the cover of British Vogue’s September issue.