Wang Xiujun is one of these loyal customers.

Xiao Yang who is 1.55 meters tall and weighs 150 kilograms gets the best personal charm prize  in a beauty contest for overweight people in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, April 2, 2006. [newsphoto]

"I am only 28, and I like clothes that have light colours and look trendy. But there aren't many choices out there," Wang says. "So if I find a dress I like at Beijing Pangpangshow, I usually buy two in different colours. I come here every season to see what's new."

The partnership between Yang and Ma started in 2002, when Yang was anxiously looking for a stable supply of plus-size clothes.

Yang opened a plus-size clothing store in 1997, but in the late 1990s there weren't any factories specializing in the design and production of extra large clothing for Chinese women. She had to collect items from around the country from companies that occasionally made larger versions of their standard clothes for export.

Yang was thrilled when her little shop caught on with plus-size women, but she started to worry about supply. Her customer base was growing quickly and their expectations became higher.

Yang saw the light at the end of the tunnel in 2002, when she met clothing factory owner Ma.

"I had been producing clothes for a number of Chinese brands for years, but many of them were short-lived due to stiff competition in the women's clothing industry. I thought Yang's idea was quite new and promising, however," Ma recalls.

The two started working together in late 2002. Yang was responsible for providing the latest market information, and Ma specialized in design and production.

They are now preparing fresh ideas for the future.

"Soon Beijing Pangpangshow will not just be a clothing shop. We want to turn it into a club for full-figured women, where they can have image designers, buy clothes, accessories and lingerie, and even get their hair done," Ma says.

"If possible, we also want to offer them healthcare courses and even open a fitness centre next to the shop." 

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