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Huang Xuanni was once the "invisible" child. Growing up in a rural family in Binzhou, Hunan province, the 44-year-old was the sixth of seven children.
In a household that favoured sons, her parents often forgot her name and forced her to eat alone on the doorstep while her brother was lavished with attention.
According to the South China Morning Post, the neglect was harrowing.
At one point, her parents allegedly abandoned her on a mountain after she fell ill, only for a stranger to rescue her
Despite having just one yuan (RM0.60) in weekly pocket money and trekking three hours to school, Huang fought her way to Hunan Agricultural University.
After a painful divorce and surviving domestic violence, Huang decided to bet on herself.
In 2015, she invested 50,000 yuan (RM29,000) into a Taobao store selling high-end petite clothing. She acted as the photographer while a friend modelled, targeting a niche market of women who struggled to find well-fitting clothes.
The journey was not a straight line to the top. By 2017, poor business decisions left Huang buried under a five million yuan (RM2.9 million) debt.
Instead of folding, she immersed herself in brand management and fashion design, eventually launching her own brand, Mix Selection, in 2020.
The brand's "neo-Chinese" style, which blends traditional silk with modern aesthetics, struck a chord.
By 2023, Mix Selection's neo-Chinese style dress line generated over 8.7 million yuan (RM5 million) in sales
Huang celebrated by clearing all her debts and treating her creditors to a celebratory meal to mark her comeback.
By 2025, Mix Selection's sales surpassed 250 million yuan (RM143 million).
Now an Executive MBA student at Peking University, Huang uses her platform to empower other women.
"I want to tell those girls like me, suffocated by family and marriage, not to give up. Just hold on a little longer and there is hope," she added.
