Samoa Fashion Week

Fabricius will be participating in the Pacific Runway Fashion which is Australia’s biggest Pacific fashion platform in Sydney next month.

Over the next few weeks, the designer will be busy preparing to showcase his best designs with other Pacific islands and Australian designers.

For Dane Fabricius, his passion for fashion started from church.

“First of all, I am a fashion freak, I love fashion and always have,” said Fabricius.

“My mother was always a classy, neat woman and she made sure every part of the dress or suit is well creased whether it’s the side of the pants or the collar of the jacket and mainly because we needed to dress well for church,” Fabricius said.

The 30 year old is one of the five emerging designers taking part in the inaugural Samoa Fashion Week.

In her address, Her Highness Tamasese spoke about fashion.

“I know nothing about fashion, I am one of those people in the United States, that categorises themselves as the know nothings. So why am I here?”

“Fashion is about many things, it’s about arts, it’s about values, it’s about vision, about what you see, hear, smell. It’s about fauna and flora, the ordinary and the extraordinary,” said her highness.

The Samoa Fashion Week has been organized by Samoa Arts Council and a number of partners.

The Fashion Week will show case resort wear, urban wear, big mama wear, Church inspired, evening wear and creative/ traditionally inspired.

Ticket prices for the inaugural event range from premium $150 and middle $100.

The week long Fashion week is set out to start on Monday 12th Sept – Charity Cocktail & Official Launch (Tanoa Hotel Pool side, 6pm – 9pm) and followed by

Nivea has donated $2000 and products worth $300 and is a Silver Sponsor for the fashion week which begins on Monday

Nivea is currently engaged in an educational campaign across the Pacific focusing on improving personal health and hygiene and its products – Men and Women’s deodorants are available in Samoa in both spray and roll on providing protection all day.

Dinah Macdonald is the owner of Tulela Boutique and is a local agent for a Tahitian design company called Pacific Island Arts.

Macdonald is taking part in Samoa Fashion Week to witness young designers showcase their take on Pacific fashion.

“I think you have to be there to see it. It’s going to be amazing. I mean, I have worked for years in the fashion industry and I’ve seen a lot of styles and tricks used in our fashion, but I haven’t seen it all,” she said.

For 12 year old Talaesea Keil, the fashion show is an opportunity to follow in her mother’s footsteps in fashion.

Talaesea, who is the daughter of renowned fashion designer and owner of Cecelia’s fashion boutique, Cecelia Keil, is one of the models for the fashion show.

“Its fun and it’s a way to really get myself into fashion and to boost my confidence,” she said.

Ms. Keil though has different goals than that of her mother.

With preparations already going on for past four weeks, the models are on a schedule and the designers are working on their competing lines for the fashion segment added Tuilagi.

The Samoa Arts council targeted a total of 60 models, 45 ladies and 15 gents but the turn up was about 100 and some are still looking to enter to be part of the fashion week.

“This is a positive start and this week we are looking at finalizing on the models, “said Tuilagi.

President of Samoa Arts Council, Tuilagi Seiuli Allan Alo Vaai has been working with about 100 models for Samoa Fashion Week which gets underway in Apia on September 12.

“We were looking at 60 models, 45 girls and 15 boys, but we ended up auditioning almost a 100 and are still trying to sift through them as we rehearse,” said Tuilagi.

The group that is launching the event consists of two of Samoa’s most successful fashion icons and businesses in Mena and Cecelia’s Fashion.

“We have a lot of pocketed fashion events and by that I mean fashion shows that get bottled in Samoa only and are not receiving the right kind of exposure overseas,” said SAC President, Tuilagi.

“This fashion week is aimed at not just the experienced fashion experts. We’re trying to bring in even the amateurs and emerging young talents, who have ideas,” he added.

Cecelia Keil has been running Cecelia’s Fashion for 20 years.