Recipients of fashion design subsidies announced

Thehe Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has announced a total of eight candidates from the 2015 Subsidy Program for Fashion Design Marketing that are to be awarded subsidies of up to MOP160,000. The financial support will be directed toward sample making and the production of promotional materials.
IC launched the program in 2013 to promote the sustainable development of the fashion industry in Macau.
The judging panel, comprising industry professionals from Macau and Hong Kong, selected the eight finalists after two rounds of reviews.
An IC press release stated that some 50 percent of the scheme’s candidates were first-time applicants. Moreover, there was a growth in the percent of applicants who  registered trademarks for their brands. This reportedly shows that local fashion designers are “aware of brand protection and pay close attention to intellectual property.”
One of the judges noted that the business planning of this edition’s entrants was more mature than candidates in previous years, and that the recent applicants have gradually found their market positioning.  Others added that, some applicants focus more on the details of the design than the practicality of the garments.