Eleven designers from Pacific Fusion Fashion Show will showcase their designs at New Zealand Fashion Week 2021. Image EMedia NZ.
New Zealand Fashion Week 2021 is just a few weeks away now and when the event kicks off in August eleven designers from Pacific Fusion Fashion Show will have the opportunity to showcase their designs on the runway. Each designer will share one look as part of the New Gen show on Wednesday 25th August at Auckland’s Town Hall.
Organiser and Founder Nora Swann initially approached Dame Pieter Stewart from New Zealand Fashion Week in early 2020 about PFFS taking part in NZFW 2020 to celebrate five years of PFFS but due to the global pandemic NZFW was postponed for 2020. The conversation was picked up again this year and Nora feels that it’s really fitting for PFFS to be part of NZFW’s 20th year celebration.
“The PFFS collection at NZFW is really special for the Pacific community because I believe it’s the first time we’ve seen a collaborative Pacific collection on the runway at NZFW,” says Nora Swann. “In addition, it’s the first time for most of our designers and models to be involved in NZFW so that’s pretty great. We’ve got a fantastic line-up of designers this year which include two Project Runway NZ contestants, a 4th year returning PFFS designer and our 1st ever Rotuman designer. It’s a really exciting time not only for the Pacific fashion community but for the Pacific community who continue to support us which includes our stakeholders, family and friends.”
The showcase at New Zealand Fashion Week will be a sneak preview as to what fans can expect from Pacific Fusion Fashion Show’s annual fashion show on Saturday 4th December. The theme for this year’s event is WOVEN and was chosen by Creative Director Sammy Salsa.
“It’s a play on weaving fabrics together but also – on a deeper level I see it as interlacing or intertwining culture into modern day society and how Pacific people interlock into a western world with their fashion aesthetic and culture,” says Sammy Salsa. “It’s how Pacific fashion and culture has woven its way into a modern society in order for us (Pacific people) to fit in or to stand on our own.”
For as long as PFFS has been around, it has been most designer’s ultimate goal to showcase at New Zealand Fashion Week. So, Nora Swann considers PFFS as the Pacific platform that prepares designers for NZFW by running capability building workshops that assist the designers with their journey in the fashion industry. To finally be able to present the PFFS designer’s creations on the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week is a fantastic opportunity and the presentation will no doubt be one of the most creative and highly anticipated at this year’s event.
The Pacific Fusion Fashion Show designers and labels featuring on the runway at NZFW 2021 are:
Alexandra Simpson – Alexandra Simpson
BEAU LOUIS TAKAPU – Beau Takapu
DANE DAGGER – Dane Dagger
disciple of discipline – Massey Williams
Infamy Apparel – Amy Lautogo
LETTEY (The Label) – Paulette Teatai-ariki
LIPO – Phillip Heketoa
s.T – Susana Tasi
Saige The Label – Sheena Taivairangi
TANIROSE TAUSIE – Tanirose Tausie
TIHI KING – Tihi King
Best of luck to all the designers, we can’t wait to see what you present.