PNG Fashion Week 2013 is one opportunity for Papua Niuginean designers to showcase home grown PNG influenced designs. Papua Niuginean designs, patterns, materials have the potential to knock the haute out of 'Haute Couture' and make name's like Vera Wang, Versace and Prada a thing of the boorish past. PNG patterns and materials incorporated with contemporary designs are exciting, exotic with an authenticity that no gaudy-mass-produced piece of clothing could ever hope to achieve - one wonders why there isn't more government support for this particular industry. An industry that would improve the skill base, provide many employment opportunities and help preserve a unique part of our culture.

Why are many prominent Papua Niugineans being seen (eg, Mista Prime Minista) in shoes, clothes and accessories that feel uncomfortable (not to mention look extremely ridiculous in this tropical climate), aren't durable and most of all don't in anyway contribute to or promote PNG in anyway?!

It’s time we took a page out of our neighbors (the Fijians) book, who have wizened up to this industry and have built quite a reputation world wide with their textile and clothing industry.

Not that we should resort to wearing tanget but there are Papua Niugineans who have this wonderful, innovative talent that can boost our economy while promoting the positive aspects of our culture to the world.

Papua Niuginean owned businesses, utilizing local talent is must not be allowed to go on without more promotion and recognition from our government.

Oh and one last word – to even out the playing field we should give similar or better tax holidays to Papua Niuginean owned companies like we give ridiculously huge tax holidays to FOREIGN corporations.

© Klaireh

Picture via PNG Fashion Week Facebook page (Creation by Florence Kamel)

By MALUM NALU

THE fashion industry is virtually unknown in PNG.
However, all that may change soon if three aspiring young women have their way.
The three women – Miss PNG 2002 Yaku’sau Omotosho, Lorna Earp Terry and Naomi Kapal – hope to set the foundation for a commercial PNG fashion industry by having a PNG fashion week (PNGFW) this November.

Terry and events manager Sharlene Gawi have already embarked on a campaign to get potential fashion designers involved. Omotosho said fashion week would be launched on April 19, after which training in fashion designing and small business, would be held in the lead-up to November.

“Fashion week is a global phenomenon that held in many countries around the world and therefore, we want to provide a platform for designers to inspire and be inspired to step out and promote their designs through this event,”

she said.

“This is a great opportunity for PNG to showcase its unique designs to the world
“PNG fashion week 2013 is happy to utilise this brand of fashion week to generate interest from established designers to inspiring designers who wish to showcase their creativity to the world of fashion.

“PNG fashion week is all about recognising talents, promoting these talents and at the same time see commercial opportunities for these talents.

“We want to make PNG fashion week a premier event on everyone’s event calendar for the year and we believe we can achieve that through the showcases of our designers and launching careers to inspiring designers and models.

“Apart from the fashion show, we also want to provide a platform for young, emerging models who want to get into modelling.

“We want to guide and steer them into the right cause and also this would be a great opportunity for them to showcase their talents as models.”

Omotosho said a fantastic opportunity was being offered to emerging fashion designers with an outlet to promote their designs.

“Leading up to the fashion week show, we will be providing different workshop and clinics to emerging designers and models leading up to the showcase later in the year,” she said.