2018 Brand Story—Macao Original Fashion ExhibitionIII

Introduction

Every touching story has unusual storylines and elements. How much you know about the story depends on your attitude to, curiosity about and exploration of it. We can easily figure out the brand logos on the clothing of people walking through streets and alleys, but how much do we understand the stories behind the brands?

A number of independent original fashion brands have sprung up in Macao, as the SAR government vigorously promotes the local cultural and creative industries in recent years. In view of this, the Macao Fashion Gallery continues to organize the “2018 Brand Story—Macao Original Fashion Exhibition” this year, providing a platform for local original fashion brands to tell their own stories, through open call for brand stories, followed by evaluation and selection.

Six fashion labels including I.N.K, JADE.L, alexis jordan, Nega C., Denimworks and ella épeler will be showcased and available to purchase in the exhibition. The exhibition is divided into three phases, with two brands to be shown in each phase. The event will start with the street fashion of I.N.K and gender-neutral designs of JADE.L, followed by alexis jordan’s male clothing of metropolitan improvisation as well as Nega C.’s sweet and romantic style in the second phase. It will be concluded by Denimworks’ jeans featuring unique craftsmanship and ella épeler’s totem illustrations.

Brand introduction：ella épeler

“épeler” is a verb in the French phrase “ella épeler”, which is used when referring to an act of linking or joining things together. Adhering to the concept “Bring Your Attitude to Life”, ella épeler combines various elements in unconventional tailoring and integrates original illustrations and artistic ideas into its designs. By doing so, the brand produces fascinating clothing embodying the diversity and uniqueness of fashion, with an aspiration to turn them into treasures in the closet. ella épeler rolls out fashion items by series rather than seasons and makes innovative attempts through the inspiration of different dressing styles.

Brand Designer：Ella Lei

Ella Lei, a post-80s born in Macao, is a graduate from the Design Department, School of Arts, Macao Polytechnic Institute, majoring in multimedia design. She has worked as art and animation designer for four years, while taking a fashion design diploma program. She is currently a freelance designer passionate about illustration and fashion design, hoping to progress by combing these two art form. She is actively participating in exhibitions and fashion events, working on her own fashion label “ella épeler”.

Exhibition theme： “I Dream of the Sea”

It tells a short story about a little girl and her dream in which she swims in the sea and meets different types of marine animals. Seeing sunlight shining through the clear water, she wanders freely around the beautiful and mysterious realm. The little girl transforms the marine animals she met into pattern, emphasizing the delicacy of dream with light and soft tone. The layers of chiffon conveys the sensation of flowing sea water and the joy of swimming. The patterns are covered with embroidered fabric, showcasing a mysterious ocean painting.

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Brand introduction：Denimworks

Denimworks was created as a Macao jean brand in 2015 with an aim to preserve and inherit the local techniques of jean clothing production. Named with “Denim”, an essential jean clothing element, the brand adheres to the original idea of simplicity and comfort for jean clothing from choosing fabric materials, through design to production. By doing so, Denimworks aspires to produce jean pieces that best suit the majority of the community, allowing shoppers to select their matching clothes in a relaxing mood while being at leisure.

Brand Designer：Fortes Pakeong Sequeira

Inarticulate in childhood, Fortes Pakeong Sequeira developed a strong interest in drawing through which he is able to express his inner world. His paintings draw directly on walls depicting instant and ephemeral images and moments that appear in his mind. After graduating from university, Pakeong dedicated himself to the graphic design industry as an amateur artist. In 2005, he launched his first solo exhibition “Mad! Mad! Mad! Fortes Sketches” in Ox Warehouse. In 2008 he became a full-time artist. In 2009, with a permanent marker in hand, he appeared in Art Beijing as a live painter for the first time, creating a single-color art piece over four consecutive days (7.2m width, 2.4m height). Since then, he organized solo exhibitions across Macao, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Malaysia, Singapore, Lisbon, New York, etc. featuring his permanent markers and canvas. In 2015, he launched his autobiography and work collection Experiencing: Fortes. In addition to being a visual art creator, Pakeong is also the lead vocalist of the band “Blademark” responsible for writing lyrics, composing and performing. He leads the band to perform frequently in Macao, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo, Beijing, Taipei, Australia, etc., receiving great popularity among the audience.

Exhibition theme ： “Camoudream”

This concept exhibition, themed on 2017 Camoudream, is jointly created by Denimwork and Fortes Pakeong Sequeira, the founder of Blademark.

Life is like changing weather, with sudden cloudbursts or sunshine; unpredictable storms are against our will. Some people stoop to compromise, are worldly wise and play it safe in order to protect themselves, or even change their own character and immerse in the environment. This group of people lose themselves and let their souls “be buried in a rotten grave”, dragging out an ignoble existence in this merciless, corrupt and coldblooded world.

However, is dragging out an ignoble existence in this distorted era the only way of survival?

No! Even though we have to put on “camouflage colors”, we should live our life to the fullest and brightest!

Macao Fashion Gallery

Exhibition Date：5/5-24/6/2018

Opening hours: 10am – 8pm (closed on Mondays, open on public holidays)

Venue: Rua de S. Roque, No. 47, Macao

Enquiries: (853) 2835 3341 (during office hours)

Website: www.macaofashiongallery.com

Free admission