Behind every piece of jewellery is a unique story. Hong Kong brand MIDNIGHTFACTORY draws inspiration from practical objects and turns jewellery into memory capsules that embody a cacophony of narratives. As one of this year’s CENTRESTAGE EMERGING DESIGNERS, MIDNIGHTFACTORY searches for a balance between conceptual and commercial jewellery design and explores different aesthetics and perspectives to create an aesthetic that is one-of-a-kind.

1. Why did you establish MIDNIGHTFACTORY in the first place? How would you describe the brand’s style?

My initial aspirations for MIDNIGHTFACTORY were simple: To challenge myself to establish a brand abiding by my personal aesthetics and to prove that I am capable of transforming my interest into a career. The brand is currently like a small space for me to record my own and others’ feelings and memories in a slightly wayward way. If MIDNIGHTFACTORY were a person, I would describe him as a rebellious but melodramatic “emo kid”.

2. In the process of managing the brand, what is the biggest challenge you've faced? How did you overcome it?

Since my professional background is in visual communications, I had limited understanding of  the fashion industry, which gave rise to many new obstacles in the preliminary stage of the brand. All at once, I had to learn how to design and communicate with factory suppliers. With a lack of resources to ensure both my brand and I were promoted, I certainly paid a price.

In the process, I gained a lot of experience and learnt a lot of valuable lessons, but made a considerable amount of sacrifices too. These experiences helped me better understand the complexities and challenges of managing a brand.

The biggest challenge of all was striking the balance between business and expressing my design concepts. Designers have to maintain their individuality and creativity while pursuing commercial success. Not only does that require an acute understanding of market trends and their target demographic, but also a masterful use of one’s design language and practical experience.

I was feeling lost and helpless when facing these challenges. Perhaps the biggest motivator was accepting my shortcomings and facing them with a brave front. I wouldn’t say there are problems that can’t be solved. Instead, I believe that as long as one uses 100% of their effort, factors that are out of one’s control become stepping stones for growth. Every time I look back on my journey, I realise I’ve grown. It gives me the motivation to face the challenges ahead and venture even further.

Managing a brand is fraught with challenges but I believe every challenge is an opportunity to exceed one’s potential. As a designer, I hope to learn and grow continuously in order to face what the future holds.

3. What are the most important elements when you design? How do you strike a balance between commerce and creativity?

The brand’s tagline is “Memories of Jewellery”. We hope to nestle some of our ideas or feelings into every design we create.

To give an example, the Chapter 01 series explores the emotions and trauma of experiencing a fire. We made use of ‘burnt’ pearls to capture the moment of escaping a fire with jewellery on, and the burn scars on the pearl are a metaphor for beauty in imperfection post-trauma.

“Sorrow is never a sign of weakness. Even if we can’t escape unscathed, scars are the ultimate evidence of strength from persisting.” Pearls typically signify softness and femininity. It’s a material whose value is predicated on absolute perfection. But our new design concept highlights the scars left on pearls after a fire, showcasing a new side to their beauty. Like the pearls, we might gain scars after a traumatic experience but they are the makeup of who we are today.

We hope to ensure that the product itself has a certain degree of commercial appeal, and then imbue our own little "wit" into it from different perspectives. In the past, we’ve used writing, scent and images as entry points for customers to dive into the brand’s worldview.

4. The theme of this year's CENTERSTAGE is "RADIANT WELLNESS". What is your understanding of the connection between fashion and the human body, mind and soul?

Jewellery is a very special thing in my eyes. Other fashion items like clothing, shoes, or handbags have a function like providing warmth or protection. Comparatively, jewellery doesn’t offer any function. Wearing jewellery is a way to express an attitude in a tangible way. In other words, jewellery is an extension of our body, mind and soul, and carries with it our memories and meaning.

I believe every piece of jewellery has its unique meaning and symbolism. They can symbolise aesthetics, attitudes, culture, heritage and so on. When we wear jewellery, we’re not only displaying our values and attitude, we are also expressing our thoughts without restrictions or fixed gender norms. Wearing jewellery can simply be a show of our personality and style. Some prefer bold and opulent jewellery to showcase their confidence and high aspirations; some are more in favour of dainty and minimalistic jewellery to exhibit elegance and demure.

So, I ponder the backstory and meaning of every jewellery I see people wear. I believe everyone has a unique story to tell and wearing jewellery is a way for them to make that story heard. When I wear my own jewellery designs, I hope to share my beliefs and messages through them.

5. How has Hong Kong inspired you?

It may be cliché to say, but I believe design is rooted in life. Hong Kong is not merely a ‘place’ to me, it’s the source of all my rich experiences, memories and emotions. All of which have provoked thoughts and reflections that have given me inspiration and fuelled my desire to express myself. The brand’s designs and products have become a language to translate my thoughts, emotions and memories, so that I can convey the true story of the brand and a unique interpretation of the concept.

6. What future plans do you have for the brand?

To continue to document what I want to say with the products and to do so with courage.