THE first thing you notice about Henry Holland is that hair. The towering, carefully sculpted quiff grabs your attention, making it abundantly clear that the man you are about to talk to does things his own way.

And doing things his own way is what Holland has been embracing since he first dabbled his toes in fashion design with his legendary range of slogan T-shirts at a time when British fashion was perhaps taking itself a little too seriously.

While Holland says he never realized it until later, the success of his Fashion Groupies designs in 2006 - which took a cheeky dig at the industry through slogans like "I'll show you who's boss, Kate Moss" - was a result of good timing.

"When I first started I just made T-shirts, and the only reason they became popular was because of what they said on them. It was nothing to do with the shape of them."

With a background in journalism, the T-shirts were simply using language in a way that got to people, Holland says.

"It was talking about an industry in a certain way at a certain time that hit a nerve ... the fashion industry was desperate to laugh at itself."

But even for all of his success, Holland has never taken himself too seriously, even designing and wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with "one trick pony" after the fashion press began to question how long he could ride the wave of success that came with those first slogan tees.

Of course, the real humor in the joke is that Holland is anything but a "one trick pony." His House of Holland collections have been lauded internationally, and he has collaborated on collections with eyewear company Le Specs, Levi's, and British retailer Debenhams to name a few.

The really committed could cover themselves from head to toe in Holland's designs if they so desired, complete with tights, sneakers and matching iPhone cover.

But it may be a little while before the Chinese market is ready for all things from Holland, with the company still assessing the Asian region for future growth.

"If I came to China two years ago and sold to 500 shops overnight, I would never be able to produce the clothes to fulfill the orders. You've got to do it when the timing's right and when you have the infrastructure in place.

"That's why we're not really focused on America yet as a brand, because I don't feel that we're ready to really sock it to them."

House of Holland is currently stocked in a handful of boutiques around Shanghai, but he is hopeful that a much bigger presence will be possible in the future.

"To really be successful here you have to be aware of that, and know what it is that the Asian customer is buying into. I don't think it's about catering your collections to the region, but having elements in there that they can draw from and would be into."

That shouldn't be an onerous task for the label, with bright colors, bold shapes and a sense of fun already entrenched in the designs.

"There's definitely an element of kitsch in our collections and that playful side is something I hope would resonate with the Chinese customer."

Holland easily moves between discussing his creative influences and the realities of running a business - perhaps evidence of the difference his university background made in helping him establish his label.

Holland studied journalism at the London College of Communication and worked in the fashion section of teen magazine Sneak, before landing roles at Smash Hits and Bliss magazines.

That magazine background showed Holland the other side of the fashion industry, teaching him some of the necessary business know-how to make his label a success.

"The creative side of this industry is obviously the most important part, but without the business acumen to go with it you can never grow a label or a brand."

While many designers have confidantes or business partners to take care of such things, Holland keeps his eye very closely on both sides.

"If I didn't have any business sense then there's a chance that nobody would ever see my clothes. The business part of the fashion industry is creating fashion for people to buy and people to wear. That's actually a business concept."

Holland was in Shanghai to give a talk to fashion students at Donghua University as part of the British Council-led SmartTalk series. Hundreds of students crammed into the university's auditorium to hear Holland speak, and he easily won them over with his cheeky sense of humor and insights into the realities of working as a designer.

"Any fashion students wanting to start their own label would be well served to do a fashion degree and a business degree because you don't think about that stuff.

"You think, 'I'm going to design my clothes and have my name in the back and nobody will tell me what to do,' and you never think about tax returns and rent and wages because that's not sexy."

But going in blind with big dreams of runway shows and hobnobbing with the glitterati is not going to serve a young designer well. "I didn't have any formal training on either side in this industry, and it's been a very steep learning curve on both counts. I'm still learning every single day which is why I love it."

With fashion designer, businessman, and journalist already under his belt, it seems to be a matter of time before Holland tries his hand at something new yet again.

While no further collaborations are on the immediate agenda for House of Holland, the team is always on the lookout for new concepts or opportunities.

"There are certain areas that I feel like we could still explore, like jewelry and accessories, footwear and menswear, but that may just be us doing it on our own."

Each collaboration offers a chance to learn something new, and add a few new skills to the arsenal, Holland says.

And you never know when those new skills could come in handy.

"My mum always told me that the average number of careers people have in their lifetime is six. So I'm waiting to see what my next four are."