A model displays a hair style designed by Tony Studio during the 2014 China Fashion Week (Spring/Summer), Nov 1, 2013. [Photo/CFP]

"Tony knows his stuff and usually leads the way in trends," says Timothy Coughlan from Australia, who runs the fashion website maosuit.com. "I remember at the Versace Beijing Flagship Store opening asking him about his outfit and he replied that it was vintage Versace that he had bought decades ago, not just because vintage is hot right now. I know very few people in China like that.

"Tony is the kind of guy you see at all the top fashion parties and shows in China, but he's not just there as a pretty face. He's been in the fashion and style business for years and has real street credentials."

The young stylist's early role model was British-born crimper Vidal Sassoon, generally credited with inventing the bob cut in the 1960s.

"He was my hero and when he came to Beijing some years ago, a friend invited me to have dinner with him," says Li. "That was a real 'wow' moment for me, very exciting, and he asked a lot about salons in China."

Li speaks fluent English and is able to move easily between local and international circles. A tall individual with flamboyant sartorial style, he can easily be spotted at the social functions and parties he attends; he was one of a select few invited to dine with American Vogue editor Anna Wintour when she visited China.

Most of the salon's customers are professional women who work hard and want to treat themselves, he says.

"I would say that 80 percent of our clients are independent women. They come every 40 to 45 days. We actually don't push people to spend a lot of money the first time they come; if they like us, they will come back.

"Training is vital," he says. "I was a teacher and I know every single detail of the hair salons. Everybody knows me and my work: a lot of hairdressers want to work with me."

The hairdresser-cum-stylist is the go-to guy for top models and actresses, and Zhang Ziyi, Li Bing Bing, Fan Bing Bing and Faye Wong have become pals who he meets regularly to catch up on the latest industry news.

Li has more than 2,000 people on the payroll, a figure that will expand when he goes ahead with a plan to open a salon in Sydney, targeting the large Asian population there.

The rapid expansion is part of detailed business plan. Although there are different strands to the Li mini-empire they all play to his core beauty-business and lifestyle expertise.