Samoan Designer Janice Brown hits the Runway
Janice Brown talks about her latest collection 'The Polynesian Glam Edit' ; a stunning fusion of contemporary and traditional Pasifika design.
What is your collection about?
My collection is a Gen-Y interpretation of a modern multicultural Polynesia. For women who stay relevant and relatable to their generation, but never forget where they come from.
I recently lost my uncle Viliamu last week so this collection is dedicated to him because he always taught me to never forget where I come from.
Why the gold? Why the hibiscus?
I've extracted my favourite spear patterns that make up a Samoan tatau which you see printed on so many elei fabrics that we use to make traditional designs, and fused it with floral ensembles and re-packaged and presented in a more youthful approach; with bold beaded sparkles fused with sequins and embroidered hibiscus and florals with figure hugging silhouettes.
Gold, mettalics and anything that sparkles embodies glamour, and a hibiscus flower is a tropical flower that is found right around the Pacific; hence my collection is called The Polynesian Glam Edit.
How big a deal is it for Pacific people to put their designs on a runway like this in Sydney?
Pacific Runway founded by Jannike Seiuli is now on the Carriageworks official Calendar. Carriageworks hosts Australia's annual fashion week called Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, so it’s a stake in the ground that Pacific designers mean business!
It’s a huge platform for us as designers to market our ideas to consumers at large and industry professionals. I was amazed that some of my garments were sold straight off the runway when my collection had finished showcasing.
That’s important for me personally because fashion is business, you have to be able to sell it as a result of exposure and showcase, and Pacific Runway provides that platform for designers.
The show was sold out and jam-packed and the atmosphere was bustling with culture, colour, glitz and glam!!! What's unique about our Island design vision compared to the rest of the world?
I think we are ALWAYS bold and daring with our colours and patterns and it’s just the norm! It’s an island trend that our ancestors set and I think we have evolved with it over time keeping it fresh and depicted in so many different ways!
We do pattern clash and colour blocking like nobodies business and we just own that!