André Chang at the Walls Gallery in Quezon City

If you are looking for OOTD inspirations that are more on the flamboyant and vibrant side, look no further than Manila-based stylist, André Chang. With his visually striking geometric outfits and colorful ensembles, he is sure to draw attention and double takes wherever he goes.

Apart from being a stylist, he also works as a product and brand consultant and has worked for numerous campaigns and fashion shows for brands like Uniqlo, Forever 21, Folded & Hung and SM Malls to name a few.

This year, he takes on a product designer role for the fashion sector of Manila FAME’s recurring product development initiative.

“I feel like working with local entrepreneurs is such an honor for me because I believe in Filipino talent,” said Chang. “There’s so much creativity, expression and ideas from local brands. To be part of that and to be able to collaborate with these people and these brands is a huge thing for me.”

The upcoming edition of Manila FAME will once again hold its product development program through the Design Commune. This initiative aims to connect the country’s top designers with the local community’s up-and-coming fashion and design brands. The program provides them with an opportunity to collaborate and create new pieces that blend the designer’s vision with the exhibitor’s medium and style. The Design Commune will feature and highlight the results of these partnerships at the upcoming trade show to be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City, Philippines.

“There’s actually a lot to look forward to,” explained Chang about the April edition of Manila FAME. “To come in as a product designer and see all these brands come together under one roof and witness all the creative designs that they come up with every season, is like being a kid in a candy shop.”

Reimagining art

Chang sketching product design ideas inspired by the art pieces at Walls Gallery

Chang visited each of the fashion exhibitors to collaborate with them and get a better sense of their respective brand identities and who they are as artists. In every meeting, Chang sketched multiple designs inspired by the artistic elements from the exhibitor’s product lineup and his own interpretation of “Heritage Reimagined,” the theme for this year’s Manila FAME. The purpose of these meetings is to create tailor-fit products that seamlessly blend the existing styles and mediums of the exhibitors with the fresh design inputs from Chang.

The exhibitors take the sketches and begin working on the new designs to present at the trade show. These fashion exhibitors that Chang collaborated with come from all over the country, some of which include: renowned Albay-based bag and shoe designer Jelvin Mujar of EMBE Creations whose primary advocacy is to showcase the craftsmanship of the local artisans from his community; art reproduction gallery owner, Gigi Lim of Walls Gallery Quezon City; and Laguna-based shoe designers Corazon Coligado of Ai-She Footwear and Nephtali Moneda of Jhaz Footwear.

What’s New in Manila FAME

Ai-She footwear designed by Chang

In addition to his product designer role for the Design Commune, Chang also served as a fashion consultant to 22 of the country’s rising fashion entrepreneurs and designer commercial brands to introduce the first ever E-Tailer Special Setting. This new initiative will bring the online fashion marketplace to the trade show floor and feature the latest trends in both couture and ready-to-wear fashion.

See André Chang’s designs come to life and all the other talented exhibitors at the Design Commune special setting on April 25-27, 2019, at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Pasay City, Philippines.

Manila FAME is the Philippines’ premier design and lifestyle event organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

For more information, visit www.manilafame.com.♦

Date of release: 29 March 2019