Rui Zhou is the founder of RUIbuilt, the label she launched in 2019 as Rui and renamed in 2025. Her work has developed a singular fashion language around the relationship between body, skin and garment.

Born in Hengyang, Hunan, in 1994, Zhou studied fashion design at Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design before earning a master's degree at Parsons in New York. In 2021, she became the first Chinese designer to reach the final of the LVMH Prize, where she received the Karl Lagerfeld Prize, the jury's special award.

Her recognition spans both China and international fashion. She was named a Rising Star in the Wallpaper* China Design Awards and Designer of the Year at the ELLE Style Awards, and has participated in Gucci Vault, reached the final of the International Woolmark Prize, and appeared on both Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia and the Dazed 100.