Macau CSR is collaborating with the Macau Fashion Design Industry Association (MFDIA) to conduct a series of three interviews with local Macau designers to better understand the development of Macau’s fashion industry.
The first of these is with Eva Lee who studied at a vocational high school in Taiwan, where she became acquainted with fashion design. Eva tells us, “I learnt sewing, sample making, tailoring and other skills at that time, and I developed an interest in fashion design.”
After returning to Macau, Eva’s pursuit of fashion design continued. From the single-color series of her younger years, Eva has gradually developed different ideas with her works becoming richer in color. She also created an individual fashion brand, however Eva says it is not easy to make fashion design a full-time profession in a small city like Macau.
“Instead of mass production, I mainly focus on made-to-measure services,” she tells us, mentioning that the main limitation is the local market environment. “Many fashion designers are not full-time professionals. I also work as a makeup artist, a photographer, and even a floral designer.”
Wearing different hats may be necessary for fashion designers in Macau. Eva works hard in multiple professional areas to support her passion for fashion design.
“We wish more residents can know about Macau’s fashion design, maybe it’s the reason we devote ourselves to fashion design,” she says. “It’s not necessarily to build an enormous fashion industry, but I hope more people will become aware of Macau fashion design.”
Eva states that the SAR government has provided certain support to the industry, including provide funding and spaces for the design community to exhibit their works, but the development of the industry is still restricted.
“Greater room for growth is expected by everyone. It’s also expected that the government and business sectors create more platforms for the industry, such as holding more exhibitions or activities, to jointly promote the development of Macau’s fashion design industry.”
