Janet Sios

Established in 2016, PNGFDW is the largest and most successful platform for industry development in the country, driving greater visibility and recognition of PNG's fashion design sector in-country and abroad.

"Aligned to the platform's vision of growing a sustainable fashion design industry in PNG, every year since 2016, we incorporate key messaging into our annual program delivery. Looking around today, we are proud of the positive, measurable change this platform has had on real industry development and growth," said Chairlady/Founder Janet Sios.

Chairperson Janet Sios made this known at the launch of the PNG Fashion Festival on Saturday.

The PNG Fashion & Design Week launched the 2019 fashion festival as well as their website yesterday afternoon at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby.

Sharing some of their success stories, Sios said each year, their runway attracts about 300 guests, providing a platform for PNG designers to showcase their work.

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.

This year, it’s a walk to talk climate change.

PNG Fashion and Design Week will be hosting its runway from the 5^th to 7^th October with the theme: Fashion x Climate Change.

Incoming CEO Christopher Lam said climate change is a pressing issue that needed to be further known, hence the theme.

He noted PNG, as an island nation, is facing the issue mostly through rising sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns.

This is the initiative of PNG Fashion and Design Week.

It will also include a fashion runway, according to director Janet Sios.

According to Sios, the night’s runway will feature Samoa Australian Sydney based international fashion designer Fey Penni, PNG’s very own Sarah Haoda Todd and emerging PNG young designer Natasha Tamanabae.

She says the three designers will be showcasing their labels in a mini-fashion show.

Small but significant, Sios says this event will lead to the main event to be held later in August of this year.

The late Hau’ofa passed away on Saturday at around 11pm.

Tributes flowed in to today’s talkback program from far and wide.

Julianna Waeda, a journalist with Loop PNG, recalled her time at FM 100 reading the news for the first time and how Roger came up to her and told her… “You are the voice, you set the tone of the day ”. Waeda thanked Roger’s family for sharing such a great man with the rest of the country.

Among women who were much older than her, young Adrea Wesley’s interest in clothes design proved that fashion is an industry with so much life and potential.

This year, she has resurfaced with news that she hopes to showcase her designs on the stage of PNG Fashion Week 2017.

Andrea wishes to pursue this goal after she was challenged by the founder of Pacific Runway Fashion, Failepou Peni, an invited guest to the fashion week 2016.

At least 200 people gathered at the Stanley Hotel and Suites for what was regarded as a celebration of fashion in PNG.

"The fashion industry, although still young and untapped, described as a sleeping giant, has the potential to meaningfully develop the local economy," Sios said.

Dr Michael Mel from the Jubilee Institute used the event as an example to stress on creativity and culture.

He said the night marked a special occasion to showcase creativity, innovation the Papua New Guinea way.

"This is taking PNG creativity to the next level," he said.

In a few hours’ time, seven dynamic, young and upcoming designers will showcase their clothing line tonight at the Stanley Hotel and Suites.

The three-year journey for PNG Fashion Week is now a reality and the beginning of an even longer journey for PNG’s fashion industry.

As highlighted by PNGFW director Janet Sios, PNG has a thousand reasons to offer to the fashion and garment industry market with our tribal trend designs.

Ending the three-day workshop organised by PNG Fashion Week today, participants put together a few recommendations which they hope will attract assistance, particularly from the government.

The support so far has been overwhelming, according to director Janet Sios, but she says challenges still remain, especially in terms of funding and marketing platform.

Identifying these challenges, a participant, Erigere Singin, presented the concerns, suggestions and points raised.