Corner the market

Established in 2014, the brand Zesh was founded in Shanghai by then-23-year-old Haoze Dong, a University of Southern California business school graduate and president of its Chinese Student Association. Specialising in contemporary, practical women's handbags, Zesh's prices range from 1,000 yuan ($156) ￥to 4,000 yuan ($625).

Dong grew up in a family business that manufactured luxury handbags, which gave him the rare privilege of understanding how premium bags are made. Aiming to showcase the high level of quality that "Made in China" products can achieve, he works with local factories that have manufactured high-end bags for more than 20 years, as well as leather suppliers that have served luxury brands. Zesh's team, which consists of young designers who studied and worked in Europe as well as industry veterans, is heavily inspired by modern architecture.