New kid in fashion: Chantelle Cheang talks local design

S: Managing Editor of C² Magazine, Flora Shaw

C: Fashion Designer, Chantelle Cheang

Wedding dress and gown designer Chantelle Cheang is only 27 but has already established her own brand, Chantelle.C. Her designs have already made a splash in the fashion world. She is one of the beneficiaries of the 2013 Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making launched by the Cultural Affairs Bureau. We talk to her about the state of the fashion industry in Macao.

S: Among all the different kinds of fashion design, why did you choose wedding dress and gown?

C: Since I was young I liked drawing, and I really like drawing wedding dresses.

S: How did you start to participate in film, advertising and graphic design?

C: I was studying a diploma in costume design at the Open University of Hong Kong. I started to feel that costume and image were strongly connected, so I also decided to study special effects make-up, which are specific to roles. I was working at a casino in Macao at the same time, and was responsible for doing the make-up for their video productions. Along the way, I got to know a Hong Kong producer, and then Hong Kong advertising firms started to ask me for help.

S: Films and commercials always need strange costumes and props, do you have any fun examples you can share with us?

C: I recently worked with the costume team for Hollywood production Now You See Me 2. Once the director wanted to match a green qipao with a green pair of dancing shoes. My team and I had to tailor a pair of green ballet shoes on the spot within two hours. It was both a challenging and fun experience.

S: What do you think is the difference between working with Hong Kong and Macao teams and Hollywood?

C: The biggest difference is that they divide up the work very finely. In Hong Kong and Macao, teams usually only have one costume director, one assistant, one costume manager, who are all in charge of a film’s costumes. In Hollywood, just the Hong Kong sub-team has eight people in charge.

S: How do you feel Macao people view fashion?

C: It is hard for Macao people to accept new things. They usually just follow trends in Hong Kong. Very few come up with their own trends.

S: Do you encounter difficulties as a fashion designer in Macao?

C: In the past, people would look down on Macao designers and charge them less than designers from other places. I worked hard to prove myself. I didn’t want Macao people to even look down on Macao people. The situation has improved in the last one or two years, and now the government is supporting the industry.

S: Can you share some of your recent work experiences?

C: Last year I participated in a MOP150,000 subsidy scheme (i.e. 2013 Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making launched by the Cultural Affairs Bureau). Together with some of my own money, I started designing wedding outfits. The sales were pretty good after I took part in a fashion show. Some socialites wanted me to design clothes for them. I tweaked some of more youthful dresses to make them suitable for their age.

S: Who are your clients mostly?

C: For wedding dresses, it’s obviously mostly women who are about to get married. I know this is a narrow market, so I also make evening gowns. But there aren’t many opportunities for Macao people to dress formally, so I’ll make some semi-formal clothes like cocktail dresses, which are more easily accepted by local. In fact, in recent years many big companies have held parties and banquets in Macao. As people pay more attention to their clothes, they start to pay more attention to local fashion.

S: What are the characteristics of Macao fashion?

C: Different designers have different characteristics. I have friends who design casual menswear, some focus on casual fashion for young women. I tend to design more European-style formal wear. Though there aren’t many designers in Macao, their styles are still very varied.

S: What do you think about the future of the fashion industry in Macao?

C: I think that the industries get better and better. The government is supporting creative industries like music, theatre, film and fashion. If we support each other, we can start building an industry supply chain. Films, singers and theatre all need costumes, so their demand for Macao designs will only grow.