Naturally international, our clients dot the globe, as do their professional partnerships. We nurture our presence in the East Asian market and maintain our European relations with ongoing projects across the UK, Switzerland, France and Italy.
Porto, the second largest city in Portugal, is a historic port city with a cosmopolitan feel, Quickly becoming one of Europe’s top destinations.
Now is the time for Porto to build a synergised and cohesive communications strategy, enhanced by sustainability and digital focuses. At the heart of the vision: local people and international visitors as part of a welcoming and inclusive global community.
How can this vision impact international storytelling to enable deeper connections to the city?
Campante celebrates the fine artistry of Portuguese embroidery, bringing it to table settings and homes through the talent and dexterity of the artisans it works with. Presented in a series of table linen collections, the handcrafted magic of this skilled tradition is captured in the colourful and decorative designs that bring the tablescape to life.
Monologue London is a contemporary concept store and showroom located in Hackney, London. With a focus on conceptual design, emerging designers, interiors and homeware, Monologue carries an exclusive selection of curated items for the home and a handpicked range of design accessories & furniture. An ever-evolving independent design space, Monologue offers a unique opportunity to discover contemporary talent, including a selection of upcoming designers mixed with an exciting edit of established brands.
DUST MAGAZINE presents a unique artistic project in the form of a clothing line titled “DUST CAPSULE / WEARABLE PAGES.” This ongoing adventure takes place twice a year following the release of each new issue, and is only available in a few selected stores worldwide.For its inaugural collection in 2016, a feature from DUST ISSUE #8 was transformed into tangible, wearable sweatshirts featuring the works of artist Peter De Potter’s “Young King New Castle”.
Helsinki Fashion Week delivers conversational AI for the first-of-its-kind all digital showcase. The Helsinki Digital Village takes traditional principles of sustainability in Fashion into Cyberspace. The international and inclusive Digital Village approaches Fashion from a holistic standpoint, connecting all creative disciplines. Attendees have the opportunity to wear the clothes in cyberspace, pre-order the looks in real life and can claim an asset on the blockchain, use it, trade it, and exchange.
Design Switzerland aims to connect emerging Swiss design with the national and international markets. Initiated by Pro Helvetia, Design Switzerland enables young Swiss studios to gain visibility, build professional networks and reach their business goals.
The Circular Fashion Summit by lablaco focuses on vitalising fashion and sustainability by supporting the transition to a digitised circular economy. In partnership with Vogue Business, the Circular Fashion Report aims to ignite immediate action on measurable and sustainable goals set by the United Nations. Following its first edition in September 2019, Circular Fashion Summit 2020 has pioneered the digitisation of Le Grand Palais in collaboration with Oculus, AltSpaceVR by Microsoft and Unity. Experts at the top leading organisations ranging from The North Face, H&M Group, LVMH and the British Fashion Council attended this summit using a VR headset.
Created in 2006 from the merger of two prestigious schools, the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and the Haute École d’Arts Appliqués, HEAD – Genève draws on a rich cultural and artistic heritage to nurture young creative talent nationally and internationally. Renowned for the quality of its bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications and design, it has established itself as one of the leading schools of art and design in Europe.
Matteo Cibic is a multidisciplinary designer with a focus on combining both craft and wit through his various commissioned and personal projects. Already a prolific name for over 10 years in his native Italy, his pieces have ventured into both the functional and conceptual, with notable pieces commissioned for cultural institutions, private collectors and brands alike – these include the V&A, Replay, Mint Gallery and Musee Pompidou.
The Design Prize Switzerland is an association and a private initiative that fosters the exchange, mediation and promotion of Swiss design across disciplines. It rewards the most innovative, meaningful and sustainable projects of Swiss design today.
Marco Campardo focuses on design and research across different platforms, materials and disciplines. He has a particular interest in ‘making’ as a form of critical practice, where objects are perceived as tools to explore wider narratives about culture, materiality, identity or authenticity. His work and research with M-L-XL, a studio he co-founded, have been exhibited since 2005 at Milan Design Week, London Design Festival, Tate Modern, London Design Biennale, Venice Art and Architecture Biennale – documented by leading publications, such as Wallpaper*, New York Times and Financial Times.
The fashion-forward footwear brand 4CCCCEES pushes the boundaries of materiality and form, thanks to innovation in technology and manipulation of materials. Korean born co-founder Sang-Min Park established the brand in 2020 after working for the iconic fashion house, Alexander McQueen and becoming head designer at United Nude. 4CCCCEES maintains a unique focus on the stride and posture of the wearers by prioritising the foot’s anatomy, rhythm and movement within the design process.
Brands and partners that we've had the pleasure to collaborate with.
Rafael Kouto is an independent Swiss fashion designer of Togolese origins. His brand is characterised by a distinctive hybrid aesthetic that reflects our globalised world, merging West African and Western European cultures.
Led by an uncompromised approach to sustainability, Rafael’s designs combine upcycling techniques with local manufacturing and traditional, artisanal practices. His work earned him numerous awards like the Diesel Award and the Swiss Design Award, and led to features in publications such as Vogue, ELLE, DAZED and i-D.
Creative education advocate and sustainable fashion powerhouse PATRICK MCDOWELL strives to reinvent luxury in an ethical way. Born and raised in Liverpool he uses this to inspire his collections, most recent being sponsored by Swarovski, Burberry and others. He graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2018 and had been captivating the fashion industry since. He was also nominated by Anna Wintour for the prestigious Stella McCartney Today For Tomorrow award for his work.
Angel Chen is a unisex fashion label with a multilayered aesthetic, enthusiastically described as ‘Chinese Punk’ by the press. Having trained at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College in London, Angel was named as one of the “Top 5 graduate designers of the year” by i-D magazine, before going on to work for houses Marchesa and Vera Wang.
Founded in 1946 and known as “Il Maestro del Design” in Italy, Cappellini has become synonymous with contemporary and avant-garde design featuring collections characterised by experimentation and exploration of new ways of living. Giulio Cappellini has been selected by Time magazine as the Ambassador of Excellence for Italian design worldwide. Recognised as a talent scout of young designers, he has successfully collaborated with prominent names in contemporary design, including Jasper Morrison, Marcel Wanders, the Bouroullec brothers and Marc Newson.
Michiko Koshino is the prolific designer behind the unisex streetwear brand of the same name, with a long cultural heritage as one of the influencers of the London 90’s club scene. A favourite of David Bowie, Stella McCartney and Candy Ken to name a few, the designer herself has developed a respected reputation amongst the creative community, widely known for her innovation, quality and iconic trend-starting pieces.
From fashion to design and art, the school founded by Giulio Marangoni in 1935 is one of the most dynamic and well-known academic institutions in the creative arts. Istituto Marangoni have seven schools in some of the world’s top creative cities, with 2,000 new students enrolled every year. With a graduate employment rate of 80%, Istituto Marangoni is the place where tomorrow’s talents are born.
Kam Ce Kam is a furniture and interiors brand born from a passion for innovative design conceived through traditional methods of manufacturing, coupled with a genuine desire to revive the heritage of Indian craft in a considered, conscious and contemporary manner. Creative director of the brand and designer of the launch collection, Jehanara Knowles, grew up between New Delhi and London, fuelling her passion for the fusion of tradition in her early years.
Established in London in 2015, STAFFONLY is a forward-thinking menswear and accessories brand founded by the two lead designers, Une and Shimo. Now based in Shanghai, STAFFONLY aims to offer a fresh take on traditional menswear by harnessing sharp concepts and incorporating innovative materials, creating both provocative and functional pieces every season.
BOURIE is a womenswear brand based in Seoul focused on expressing avant-garde tailoring and bold silhouettes using unexpected details. The creative director Eunhye Jo launched the brand in 2014 and since has won Seoul’s 10SOUL – an award given to upcoming designers in South Korea – for two consecutive years. Alongside a collaboration with Hello Kitty in 2019 for Seoul fashion week, BOURIE is forging a new path in the world of tailoring.
Räthel & Wolf is a London-based jewellery label founded in 2016 by designers Sari Räthel and Ricarda Wolf. Exploring new ways of wearing jewellery, the brand creates forms directly on the body, subverting the norms of gender identity and body awareness. The label strives to contribute to a wider shift away from traditional gender constructs, with progressive desirable gender-fluid jewellery collections.
Panter & Tourron researches new formal codes and visual experiences exploring the intersections of technology, design and society. Through material investigation and technical innovation, they work to define a new vision of luxury for tomorrow. The studio collaborates with clients and partners offering expertise on commercial works and creative research across spatial and product design, creative direction and consultancy.
Founded by Ana Kerin in 2012, Kana’s approach to work is both experimental and playful, never following a procedure, and creating new recipes daily. Working with a unique mixture of clays and mixing her own glazes, Kerin often turns her back on traditional ceramic practice. Building with her hands, rather than turning on the wheel, further emphasizes the individuality of each piece.
We pride ourselves in facilitating meaningful connections for our clients and creative talent through our extensive industry knowledge and international network of contacts.
Brand Strategy
Brand Management
Strategic Creative Briefing
Marketing strategy
Communications strategy
Copywriting
Sustainable Solutions & Communications
Retail Direction
Business Development
Market Research
Collaboration Pitching & Negotiation
Project Management
Editorial & Showroom Management
Celebrity Placement
International Media Relations
Concept Development
Coordination
Invitations, Guest List & Follow-up Management
Social Media Strategy
Content Curation & Posting
Engagement and Interaction
Culture Research
Dual-location Brand Management & Project Management
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LONDON
MAY Concepts Ltd.
Unit 3, 1 Darnley Road
London, E9 6QH
PRO HELVETIA x MEDELHAN connecting Swiss talents to the international design network
‘Design Switzerland Matchbox: Industry Connect’ – an initiative developed to promote Swiss design talents.
The launch event of ‘Design Switzerland Matchbox: Industry Connect’ was held on June 24th, 2021, in the form of a panel discussion featuring eight cherry-picked Swiss design studios. Giulio Cappellini – art director of the renowned Italian firm Cappellini, endorsed this event. Romain Casella, founder of MAY Concepts, international PR expert and coach of the selected designers, was the moderator.
In the course of the webinar, the emerging talents’ video portraits were exclusively presented, providing an individual introduction of the designers and their studios.
For this event, Design Switzerland – an initiative by the Swiss Arts Council, Pro Helvetia, collaborated with Medelhan, the leading business design network and Salone del Mobile spin-off.
‘Design Switzerland Matchbox: Industry Connect’ is unique for its connection with key leaders of the international design scene, facilitating valuable collaborations between the selected studios and international partners.
Following the event, Medelhan organised tailored one-to-one meetings, connecting the studios with key industry professionals.