Pacific Runway 2016 provides platform for Pacific island creatives

Launched in 2012 by Jannike Seiuli, PACIFIC RUNWAY was conceived to be the bridge between Pacific fashion designers and Australian style connoisseurs, not restricted to the Pacific communities.

Now in its 5th year and firmly established as Australia’s most prestigious platform for Pacific Island fashion designers, PACIFIC RUNWAY returns to Carriageworks on October 21st 2016 to yet again dazzle fashion fans with the clever fusion of Pacific design and global style for which Pacific Island designers are renowned.

Mrs Seiuli who runs an event planning business, started PACIFIC RUNWAY because she saw that there was a need for an inclusive platform that represented Pacific island creatives in Australia. She said:

This platform was created to showcase the talents of our Pacific designers, models, makeup artists, stylists and all fashion associated professions.  There are so many talented and dynamic Pacific people achieving in their respective fields, in Australia and in the Pacific, but not getting the chance to showcase their skills to a mainstream audience within Australia.

The Pacific has a strong sartorial identity and a modern sense of style that is not often depicted when the Pacific is sold to the world.  The Pacific is not all about coconuts and cocktails.

Many of its countries –Fiji, Samoa, PNG, New Caledonia, Tahiti- have thriving “troppolitan” societies and fashion industries, with well-known design houses, established and emerging designer labels and fashion weeks/events.

Twenty of the region’s top designers will be showcasing their collections, including E’vana Couture (who recently and successfully dressed internationally celebrated choreographer Parris Goebel at the MTV Awards); Sydney based Lavashe Couture; accessories designer Seewah Seth and Genevieve Igara-Falevei, PNG’s STELLA Runway 2016’s Designer of the Year.

Not only does PACIFIC RUNWAY provide a platform for design talent, it also champions modelling diversity and is perhaps the only fashion event in Australia that truly represents multi-cultural Australia with Australian models of all races, not just Pacific.

PACIFIC RUNWAY also provides coaching in all aspects (from walking to healthy living) and instills within its model representatives a sense of ambassadorial pride, plus promotes Pacific stars like YouTube beauty vlogger and social media star, ‘Makeup With Jah’, who is the Lead make-Up Artist for the show.

PACIFIC RUNWAY aims to open a dialogue about the Pacific fashion industries and their influence on global fashion and how now the Pacific is not just a source of inspiration, it is a producer of viable, ethical, sustainable and exciting fashion product.