Macau CSR is collaborating with the Macau Fashion Design Industry Association (MFDIA) to conduct three exclusive interviews with local Macau designers and share their expectations towards Macau’s fashion industry.

Two local fashion designers, Ophelia Vong and Venus Tou, jointly founded the Macau clothing brand NO. 42 (肆二) in 2019. The brand name evokes a meaning something along the lines of “an irreverent combination of two designers”. The brand’s style is a mixture of two completely different design concepts.

“We have different styles, one is more elegant and the other is more bold,” says Venus. It is the completely different styles that generates the unique qualities of their designs. “Local people’s dressing style is relatively conservative. We hope that our unique works will bring some different elements and improve Macau people’s attitude towards dressing.”

Ophelia and Venus have been friends since high school, and later studied design at the same university in Taiwan. After returning to Macau, the two hit it off and founded NO. 42 to start their careers as fashion designers.

However, it’s not easy to make a success in this business. The two founders have always run the brand part-time. Their products are temporarily sold through consignment, with no physical store.

According to Ophelia, the local fashion industry is limited by the size of the market. “It is indeed difficult to operate in Macau since the market is not large enough while local designs are not that attractive.”

Although the market is narrow, Ophelia pointed out that the industry has received strong support from the government. For example, NO. 42 was selected by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and participated in the Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design Sample Making. “In the future, I hope the government will continue its support to the industry,” she tell us, “as well as strengthening publicity and promotion, allowing more residents to know about the fashion design industry.”