An exhibition of local brand N0.42 founded by local artists Ophelia Vong Si Weng (黃思穎) and Venus Tou Wai In (杜慧賢) is on display at the Macau Fashion Gallery (MFG) as part of the “2021 Brand Story – Macau Original Fashion Exhibition VII”, co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre (CPTTM).
According to a CPTTM statement, the exhibition series provides participants with the opportunity to showcase their latest creations and share them with the public through the MFG platform, “bursting with brand vitality”.
The statement stressed that the works are the result of countless remodelling sessions, “full of silent bitterness, and the stories behind them attract fashion enthusiasts’ imperceptibly.”
The “Brand Story” series was first launched in 2017 and eight local brands have been selected for this year’s exhibition, namely Nega C., Lexx Moda, ANIFA, Common Comma, PUI, Demi*D, N0.42, and C/W COLLECTIVE. The designs are to be showcased in eight phases, with one brand being featured in each phase, according to a statement by the gallery.
According to a statement on the gallery’s website, the N0.42 collection displayed at the exhibition is themed “Mix & Match”. It values “freedom from restraints and life with an attitude”. Vong and Tou believe that “there is no fixed formula for the mix and match of outfits – add some well-designed fashion items to your daily outfit and show your unique personality without restraint. N0.42’s clothing from different collections can not only match each other but also go with the basic fashion items in the wearer’s wardrobe.”
According to the statement, the exhibition displays a combination of all N0.42 collections. Apart from showcasing the collections already on sale, part of the works from its latest collection are included. In line with the brand’s core philosophy, clothes from all the collections are once again brought to the public through mixing and matching with the theme, in order to promote the variability and sustainability of the brand’s fashion style, the statement underlined.
The design of the brand is one that features asymmetrical tailoring and the use of fabrics of different textures to create interwoven patterns, as well as beautiful details to make styles of all kinds, according to the exhibition brochure.
Vong and Tou graduated from the Department of Fashion Design of Shih Chien University in Kaohsiung, both majoring in Fashion Design and Merchandising. As college students, the duo worked for fashion shows as activity assistants in Macau and Taiwan and coordinated the design and layout of venues for static exhibitions of graduation work. After they returned to Macau, they set up a studio with the brand “N0.42” in 2019 as an extension of their interest and passion for fashion design, according to the statement.
Fashion design is part of Macau’s developing creative and cultural industries, which aim to strengthen the special administrative region’s role as a business innovator in the 11-city Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The exhibition runs until November 21 at the gallery at 47 Rua de S. Roque in S. Lázaro district. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (except Mondays). Admission is free.
As part of the government’s COVID-19 epidemic prevention measures, all visitors entering the gallery have to wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present a digital health code.
For enquiries, please call 2835 3341 or visit the website https://macaofashiongallery.com/en/
Photos: Camy Tam
