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Meet the Managing Director of NAFA (Native Arts and Fashion Academy) Ms. Preetha Prasad, who is a lecturer by profession.   Her passion for promoting Papua New Guinea Art & Fashion has enabled NAFA the opportunity to feature as our first LPFW Academy Collective for Season 21 - London Pacific Fashion Week.

Preetha was born in Adoor, Kerala, India and now resides in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea for almost a decade. She is a double Masters in Business Administration specializing in Human Resources, Marketing and International Business. 

She has been a lecturer for over a decade in Tourism and Management subjects. She has a passion in excelling in everything she does and she has proved it over her career starting from being a State Rank holder in her Degree Studies to being the best Offshore Campus Lecturer for the Southern Cross University, Australia.

NAFA will showcase in Season 21 of London Pacific Fashion Week with a teaser collection in February featuring NAFA Emerging Designer Ms Yolanda J Sailoia and a complete Fashion collection in September 2020 also featuring two Emerging Models from NAFA.

I am very excited to partner up with NAFA and I would strongly recommend other Fashion Institutions in the Pacific Region to follow suite. 

The opportunity to promote a Fashion Academy BRAND from the South Pacific is key as I have already established networks with the Fashion Colleges & British Fashion Council allowing fashion links with our Emerging Talent to think about completing a Degree or Masters in all mediums of both Fashion, Textile, Photography, Styling to name a few.

Preetha also has networks across the globe with NAFA being recognized as the Line Production contact for Papua New Guinea in the movie Field. Her passion has further paved way into promoting the Tourism Industry in PNG by taking responsibility to bring in the movie crews into PNG.

Preetha’s passion moves beyond fashion and into various arts fields including Expressive, Performing and Martial Arts. As a part of this initiative Preetha also handles the Music Masters of PNG (MMPNG) and Gejah Academy for Multiple Martial Arts (GAMMA).

Her future plans in the field of fashion include an Institute of Fashion Designing in Port Moresby along with a Film Training Institute and a Dance Academy for the growth and Development of Papua New Guinean Youngsters.

Solomon Islands Fashion designer Frances Do’oro of Designer Label 'ProtonCreations' will feature as an Established designer for Season 21 of the London Pacific Fashion Week show on the 24th February hosted at the Meston Suite, Royal Horse Guards Hotel, Whitehall, London.

Last year Proton Creations was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce in partnership with the Solomon Islands High Commission London. With a successful fashion launch in London; the Solomon Islands High Commissioner London His Excellency Mr Eliam Tangirongo welcomed another partnership for Proton Creations for 2020.

Frances graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Commerce Majoring in Information systems and Management and Public Administration.   Her passion for Fashion started very early in her high school years and always wanted to pursue this and her dream came through when she started her label. Proton Creation is co-owned with her husband Selwyn Do’oro, who is the man behind all the prints on the fabrics.

Proton Creations also featured a Tapa Couture Designer representing the Province of Temotu which was featured at the LPFW Media Launch hosted at New Zealand House Rooftop. This was modelled by a Tikopian/Fijian Model Ms. Takeinivula who is also the daughter of the CEO of the LPFW Show.

Proton Creation featured a collection at LPFW Season 19 hosted at the Exhibition Hall, Australia House, The Strand on the 15th September, 2018. Proton Creation mostly promotes its own abstract unique style of printing on fabrics and adds traditional Solomon Totems to represent different Solomon Cultures. In 2017/18 Frances also featured a collection at Fiji Fashion Week.

Every single Print is unique as most of the prints are hand printed and in a given season and time, we tend to add abit of style by adding different colours, shapes and touches.

Frances will be part of six other South Pacific Fashion designers who will be showcasing during London Fashion Week from the 24th February during London Fashion Week.

My name is Hupfeld Evers Hoerder and I am from the beautiful, Fiji Islands. I am of a Rotuman- German Origin born and raised in Fiji. I have worked in the Fashion Industry in Fiji for over twenty years. 

I began designing whilst pursuing my undergrad studies at University with just making simple shift dresses to casual resort wear, slowly the demand grew for more formal gowns and bridal wear incorporating authentic fiber with a westernized design and this eventually lead into haute couture category. 

Most of my garments are exclusive designs and on made-to-measure mode. 

I have also moved into textile designs, where I have created fabric designs for our Fiji National Athletes to the Olympic and Commonwealth games, with some other major organizations in Fiji. I have also won national fashion and business awards that has immensely put me on an advantage position.

In 2008, I was the only designer in the pacific that was represented at the fist Islands of the World Fashion Week and was a finalist for both major categories in Cultural Wear and Eco-Wear. 

And recently represented Fiji at Style Pasifika Fashion Show in New Zealand as part of the “Real New Zealand Festival and the Rugby World Cup in October 2011.

Currently, I have started manufacturing a limited edition line targeting the affluent market and have started distributing them at selective outlets in Fiji. Eventually, I would like to have the opportunity tap into the international market. 

My accolades of awards both national and international and participation in international fashion shows have given me many opportunities and exposure. 

I now have established a niche market with Fijians and other Pacific Islanders leaving overseas where I have sent exclusive garments and hand painted fabrics as far as the US, Brussels, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Germany and many more.

Amanda Healy

DIRECTOR – Waru Project Pty Ltd T/a KIRRIKIN and KIRRIKIN SUMMER CEO – Warrikal Pty Ltd, (Engineering Services into the Resources Sector)

Amanda is a Wonnarua woman – traditional owners of the Hunter Valley in NSW, and part of the Koorie nation. She has spent most of her life living in WA.

Amanda has more than 35 years’ experience in the mining industry, both in Australia, Africa and Canada – working for Blue Chip miners such as BHP, Rio Tinto and WMC. In 2003 she founded her own Engineering business in the Pilbara - Maxx Engineering which was sold to a large international company in 2015.

In 2014 she was awarded the prestigious ‘Indigenous in Business’ Award at the Ethnic Business Awards at the C20 in Brisbane (for Maxx Engineering), since then has won a number of small business awards both nationally and regionally. She has an MBA and was honoured with a Doctor of Commerce at Curtin University in 2020.

Amanda developed Kirrikin in late 2014 (a social enterprise sharing profits with the artists) to address shortage of authentic Indigenous products. Kirrikin digitally prints gorgeous Aboriginal artwork onto luxurious Cashmeres and silks, turning them into clothing and accessories.

Kirrikin won an Ecommerce award through the Export Council of Australia, and is a finalist in the national awards in 2016. In 2018 Kirrikin again won an Export Council award in the Creative Industries field. Kirrikin is a popular partner for awareness or fund raising activities on Indigenous projects.

In 2017 Amanda joined forces with two other Industry specialists to form Warrikal, and Indigenous Majority owned Mechanical Services business, combining some 50 years of experience in shutdowns and turnarounds in the Pilbara. Amanda is the CEO of Warrikal, and continues her work in Social Responsibility through Kirrikin.

A double "first" is happening in the world of fashion. Northern seamstress Annie Diemene will have the honor of seeing her outfits worn by Lifou model Catherine Waitea at London Pacific Fashion Week in September in the British capital.

From the stands, spectators crazy about sports applauded her creations, during ceremonies of the XIVth Pacific Games, in 2011 in New Caledonia. Delegations wore her original clothes during different editions of the Melanesian Arts Festival. Or, her colors brightened up parades in Samoa and Vanuatu.

Seamstress Annie Diemene will take a new, artistically demanding, geographically distant step this year: London Pacific Fashion Week 2021, at the Royal Museum of Greenwich in London, England, where her participation is expected betweenSeptember 15 and 18. A first for New Caledonia. “When I learned about it, I was unable to work for a week because I was stressed! They ask you to bring what you can do, ”explains Annie Diemene, now based in Koné, and delighted with such a contribution. Because, above all, "I participate in the opening of a door, for those and for those who follow". Catherine Waitea, a young woman from Lifou, will be part of the adventure, in the very exposed role of model.

“I participate in the opening of a door, for those who follow. "

The case got to the heart of the matter a few days ago, with the sending of a package to the British capital. Carefully folded and protected, eight outfits, creations, for a trailer, "a teaser", for the big show in September.

Fluke

The design of these eight “hooded, short, or everyday” mission dresses required some thought ... and material, such as “cotton veil, lycra, eyelet, organza, what is worn in the Melanesian environment, ”remarks the couturière du Nord. “The longest was the accessories”. Grannies from Pouébo participated in the development of seed necklaces.

Transmission and sharing with mothers are fundamental in Annie Diemene's career. His company was baptized Hadda Création, from the customary name of his adoptive mother. "The best sewing lessons I have taken are with my grandmothers and tribal mothers." Originally from Voh, Témala, the 55-year-old woman grew up in Boyen. His training is quite different, Civil Engineering. But, in 1999, threads and needles were seized “out of necessity, in Nouméa, after a separation. At the beginning, I mainly dressed my children: shorts, tunics, my daughter's little dresses ”which caught the eye of mothers. Annie Diemene's qualities were spotted in a growing circle.

The turn was taken in 2000, "completely by chance". March 8, Women's Day, the art lover travels in the Bush, passes to Koné where a parade is scheduled, "I had dresses in the trunk, I participated". And "afterwards, I did not stop". Home is the place of work, the profession, the alliance of fabrics and natural materials.

Considering Annie Diemene's experience and popularity, the consultant Christiane Waneissi believed in it, by submitting an application to the organizers of the international event London Pacific Fashion Week. Is right. At Hadda Création, the flagship ready-to-wear sale remains the Melanesian mission dress. "I always say that mine are very mixed, with English embroidery, Madras ... Because New Caledonia is like that", slips the selected designer. Who now has their work cut out for them. Twelve pieces are to be designed for the grand London Fashion Week show.