Fashion forward

"Giada is a perfect business partnership between an Italian fashion brand and a Chinese company. That's why Giada is so successful in China," Silvestrin says.

China has long been a very important market for Italian fashion brands and contributed 41 percent to the growth of Italy's fashion industry last year.

Italy also signed up for the Belt and Road Initiative during President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Europe.

"It is a new chapter in our bilateral relations and we will strengthen the efforts to promote Italian fashion and culture in China," says Gonzo.

Zhao says he is dedicated to discovering small and medium-size brands in Italy, developing them in China and then making them global.