Tools that can also be worn off work

College students born in the 90s are often seen as young adults who haven't fully grown up. However, 24-year-old Zhang Kai from Wuhan has already made a name for himself by launching a fashion design trading company after graduation. In less than a year, his net worth exceeded one million yuan.

On January 17th, Zhang Kai, a young entrepreneur, met with other student entrepreneurs at the School of Entrepreneurship, Wuhan University of Technology. He shared that during his freshman year, his goal was to pursue postgraduate studies. He also attended job fairs and even secured a well-paying job in his senior year. But instead of following the traditional path, he chose to start his own business. “When you're young, you should be brave enough to try different paths. That’s the privilege of youth,” he said.

Zhang Kai founded Wuhan Aitekai Garment Co., Ltd., which integrates garment design, production, and sales. The company offers office wear, business attire, cultural shirts, and school uniforms. Unlike traditional uniforms, Aitekai's designs are tailored to reflect professional style, allowing employees to look stylish both on and off the job.

Starting Out on Hanzheng Street

Zhang Kai began his entrepreneurial journey in his third semester. In October 2011, he and his roommate saw an online ad about custom cultural t-shirts. They spent just a few tens of yuan to create personalized shirts with unique messages and drawings. With the rise of individuality, this project caught their interest, and they decided to take it further.

With fresh energy, he started selling personalized t-shirts, thinking, “Although it may not seem grand, it’s a business that can make money.” He found a student majoring in animation and game design and partnered with him. Together, they invested 1,900 yuan: one handled the design, while Zhang Kai took care of manufacturing and sales.

Despite studying business, Zhang Kai had no real-world experience. “I didn’t even know where garment factories were located, let alone how to find cheap manufacturers,” he admitted. So he took a hands-on approach—offering free labor at t-shirt stores on Hanzheng Street. While working, he learned how to distinguish fabric quality and locate affordable manufacturers.

Earning the First Pot of Gold with Just One Yuan per Piece

With the design and manufacturing team in place, Zhang Kai’s cultural shirt business faced some challenges. He reached out to over 150 student community leaders through the student union and selected 50 as primary targets. He emailed them, explained his idea, and followed up with phone calls. For secondary customers, he used text messages and emails for outreach.

Soon, he received over 1,000 orders from the school community. He set a profit margin of 1 yuan per piece, adding that amount to the factory price. In May 2012, he held a 10th-anniversary celebration at his university and bravely approached the school leadership to sell customized t-shirts for the event. His idea of earning just 1 yuan per piece was accepted, leading to 4,000 orders in one go. Using the reputation gained, he also sold 3,000 cultural shirts to other colleges and 30,000 hats to the Communist Youth League.

This small-scale business, earning only 1 yuan per piece, eventually brought in 40,000 yuan. With this “first pot of gold,” Zhang Kai decided to register his company and take the leap into full-time entrepreneurship.

Staying Committed Until Graduation

In August 2012, Zhang Kai officially established Wuhan Aitekai Garment Trading Co., Ltd. With confidence, he aimed to dominate the T-shirt market. He actively reached out to two universities celebrating their anniversaries and participated in bidding processes. To prepare, he spent three days and nights in the library learning how to draft bids. Unfortunately, both bids failed. In the first case, he quoted the lowest price but ignored quality requirements; in the second, his partner lacked the necessary qualifications for one product.

At this point, only a few months away from graduation, his initial partner couldn’t handle the pressure and left. Zhang Kai felt paralyzed during that time. He even attended a job fair and received a 5,000-yuan monthly offer, but he refused to give up on his dream.

Finally, he decided to take the risk, saying, “I’ll put the remaining 20,000 yuan on the company’s books and either lose it or find a new job later.”

Innovating to Win the Market

After rethinking his strategy, Zhang Kai realized that continuing with low-end production would still carry risks. He needed to innovate. He launched a website to showcase his products and promoted it through search engine marketing. Soon, his company gained online recognition, allowing customers to browse designs and request customizations.

He also shifted his design philosophy, introducing the concept of “work clothes that can be worn off work.” This appealed to the aesthetic preferences of professionals born in the 80s and 90s. He targeted the high-end business wear market and introduced a “one-to-one” tailoring model for workwear.

Today, Zhang Kai’s company receives around 120,000 yuan in monthly orders through online channels. Local companies like Dongfeng Motor, BMW 4S stores, and Jiji Food have become regular clients. As of January this year, Aitekai’s sales revenue surpassed one million yuan.

Looking ahead, Zhang Kai hopes to open a physical store in Wuhan, offering custom-made professional uniforms that are as fashionable as everyday clothing. “I want work clothes to be as stylish as popular fashion,” he said.

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