A ray of sunshine spills into the studio in a quiet morning. Barbara has her pen swam freely on the paper. The outline, seemingly casual, is clear and intuitive, containing many details. Each stroke records momentary inspiration. Then it will be made into a lovely personalized children’s clothing by hand.

Barbara is a fashion designer from Germany and also a mother of three children. In 2015, Barbara and her family moved to Shenyang, Liaoning Province. Seizing the opportunity brought by Shenyang Area of China (Liaoning) Pilot Free Trade Zone, she established the children’s fashion label “coco&ray” in Shenyang.

Over the years in Liaoning, Barbara has witnessed the change of people’s wearing aesthetics. People pay more and more attention to the details and personalized design. Barbara’s children’s fashion label is accepted and loved by Liaoning people because of its unique German design aesthetics and exquisite manual handicraft.

“With the increasing consumption capacity, people in Liaoning are no longer pursuing cost performance, but are more willing to pay for the quality and design. Tailored clothes are becoming ‘common’ consumption.” Barbara said, “The style of children’s clothing produced in batch is relatively simple and the model is relatively fixed. This can no longer meet the increasingly needs of Liaoning people.” Grasping this opportunity, Barbara decided to design high-quality handmade clothes for children and establish her own fashion label.

Being handmade means that the clothes should show both the exquisite craftsmanship and unique creativity. Barbara’s creative inspiration is everywhere. She likes to visit the Beiling Park and museums around Liaoning, only to find that ancient Chinese people preferred to bright colors , so she also prefers bright colors when designing clothes. “I regard my works as a bridge between China and Germany. Bright colors can also help children feel more confident.” Barbara said.

In April 2017, Shenyang Area of China (Liaoning) Pilot Free Trade Zone was officially unveiled. On that day, Barbara applied for a business license and successfully started her business in Shenyang. Barbara’s fashion design studio employs Chinese employees. In order to better communicate with employees and customers, she has been working hard to learn Chinese. “I hope to combine my works with Chinese culture to design more ‘China-Chic’ products.” Barbara said.

In Liaoning, Barbara realized her entrepreneurial dream. In April 2021, The children’s fashion label “coco&ray” made its debut at Shanghai Fashion Week, and her two lovely daughters became her best models. “Sometimes when I see unknown Chinese children wearing clothes designed by me, I feel an indescribable sense of satisfaction and pride.”

“Handmade tailored clothing is becoming more and more popular, which is also the driving force for me to go on my road of entrepreneurship. I believe that one day, my fashion label will move from Shenyang to the world.” Barbara is full of confidence.