Cheung trekked the ancient Silk Road in northwestern China, before returning to put on a show with shifting sand dunes in the background.

The designer's constant search for inspiration, and his obsession with Chinese culture, have taken him from the country's periphery right to its center – the Forbidden City in Beijing.

And there's no way the dominant color of the royal palace could escape his scholarly eye.

Mark Cheung said, "Whatever you call my creations – constructivism or deconstructivism - that's in no way my concern. All I want to do is create what I've seen, using my own experience and abilities. This is what I pursue throughout the design process.

In that process, Cheung cites "simplicity" as the cardinal rule.

Mark Cheung said, "I'm in love with the sea – she controls everything under her calm surface. My designs are rich in detail, all within a simple and elegant form. Instead of overriding the cardinal rule of simplicity, the complex elements and emotions are kept well under control."

Always drawn to pristine beauty, Cheung visited a handful of water towns in southern China. There, his heart rippled and rhymed with everything under his eye. The ever-flowing water cast a reflection of his mind.

Cheung decided the best way to convey these infinite possibilities was to use lines.

Mark Cheung said, "I make clothes with lines and ruffles. Because compared to two-dimensional planes, lines are flexible – you can move them anywhere you want."