“Sometimes, I feel the world is [too invested] in political correctness. They check if brands use curvy or black models – this is not real diversity. If [Rui] wants to keep up with their version of diversity, we need to search for 33.3 per cent of large-size models, 33.3 per cent regular-size models and 33.3 per cent skinny models for each season. From these groups, we also need to include 33.3 per cent transgender [people], 33.3 per cent girls and 33.3 per cent boys, plus 33.3 per cent of black, 33.3 per cent of white and 33.3 per cent of Asian [models]. If there are aliens in this world that are living with us humans, I am sure they will ask us if they can be added in as well.

“It’s unfair to distinguish people only by their skin colour, race and gender.”

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Such appreciation for fluidity might explain why her biggest audience hails from the US – where she is based half of the time – but she claims that her European and Chinese buyers are also rapidly growing.

Though her work seems to be devoid of obviously Eastern elements and embraces a provocativeness often foreign to the region, Zhou is actually Chinese-born, and is celebrated as one of the few international designers from the country. She gained a practical background in textiles from Tsinghua University in Beijing before heading to the Big Apple to study at Parson – where she also began working in-house at Alexander Wang and DKNY. She cannot pinpoint the exact moment she dived into fashion, but says her biggest muses remain her mother and sister, as well as her childhood in Hunan province, in South Central China.

“My design inspiration comes from the intimate relationships – subtle emotional feelings and miniature moments of everyday life and my own experiences,” she says. “Most people assume Rui is designed by Western designers, based on how visually exposed it is, because they think it’s not part of the so-called implicative and composed culture of the East. However, if you pay attention to the small details on the garments and installations we create, you will see distinctive Eastern aesthetics in my work.”

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Though her garments can be seen on the backs of the rich and famous today, Zhou still invites everyone to try a Rui piece “whenever they’re ready” mentally.

“Physical imperfections on the body do not matter. It’s about a visceral moment when people put on my pieces and are confident of perceiving themselves,” she says. “We hope people who live in a small remote town in the corner of the country can purchase Rui, not just people who live in major cities … I want to keep encouraging people to express themselves in their sincere and honest states.”