"The life span of a model is limited. Modeling was an extraordinary occupation for me, but fashion design was the profession that I really wanted to pursue," says Ma.

Ma is always looking to raise the global profile of Chinese culture through her designs.

As she told China Daily in a previous interview, "When we make clothes, we're making culture. Clothing is the carrier, while design is the method, the language, that offers an insight into Chinese cultural heritage.

"Grasping the essence of Chinese culture and placing it on an international platform, has always been my unrelenting goal and motivation," Ma says.

"As a Chinese fashion designer, I hope to bring real Chinese culture to the world, for all the people in the world to appreciate and understand."