"Three years ago, we noticed the speed of new, creative and innovative products growing on Taobao. Most of the creations were done by the young generation," he said. "But it just felt it still wasn't enough to tell the whole story of what Taobao represents…and the best way is to hold a real exhibition so these merchants can tell their own stories and share their lifestyle directly with the consumers."

A report by data analytics firm CBNData showed that 77 percent of the independent designers on Taobao were aged 33 years or younger.