Pacific Fusion Runway Show
SATURDAY 30 AUGUST
4:00PM
SHED 10 AUCKLAND WATERFRONT
Pacific Fusion is proud to be at the forefront of a movement that works to revolutionise the fashion landscape by transforming diverse and vibrant spaces into dynamic stages that amplify emerging voices by celebrating the rich diversity and creativity of Pasifika talent.
Now, with this exciting partnership with New Zealand Fashion Week, Pacific Fusion is opening even more doors for bold, innovative Pasifika designers and artists to showcase their work on a wider platform.
Together, we're creating opportunities for these talented individuals to shine and make their mark on the global fashion scene.
EVENT DETAILS
LOCATION
Shed 10
89 Quay Street
Auckland Waterfront
ACCESSIBILITY
Lift Access: A passenger lift is available for access to all levels of the venue.
Accessible Toilets: Shed 10 has accessible toilets and there is directional signage indicating where these toilets are located in the venue.
Public Transport: Shed 10 is close to the ferry terminal and Britomart Transport Centre, making it easily accessible by public transport.
Drop-off Point: A drop-off point for taxis and rideshares is located directly across from the building.
Parking: The Downtown and Britomart car parks are nearby, with the Downtown carpark a 10-minute walk from the venue.
Contributing Designers
Massey Williams / disciple of discipline design studio
DISCIPLE OF DISCIPLINE DESIGN STUDIO presents ‘WOM/ANS WEAR'. As a predominantly menswear designer, this collection is a journey in which Massey continues to throw themselves in the deep end in order to learn more about the landscape. Using only oversized menswear patterns, Massey looks to create silhouettes and styles that look to challenge the New Zealand perception, creating masculine looks through texture and volume while still captivating the feminine element.
Matilda and Aialaisa Ah Chong / Ah Tua
The inspiration behind Ah Tua stems from the designers’ Samoan heritage, where culture and traditions are not only kept alive but reimagined with our own personal touch.
Ah Tua begun in late 2023 by two sisters with intentions of shining light on their culture through clothing, and is continuously exploring their heritage in new ways where their roots are never forgotten.
Lavinia Ilolahia / Daina Hugh
Daina Hugh label is a love letter to designer Lavinia Ilolahia’s nana, inspired by the stories Lavinia’s mother often tells her. Her nana was quiet, steady, calm but a pillar and one of the strongest. She embraced the role of the ‘Tongan wife’ - there to help and support. But she carried much more, she carried the weight of our lineage.
This collection, ‘Heart in the Hands’, is inspired by her - by that perfect tension of strength and softness. It’s for the woman who doesn’t need to shout to be heard. Who leads through presence, Who holds her love, her family, her work - not in words, but in the careful, tireless work of her hands.
Christiane Waneissi / CHATEAUBRIAND WEAR
Launched in 2023, Chateaubriand Wear is inspired by the designer, Christiane Waneissi’s Kanak culture and the sartorial heritage of the Loyalty Islands.
This collection is a celebration of the elegance of the Kanak woman, and her resilience after the riots of May 2024. Christiane will showcase seven kanak mission dresses in evening wear versions, using lace and broderie anglaise with Lapita prints.
Rebecca Barlow / DEADLY DENIM
Deadly Denim weaves together recycled textiles and storytelling, with a strong ethos of circularity, community and cultural connection. Their mission is to recycle, repair and rework clothing already in circulation, and share these skills and ideas in community through hands on workshops.
The ‘Fauna and Flora’ collection reinterprets vintage 1970’s tablecloths and tea towels, transforming them into recycled wedding dresses and suits. This collection is a special collaboration between mother and son, bringing together the creative practices of design, sewing, embroidery, and crochet.
Dane Sydney Dalundi Smith / DANE DAGGER
Dane Dagger is an emerging fashion label influenced by young hollywood, audacious & innovative aesthetics. It is inspired by history, culture, landscape, current events & sustainable practices.
Dane Dagger designs are driven by emotion & the desire to evoke a feeling rather than simply creating practical clothing. The collection being shown is an intense palette of grunge/gothic streetwear with avant-garde elements & edgier details reflecting a rebellious & androgynous manner.
Talia Soloa / Mika Mika
‘Mika Mika’ is placed in the diaspora of the designer, Talia Soloa’s home away from home.
Integrating concepts of commonality and talanoa through intentional design - it is more than clothing - It’s about those before us and those to come. Finding the sweetness between pushing boundaries and honouring tradition Mika Mika aims to redefine the wardrobe staple.
The ‘Sunday Morning’ collection draws from familiarity across the moana, a significant time of the week where culture meets faith meets fashion. Inspired by crisp lines, pressed collars and the effortless style of our people - Sunday Morning offers a celebration of the sabbath and the richness that it holds.
Niquita Samuel / NIQ Atelier
Niquita Samuel is a visionary in contemporary Māori fashion, blending heritage with innovation through zero-waste design and cultural integrity. As founder of NIQ, she reinterprets traditional narratives with bold, sculptural forms and experimental techniques. Her garments reclaim history, crafted from recycled heirlooms and locally sourced secondhand textiles. Rooted in kaupapa Māori values and sustainability, her work honors the land, ancestors, and the wearers. Niquita’s unapologetic silhouettes—distressed, textured, and expressive—powerfully convey identity and resistance, forging a unique dialogue between past and present.
CHEREMENE CASTLE / CHEREMENE CASTLE DESIGNS
Cheremene Castle Designs represents empowerment, creating strong and powerful pieces to give its customers confidence. Cheremene’s work is a transition from art to fashion to statements, a very bespoke customised brand that always leaves audience in awe. The provoking style is a valuable way to open discussions about Aotearoa.
Tia Semi / Funk N' Soul97
Designer Tia Semi’s label is all about blending modern fashion with traditional influences, using bold prints and rich textures. Tia’s creates pieces that honours her heritage and empower others — especially those who don’t often see themselves represented in the fashion world.
The collection ‘Elizabeth’ is deeply personal — named after both of Tia’s grandmothers and herself, and inspired by the strong women who came before her. It’s a celebration of strength, legacy, and identity. The audience will see a mix of traditional and modern styles, using fabrics like tapa cloth, silk and linen. Boating a colour palette of turquoise, red, orange, and dark gold, the new collection also features new custom prints.
Lisa Vaai & Rasmus Pereira / KokoPacific
KokoPacific is a contemporary resortwear label that reimagines Pacific heritage through a modern lens. Rooted in Samoa and created for a global audience, the brand offers a thoughtful evolution of traditional elei—translated into clean, confident silhouettes for those navigating culture and contemporary life with style.
The label is a design-led initiative of Eveni Carruthers, a family-owned Samoan enterprise established in 1929. What began as a trading business in copra, cocoa, and general goods has evolved into one of Samoa’s most respected retailers—serving generations with products that reflect Pacific identity, values, and innovation. With the launch of KokoPacific, Eveni Carruthers expands its legacy from commerce into creative expression, using fashion as a new language for cultural storytelling.
6 Collective Designers - NEW Niue Collective
Moka Laufoli – With over 6 years of experience, Moka is a designer from Avatele with roots in Mutalau. Her natural woven hats and earrings blend traditional Niuean techniques with evolving modern aesthetics. Her work epitomises cultural preservation effort and are not only contemporary fashion statements but critical traditional attire in Niue, making her a powerful representative of Niue’s heritage at Pacific Fusion.
Feo Fou – A Tongan-Niuean designer with over six years of experience, Feo specializes in crafting with traditional materials like hihi and pomea. Her pieces are deeply rooted in local identity yet innovative in form, making her a standout in cultural fusion and an ideal ambassador for Niue at Pacific Fusion.
Dorra Misikea – Dorra is a seasoned designer known for nature-based crafts and elaborate cultural gowns, often featured at pageants and fashion shows. Her use of local materials and intricate design sensibility reflects Niue’s rich cultural tapestry, offering high-impact, elegant and culturally rich looks on an international stage.
Nita Pihigia – A floral artisan with over 2 years of experience, Nita owns a nature-based floral store and brings her love of design into fashion with botanical inspiration. Her fresh take on nature-infused wear adds a delicate and grounded beauty to the Niuean showcase, perfect for Pacific Fusion’s celebration of island creativity.
Lynsey Talagi – A rising star with over 2 years of experience, Lynsey is known for her unique hand-painted prints that are authentic, expressive, and constantly surprising. Despite being new, she has already made her mark locally and regionally, bringing a fresh, artistic edge to Niue’s debut at Pacific Fusion
Fiafia Rex – Based in Alofi South with an island thrift boutique in Alofi North, Fiafia has over 3 years of experience and is known for her bright, unorthodox resort wear that captures the essence of island life. Her garments proudly showcase the beauty of Island women’s natural shapes, blending symbolism of Niuean endemism with on-trend, empowering designs—perfect for vibrant runways.
