Rui Zhou, a fashion designer from central Hunan province, founded her brand RUIbuilt in 2019. Rui experimented with thousands of fabrics to perfect the elasticity required for her signature cobweb-like, cutout bodycon designs.

Rui broke out internationally in 2021, when she became the first Chinese designer to win the prestigious LVMH Karl Lagerfeld Award for Young Designers. She was the first and only Chinese designer on the shortlist that year.

Despite the acclaim she has garnered abroad, her designs face significant backlash in China. In an interview with Yit, Rui reflected on the sharp criticism that followed her award.

Many questioned the necessity of nudity in her work, some commenters sarcastically suggesting that the designs were so minimal they were like walking around naked. These comments stifled her creativity for a time and reminded her long-held insecurities about body image.

Rui’s upbringing was shaped by traditional values and her close bond with her mother and sister, as her father worked in another city. This emotional intimacy and sensitivity heavily influenced her aesthetic. Through her designs, Rui seeks to explore themes of vulnerability and the complexity of intimate relationships. Her use of elastic fabrics and interwoven threads symbolizes the entanglements of intimacy, with her signature thread connections often seen between her models.

This unique perspective has resonated deeply within the fashion industry. From the LVMH Prize to Paris Fashion Week, Rui’s rising prominence has drawn attention from global celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo, HyunA, and Blackpink’s Jennie, all of whom have showcased her designs.

In 2023, RUIbuilt made history as the first Chinese brand to collaborate with Victoria’s Secret. By then, Rui had transcended the criticisms of her early career, confidently embracing sexiness as a defining element of her designs.
At the Spring/Summer 2025 Paris Fashion Week, RUIbuilt collaborated with China’s largest sex toy brand, Osuga, to present not only boundary-pushing clothing but also to integrate sex toys into the showcase. For Rui, placing sexiness at the forefront of her work is a profound celebration of the female body, an act of respect, and an invitation to rethink societal taboos.

Banner image via RUIbuilt