Mao took care of marketing and branding while Ma focused on design. They developed Exception into one of the major Chinese labels and secured a number of loyal high-end clients such as Peng, who appreciated the brand's aesthetic of unique and high-quality dresses.
This commercial success did not make Ma arrogant, rather she turned to nature.
She was tired of creating trendy collections every season and describes the process as being an actor creating an illusion.
"I prefer to make clothes for real life," she says.
Following her heart, Ma began her new life in 2006. She left Guangzhou, retaining the title of artistic consultant at Exception, and established the new label, Wu Yong (means "useless"), a charity and eco-fashion workshop promoting heritage craftsmanship in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.
Explaining the brand name she says her label turns what some people term "useless" into fashion. "We live in a time of people overusing resources. We don't need so many clothes or furniture. It's not necessary to change our wardrobe every season," Ma says.
She found a private garden that used to belong to Tang Shaoyi (1862-1938), the first premier of the Republic of China, to base her workshop. She then recruited some 20 craftsmen to spin silk, weave and dye the cloth, on machines used a century ago.
In a world where consuming fast fashion is the trend, a craftsman in Ma's workshop takes three months to make a quilt.
"It's my field and I want all the crops in it to grow slowly and naturally," she says. "I want to inspire people to live a simple life and have a free spirit."
1,000-meter-long Spider Walk of Canton Tower opens
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