Macao Fashion Festival 2018 to kick off on October 18

An aspect of last year’s International Trade and Investment Fair

This year’s Macao Fashion Festival will take place during the 23nd International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) at The Venetian Macao from October 18 to 20. 

The organizers – the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center (CPTTM) and Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) – hope to use the festival to showcase ‘Made-in-Macau’ design on a global stage. They aim to present the achievements of the Macau fashion industry and raise its profile in the region.

The 2018 festival will have a total of six professional fashion shows, one of which will take place during the opening ceremony. There will also be four shows featuring local designers.

The opening ceremony, titled the Belt and Road Initiative Fashion Parade, will feature eight renowned fashion designers from Macau, Hong Kong and overseas. The line-up includes Canceição Carvalho from Bissau, Joe Chan from Taipei, Hanz Herzl Pableo (aka Hanz Coquilla) from Cebu, Otto Tang from Hong Kong and Pimsiri Nakswasdi from Bangkok. The local designers include Chanteile Cheang, Rainie Choi and Alo Lo.

On the second day of the festival, there will be two Brand Collection Shows featuring the works of four outstanding local labels, including Decom and i-Gift.

There will be a special program on the third day: the Award Ceremony of the 5th Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC). The eight winners will showcase their diverse collections on the catwalk.

The local brands on display will range from women’s and men’s wear to shoe designs and sportswear.

Uniform design will also feature in this festival. According to CPTTM, there is high demand for uniform design in the SAR; for instance, Macau’s casinos have numerous staff with unique uniforms for different positions and seasons.     

Last year’s festival attracted 1,400 visitors and 32 designers and fashion brands from Macau, Hong Kong and overseas. Thirteen local brands had their own exhibition booths.