Chinese American fashion designer Vivienne Hu was presented the Visionary Artist Award by the University of Southern California Pacific Asia Museum recently for her creative contribution to Asia-Pacific cultural exchanges.

Hu is an investment banker turned fashion designer.

Born and raised in China, she had her university education in Europe. And she worked as a financier at a leading investment bank on Wall Street, prior to studying fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York.

In 2012, Hu launched her brand, which has been selected by the Council of Fashion Designers of America as one of the resident brands of New York Fashion Week since 2014.

Her designs blend European elegance and New York street style while incorporating exotic Asian elements. At the heart of her design philosophy is the spirit of the independent woman, displaying both femininity and individuality.

Last year, Hu presented a collection that was inspired by murals in the Mogao grottoes in Dunhuang, a 1,600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northwest China's Gansu province.