Participants told to tap into fabric designing

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
THE art of fabric designing is an untapped business opportunity for Papua New Guineans, says PNG Fashion and Design director Janet Sios.
She said this during a workshop conducted by international Samoan designer Cecilia Keil in Port Moresby.
It was to encourage local women to include traditional Papua New Guinea designs in their designing businesses.
“In the country, we are known for our diverse cultures and designs that come with them,” Sios said.
“But we need role models like Cecilia to assist us with skills to tap into such businesses,.
“So the people can also realise the potential of what we can do using our cultural designs and resources from our natural habitats to come up with creativity and originality of our work.”
Keil described the fabric designing potential as a “sleeping giant” which needed more awareness and sharing of knowledge from designers such as herself to emerging PNG fashion designers.
She uses materials such as dried twigs from trees and shrubs, leaves, cut-out patterns from vehicle tyres and other natural and man-made objects.
She also uses Samoan tattoo designs to paint them using her hands onto plain fabrics.
Keil told the participants that their designs could be used in hotels and hospitals