PNG Fashion & Design Week will host the 2017 ‘Fashion x Climate Change’ Fashion Show tonight.
This will take place at the Gateway Hotel and Apartments and preparations are being finalised for the show.
The event will showcase some of PNG’s best designers as they feature their stories of climate change through their collections, and what their people are doing to be resilient.
PNG Fashion Week Director, Janet Sios, said the theme ‘Climate Change’ was chosen because as an island nation, it is an issue that threatens most of the people living along the coast.
PNG Fashion Week CEO, Christopher Lam, says: “The impact is seen through rising sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns that threaten to cause us to lose our culture, identity and land.
“These are things that define us as Papua New Guineans and Pacific Islanders and this is why we wanted to incorporate fashion to create more awareness.”
Tonight’s event will feature a total of 12 designers, 8 of which are established local designers;
- Jauke Bilum Products – Eastern Highlands Province
- Baiwa – Oro Province
- Niugini Native – Central Province
- Kenny Collection – Morobe Province
- CS2K- Morobe – Province
- Mahawa – Toowoomba (AUS)
- Morie Siare – Gulf Province
- Tabu – Central Province
Two will be emerging designers; Relvie Kalip from Madang showcasing her ‘Soel Collection’ and Heai Ugava of ‘Ma’Mana’ who is a participant from the Fashion Design workshop that took place earlier this year.
She will be showcasing her ‘Marie Collection’; a collection that has a very powerful story about the struggles of women.
Also headlining the show tonight is OFF2WAR Apparel – a Melbourne-based fashion duo who utilises and repurposes reusable fabrics and traditional materials to make outfit for the runway.
Jacynta Fuamatu and Aria Newton’s ‘Kaleidoscope collection’ will highlight the impacts that rising sea levels have on the Pacific.
Included also in the international guest list is Lepou by Fai Lepou from Sydney.
The event is expected to be even bigger and better from last year and tickets for the event are selling out fast, with general admission tickets selling at K200 and VIP tickets (inclusive of front row seats, cocktails and after parties) are going for K350.