Pacific fusion fashion takes centre stage at the heart of Aotearoa’s fashion scene
Shed 10 hosted a weekend to remember as Pacific culture and couture turned heads at the 2025 Pacific Fusion Fashion Show (PFFS).
It also marked a milestone for Pacific Fusion, making their first appearance under the NZ Fashion Week schedule since their partnership last year.
PFFS founder Nora Swann says this moment carried great significance.
“It just made the whole – fashion week – more special because [of] new owners and they wanted to take it in a new direction,” Nora says.
“It’s important that we were here because it represents inclusivity and diversity.”
This year’s theme of Reclamation allowed the designers to pay homage to their roots, weaving cultural pride into runway-ready silhouettes.
The show featured 12 collections created by 19 designers. Among them is sister duo Aialaisa and Matilda Ah Chong, who made their debut with Ah Tua – a seven-piece collection inspired by their Samoan-Asian heritage.
“When we started Ah Tua, it was one of our goals to be here, so it was a huge thing,” Matilda says.
“We wanted to work with natural fibres and taking it back to like, siapo, tapa; taking it back to our Samoan roots,” Aialaisa adds.
Echoing this sentiment is Pacific Fusion alumna designer, Talia Soloa. Her debut collection was a joint collaboration with Tongan designer Lavinia Ilolahia under the brand Layplan. She returns with her first solo collection, Mika Mika.
“Mika Mika was like a dream that I’ve had for ages to get into menswear… and then Nelly approached us to see if we wanted to be a part of the show and so it was kind of like my opportunity to start what I’ve always wanted to start,” Talia says.
With the ie faitaga as her muse, Mika Mika weaves her cultural heritage with personal storytelling, named in honour of her father and dedicated to the influential men in her life.
Another standout was her former collaborator, Lavinia who also launched her solo collection with her brand, Daina Hugh.
Daina Hugh is a physical love letter to her late nana, fused with some Tongan flair.
“She was someone who was very good with her hands and that’s how she showed her love – through her hands, acts of service,” Lavinia says.
“And like the relationship between the ta’ovala, how it’s like the physical embodiment of wrapping the land around your body, and so lots of my silhouettes here [are] based around the ta’ovala.”
Beyond the runway, the influence of Pacific fashion is growing, as Lavinia highlights the rising visibility of the ta’ovala, now proudly worn in modern and professional spaces as a symbol of cultural identity.
“It’s quite normal now to see someone wearing a tupenu in more urban contemporary spaces,” Lavinia says.
“That wasn’t something that I saw like ten years ago. You wouldn’t wear a tupenu to like a corporate setting so I do think we are slowly changing.”
Driving this change is what makes Pacific Fusion more than a show. It’s a platform for Pacific designers to push boundaries and redefine the fashion narrative.
This was clearly demonstrated at the 2025 Pacific Fusion Fashion Show – a night showcasing and celebrating Pacific fashion with style.
Comments
Post a Comment