A design by Cheng-Huai Chuang (ERIC WONG)

What type of woman wears Cheng-Huai Chuang designs? Girls that are glamorous, feminine and strong—New York sexy.

"We all know the show Sex and the City. I think that is the kind of woman I would like to design for. The women who are very independent, could be any age and know how to enjoy their life, even when they are working hard," said Chuang, 26.

Saturated colors, piles of Swarovski crystals, feathers and lace, leather and satin—what glam girl wouldn't love Chuang's fringed bustiers and stunning evening gowns? And, the fashion world is taking note. Chuang's designs have ended up on the cover of Elle magazine, on celebrities like singer Carrie Underwood, Japanese pop princess Ayumi Hamasaki, and R&B singer Brandy.

Chuang's designs may be New York-inspired but have an Asian heart. He blends the West's adventurous love of breaking boundaries with the East's sensibilities of femininity and beauty.

"The way Chinese people see fashion, I can combine with how people see fashion here," he said.

Chuang debuted his collections in 2010, but has been designing fashion since a young boy growing up in Taiwan. His parents owned a high-end clothing store.

"My parents sell women's wear and a couple of local designs from Taiwan. I always used to play and dress the mannequins up—that's how I started. In high school I started to learn how to actually make clothes," he said.

Cheng-Huai Chuang with one of his creations (ERIC WONG)

Chuang's parents were initially wary about their son's aspirations.

"They are in the fashion business, so they know it is hard. They worried about my future," he said. "But after I kept going they accepted it. They don't support it but they don't stop me either. I'm doing my best to get somewhere."

After interning for a wedding dress designer in the Philippines and attending Parsons School of Design, Chuang was ready to launch his own label. The industry is notoriously tough to break into, and the New York motto—"If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere"—certainly applies.

"There are thousands of designers in New York, people who came here and try to make their dream come true. It's really hard. For me, I'm just trying to focus on the market I like: cocktail and eveningwear. That's what I always wanted to do," Chuang said. "I feel like I should focus on this first."

For the time being, Chuang is focusing on custom orders and an eye on moving into production later. His newest collection features pieces that are bright, sparkly, "a little disco, a little old-Hollywood," he said. He calls this time his chance to explore his own line, without the pressures of trying to develop a line for production. While friends have encouraged him to appear on popular design competitions like television's Project Runway, Chuang prefered to stay behind the curtain for the time being and let his clothes be in the spotlight.

"I give myself a year or two years to see how this goes. Being a designer is my dream—that's why I came all the way to this country. So far I'm doing okay and I'm happy, but I'm still not there. It's really hard," Chuang said. "My goal is just to have more people wear my clothes."

The author is a freelance writer living in New York City

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