Westfield Style Pasifika Showcases Designers

Tuesday 11 October, 2005

Plus A Fashion Week First

Two up and coming designers are bringing some Pacific vibrancy to this years Westfield Style Pasifika show, during Air New Zealand Fashion Week 2005.

Wellington based designer and Westfield Style Pasifika 2004 Supreme Fashion Award Winner, Charmaine Love, and Ellena Tavioni, the first Cook Island designer to show at New Zealand Fashion Week, will be launching their ranges at what promises to be one of Fashion Weeks freshest shows.

Norm Hewitt and Shane Cortese from Dancing with the Stars, Mark Hewlitt, winner of Fear Factor, broadcasters Stacey Daniels and Scotty Morrison and possibly even Michael Campbell will be helping Charmaine Love launch her new self titled range as they model her garments up and down the catwalk.

The Westfield Style Pasifika 2005 Business Scholarship Award Winner Charmaine and her clothing range are no stranger to the red carpet. Charmaine is the designer behind Michael Campbells golfwear range that reached prominence when he won the 2005 US Open. Charmaine has also dressed such Hollywood stars as Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas, Ben Harper, Nelly and Robbie Williams.

Charmaine's range is unique in its style, cultivating a fusion of innovative, wearable fashion tinged with a taste of what makes New Zealand so special.

Also launching her own self titled label is Rarotongan designer, Ellena Tavioni. Ellena's individually hand painted and printed garments are inspired by her own infallible instinct for what is new and wearable, her garments fuse colour and culture in a melting pot of Pacific tradition with high-end fashion.

Ellena's garments are original in their design and influence but united in their exclusive view of our special place in the world. Her designs celebrate the icons and symbols that are so much a part of New Zealand and the Pacific.

The 2005 Westfield Style Pasifika Supreme Award Winner, Lindah Lepou will also be showcasing her garments at this years Fashion Week show amongst 12 garments from a selection of 2005 Style Pasifika designers.

Westfield Style Pasifika has been part of Fashion Week since its inception and is noted for its energy and combination of great entertainment and talent with memorable fashion. The show has introduced a number of key new designers to the New Zealand fashion scene.

Charmaine Love

Label: Charmaine Love Based: Wellington

Designer Charmaine Love exploded onto the fashion scene last year when she won the coveted Supreme Award at the 2004 Westfield Style Pasifika in Auckland. She also took out the awards for the three-piece collection and the menswear categories.

Charmaine's other job is as owner/designer of Kia Kaha Clothing, a Wellington based clothing company who is in partnership with New Zealand's number one and 2005 US Open golf champion Michael Campbell. Charmaine single handedly designs, sources and oversees the production of the fashionable Cambo range of sports clothing that is distributed worldwide.

Charmaine's latest Cabo design the mangopare received worldwide recognition when Michael successfully held off the challenge of Tiger Woods to win the 2005 US Open. Donald Trump was so impressed with Charmaine's design, he immediately ordered 6 replica Cabo shirts.

Designer: Ellena Tavioni

Based: Rarotonga

Ellena - a former Miss Cook Island who studied design at the Melbourne College of Textiles designs garments of a Pacific influence that are trans-seasonal, comfortable and easy to wear, appealing, and yet completely individual in their design concept.

Tavioni specialises in resort wear, swimwear, day wear and cocktail/dinner wear. Her prints are all hand block printed and hand painted, drawing inspiration from the tropical environment of Rarotonga and Polynesian traditions.

Ellena aims to produce a range which can easily transit from day to night. Fabulous skirts which can be dressed up or down and combined with fine knits for cooler climates or simple colour co-ordinated Ts for a more relaxed feel. TAV now exports to Tahiti, Hawaii, Australia, Fiji and Samoa.

ENDS

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