The celebrated Pacific Fusion Fashion Show (PFFS) will return to South Auckland on Saturday 4th December 2021, showcasing eleven Polynesian designers. This year’s
group of designers includes a diverse mix of established and emerging talent who will bring an eclectic and exciting
range of looks to the runway.
Since launching in 2016, the acclaimed fashion event has grown a loyal and enthusiastic audience and after a successful
digital event streamed live from Wellington in late 2020, the event is proud to be returning to its South Auckland roots
for 2021’s event. Great South Road in Papatoetoe will become the runway for the summer evening show in December with a
stellar line up of fashion literally stopping traffic!
“We have always been a proud South Auckland hosted event. From East Tamaki, Otara, Mangere Bridge, Manukau and this year
old Papatoetoe,” says Pacific Fusion Fashion Show Founder and director Nora Swann. “We are looking forward to bringing
our event to life and hosting this year's show on the actual road, yes, Great South Road.”
“Auckland Council and Auckland Transport have been really helpful in supporting my team with this year's location as
well as Panuku and the Otara Papatoetoe Local Board. My business also moved into old Papatoetoe earlier on this year so
it has been great connecting with the business community here and being able to highlight some of the retailers not in
only in our marketing campaign but also as the backdrop for this year's event.”
While the pandemic has put a halt to many recent fashion events including New Zealand Fashion Week 2021, which the PFFS
designers were meant to showcase at in August, PFFS has decided to go ahead with planning the December showcase with
Covid-19 protocols in place. While the event was run successfully in a digital form last year, event organisers want to
bring back the face-to-face fashion show that attendees enjoyed in previous years and are hopeful that Aotearoa will be
in a place for the show to be possible by then - a back-up plan for January is also ready.
“The Pacific fashion community (fashion designers, models and everyone working behind the scenes) were both relieved and
happy to hear that we had decided to go ahead,” adds Nora Swann. “It is actually giving everyone something to look
forward to, especially us in Auckland, who have been in weeks of lockdown. We're hopeful that because our event is in
early December that government would've implemented the necessary Covid-19/Delta safety measures that will both allow
our event to go ahead and give the community the confidence to attend.”
Each PFFS event has had a different theme and this year’s event theme is WOVEN and was chosen by Creative Director Sammy
Salsa.
“It’s a play on weaving fabrics together but also – on a deeper level I see it as interlacing or intertwining culture
into modern day society and how Pacific people interlock into a western world with their fashion aesthetic and culture,”
says Sammy Salsa. “It’s how Pacific fashion and culture has woven its way into a modern society in order for us (Pacific
people) to fit in or to stand on our own.”
The eleven designers showcasing at Pacific Fusion Fashion Show 2021 are:
Alexandra Simpson – Alexandra Simpson
BEAU LOUIS TAKAPU – Beau Takapu
DANE DAGGER – Dane Dagger
disciple of discipline – Massey Williams
Infamy Apparel – Amy Lautogo
LETTEY (The Label) – Paulette Teatai-ariki
LIPO – Phillip Heketoa
s.T – Susana Tasi
Saige The Label – Sheena Taivairangi
TANIROSE TAUSIE – Tanirose Tausie
TIHI KING – Tihi King
Pacific Fusion Fashion Show 2021 promises to be an unmissable showcase of vibrant fashion and incredible Polynesian
talent. PFFS regularly sells out so interested attendees should get their tickets quickly!