And bilum meri herself, Florence Jaukae Kamel, says interest has rapidly grown since her first ever international runway in New York.
“I’ve got huge orders which I attend to all the time,” she said.
It was a step of faith, turning PNG’s traditional concept of string bag into clothing and changing designs with the fashion trend, while holding on to the basis of string bilum itself.
Last weekend, Kamel showcased the bilum on her second international runway – the Pacific International Runway in Sydney.