By Candy Chan
“Follow”, a local hand-craft brand founded in 2012, conveys that it is a brand that can suit and follow you in daily life. And its founder, i.Be Kwong was just 23, who graduated from Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM) last year, majoring in multimedia design.
Kwong first started handcrafting in 2012 because she planned to participate in the Art Fair with her friends and she needed products for sale. “I decided to make hand-made purses at that time, but because I did not get a sewing machine, I could just sew it one by one by hand. It was very time consuming and I was only able to finish six of them,” she said.
She was able sell out three purses in the fair, but she was still happy about that. What gave her so much satisfaction was not the sale but the appreciation from customers.
And finally this year, she opened her own shop in the Ginza Plaza. It isn’t the final destination for her brand, it’s just a beginning. “Follow” and her store are still in the stage of developing. So at the moment 10% of the products are from “Follow” and the remaining are clothing she has purchased that match the theme of the collection line.
When asked whether she thinks a local brand can survive from the mainstream industry, she commented, “It’s always the survival of the fittest. So instead of keeping on blaming the public for neglecting ‘you’, I will try to find ways to cope with this situation. It’s not about the society or how the public acts in the situation, it’s about how you treat the situation. Like now, tourism is growing rapidly, so I am planning to open a new collection line, which targets tourists’ demand for souvenirs.”
Kwong also added, “Some may feel that it is not necessary to make changes in order to cope with the current situation. But coping does not mean you are denying what you have done, it’s just opening up new possibilities. What does matter is your thought.”
In her opinion, “Follow” has a long way to go and there are still many challenges waiting for her in the future. She explained that she is the one taking the whole responsibility for her brand, not the government. The government is just an external source she can reach out for help. So being always prepared and persistent in learning is also very important.
“And now, although I do not earn much, but I believe that the experience and satisfaction I achieve after 10 years will make me different from those who are just working in casinos. Lastly, you will never know what you can achieve if you do not take the first step to try,” she said proudly.