Frothy, flirty, and fun – those are the first three adjectives one can come up with when checking out ‘Sunshine Avenue’, the 2016 Spring/Summer Collection under Dare to Dream.
The brand’s founder and designer, Steffi Chen, is decked out in her own pieces, giving off an air of youthful vibrancy. “It’s all about the beach life and a fun-filled summer” she gushes, “The whole idea is to inspire my wearers to go out, be active, and have fun”
For Steffi, design was a late calling, but, as the adage goes, better late than never. Like most of her peers, she took the safe University route, graduating with both Management and Chinese studies’ degrees, yet always wanting more than a 9-to-5 career. ‘Dare to Dream’ was born out of that need to be more, to be different. “I’ve always wanted to have my own business, but it didn’t start out as a clothing boutique”, she explains.
Fashion, though, was something she’s flirted with before, but it wasn’t until her internship with Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia that she learned – and ultimately fell in love with – the garment and fashion industry. Under UO, Steffi learned the ins and outs of garment development, inspiring her to make new creations, and soon enough, selling them.
When she first established Dare to Dream, Macao’s fashion scene – or lack thereof – made it hard for Steffi to market the brand locally. So she looked across the pond, launching her brand in the bigger, more vibrant, Hong Kong Fashion scene. “I couldn’t make Macao the starting point for Dare to Dream. Though we have the government’s full support to nurture and cultivate as part of the budding creative industry here, it doesn’t change the fact that Macao’s market remains smaller”. She continues by saying, though, that her design aesthetic remains largely inspired by her local roots and personal experiences. The main graphics for her first-ever collection, for example, was based off the lines of the Ruins of St. Paul’s, hand-drawn and then printed onto the fabric in repetitive strokes. The brand’s flagship store also remained in Macao, setup in the heavily-toured Barra area.
“Even if most of the brand's outings happen in Hong Kong, I still wanted a piece of Dare to Dream to be in Macao. The location was strategic. We wanted Dare to Dream to represent the local fashion movement to the tourists, have them feel what a local fashion brand would actually be like”
Dare to Dream has continued to flourish across the pond, and was recently presented at a multi-brand Hong Kong fashion establishment called D-Mop. The store, which also carries products from the likes of Adidas, Jeremy Scott, and Y-3, ultimately bought and carried pieces from the first Dare to Dream collection and gave Steffi the motivation to move further. You can currently find her pieces in major online retail stores like Asos, Zalora, and Pinkoi.
Clearly, daring to dream is slowly but surely paying off. “I’m currently travelling again in search of more inspiration. At the end of the day, I’m happy I’m living my dream. It’s not easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way”
Store Location:
Calcada da Barra, No. 8. Edificio Cheong Seng Kock, Macau
Webpage: www.daretodream.mo
Facebook: www.facebook.com/daretodreamhk
Instagram: @daretodream
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