Ye Shouzeng & Shawna Tao

Ye Shouzeng and Shawna Tao are the husband-and-wife founders of Icicle, a Chinese fashion brand synonymous with understated luxury, and its parent company ICCF Group. In April 2026, French luxury conglomerate Kering agreed to acquire a minority stake in the group to accelerate Icicle’s global expansion, with Gucci alumnus Sabato De Sarno appointed Icicle’s creative director a few months later.

Ye and Tao, graduates of Donghua University’s School of Design, launched Icicle in Shanghai in 1997 against the backdrop of rapid urbanisation and economic growth across mainland China. Grounded in the ancient Taoist ethos of harmony between humanity and nature, they created Icicle to offer high-end, environmentally conscious clothing for the country’s emerging professional class. From the outset, the pair rejected the fragmented, outsourced supply chain model typical of the modern apparel industry. To ensure rigorous quality control, they established their own vertically integrated manufacturing network, overseeing every stage from raw material sourcing to garment production. Prioritising high-grade natural textiles such as organic cotton, linen, silk and undyed cashmere, Icicle combines traditional and advanced manufacturing techniques designed to reduce environmental impact.

In 2013, the couple expanded Icicle’s footprint beyond Shanghai to Paris, where they launched a design centre. Five years later, Icicle acquired French luxury house Carven, which was later brought together with Icicle under ICCF (Icicle Carven China France). By 2026, the group operated more than 200 boutiques, mostly in China but also across Paris and other European capitals, with Ye serving as president of ICCF Group and chief executive of Icicle and Tao as chief executive of Carven.