They push hits on air and earn themselves devoted collections of MTV fans, but off stage, these music-makers are also gathering a following among fashion lovers. Xu Junqian and Li Xinzhu tell us more.

International sportswear companies like Nike and Adidas would love to have domestic celebrities like actress Li Bingbing and sports star Liu Xiang endorse their products. Well, they did. But not without the help of one of the country's most celebrated video jockeys, Li Chen, and his partner, Will Pan, a hip-hop star from Taiwan.

At a newly decorated loft in Shanghai's old French Concession, the two enterprising young men have combined their own fashion designs with top-slot footwear. The name of their store, and collection, is NPC - meaning New Project Center, an acronym that also merges Li's English name Nic with Pan's surname.

The two-story glass-and-steel structure is eye-catching, even from a distance,

Inside, racks of colorful shirts, sweaters and sneakers are laid out against the black walls, with pipes of light creating a tunnel effect.

"Business has been fairly brisk, and so we decided to give the store a facelift last month," Li says in a phone interview. He started the store three years ago, multitasking as he traveled all over the country hosting year-end parties and awards.

Although Li did not reveal exact revenue, it is generally clear NPC has turned in profits ever since it was established in 2009.

"As a TV person, learning how to dress is a part of my job. Besides, I have also been very interested in that from a very early age, so it just occurred to me that I can turn it into a business."

Li, 30, is only one of the growing number of celebrities to have launched their own fashion lines, and the former VJ of Channel V was the first in China to take the leap from fashion icon to fashion entrepreneur, making his NPC brand popular among the country's young.

Li's foray into fashion was in tandem with his rising success as a pop icon. He relies on his own sense of style to create a signature look both on and off stage, incorporating elements of streetwear and high-end fashion. For example, he has his own sketches screen printed on limited edition T-shirts.

But the secret of his success, Li insists, is not all about star appeal.

"Doing business is nothing like running a show on stage. People come to you not because of who you are, but what you sell and how you sell it," he says.

Merchandise at NPC includes limited-edition sneakers by Nike and adidas that are only available overseas or in Hong Kong, original designs by local designers and occasionally, creations by Li himself.

One of the most iconic collections is a line of T-shirts and cellphone cases featuring four letters "MLGB", a rude phrase in the Shanghai dialect, but which also means "Make Life Get Better".

"It's all about having fun, and what we want to express through our clothes."

You may contact the writers at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/19/2012 page13)