Magic in Naomi’s hands

**Naomi Tom wearing a dress she designed. It shows her signature Alo Tattoo design as the brand ambassador for the PNG Design and Fashion Week this year. Picture courtesy of PNG DESIGN & FASHION WEEK**

By LULU MARK
NAOMI Tom loves art, especially drawing, and at 21 is already earning a living from it.
Today, the young lady from Okapa in Eastern Highlands, is a fashion designer developing her own clothing label Alo Tattoo Wear.
She has been chosen the 2020 brand ambassador for the country’s leading fashion show – the PNG Design and Fashion Week.
“The theme this year is: Empowering our youths through fashion. As the ambassador, I hope to inspire other young people to pursue their passion. Each one of us has something that we are really good at, which has the potential to transform our lives. We just have to identify it and work at it until we become better at it.”
Arts was her favorite subject at the St John’s Elementary School and St Johns Primary School in Tokarara from 2006 to 2014, and Tokarara Secondary School from 2015 to 2016.
There is magic in her hands as she translates whatever style she conceives in her mind into beautiful drawings. All she needs is a pencil, paper, stencil, ink and sewing instruments.
It all started for her back in 2018 when she was at home after completing Grade 11.
“My aunt mentioned about a workshop on fashion and design. So I thought: two weeks of learning new things was better than staying at home. So I registered for the training. It was one of the best decisions I have made. It was a really a comprehensive fashion and design training that covered everything from sketching to cutting out patterns on fabric, sewing and marketing the product.”
She chose a design that tells the story about her heritage “to keep my culture alive”.
With the help of trainer and mentor Ana Amos of AA’s Tribal Fashion, she sewed her first dress using her design.
When she felt like giving up at times, Anna would egg her saying “you will learn”.
“And so I did. The inspiration behind my design is the tattoo worn by women at my mother’s village in the Marshall Lagoon of Central. I am blessed my version of my mother’s tribal design was transferred onto fabric to tell a story.”
Last year, she took part in the 2019 Ice Fashion Show at a hotel in Port Moresby where she came third. Founder and director of the fashion and design week Janet Sios heard about her and is helping her sell her products.
Naomi has a Facebook page where she promotes her products and takes orders. She has a list of clients.

“ Each one of us has something that we are really good at, which has the potential to transform our lives.”

**Naomi Tom’s Alo Tattoo Wear model Roselyn Muten in Port Moresby. Picture supplied**

“With the knowledge and skills we have, if we think outside the box, we can create anything.”
She plans to continue her formal education later.
“For now I am focused on building my brand. Five years from now, I see myself as a well-established businesswoman. Alo Tattoo is my signature design and it is my baby.”
For a young woman who two years ago did not know how to operate a sewing machine, Naomi is destined for bigger things.