But perhaps Lego should not strive unduly to keep up with electronic fashion: the big hit this Christmas at Hamleys, London's toy mecca, was a come-back story dating back to ancient Greece: the humble yo-yo.

ECONOMIST: Lego

She reads fashion magazines for make-up tips and how to keep slim with the right vegetable juices, listens to a digital music player overflowing with the latest Hong Kong Cantopop songs, and recently watched dubbed Korean soap operas on a PC with her girlfriends at her factory dorm munching snacks and drinking beer.

FORBES: China's 'Generation X'

"Fashion is a fast-moving industry where brand loyalty is fickle and Republic has failed to keep up with some pretty fierce competitors, " she said.

BBC: Republic chain faces administration