PNG Fashion, Design Week promotes inclusiveness

The PNG Fashion and Design Week is going inclusive with nine persons with disability (PWD) in Lae training in designing.
The design week has a different theme each year. This year it’s inclusiveness.
The fashion and design week team is in Lae conducting two weeks of training on garment and design, and garment instructions at the Butibam Resource Centre.
The nine PWDs were among more than 80 mothers, young men and women and small to medium enterprise owners.
Fashion and design week media officer Belinda Kora said a mixture of people were attending the training. Training is facilitated by local fashion designers Anna Amos of AA Tribal and Tabu Pelei Warupi of Tabu designs.
Kora said the platform wanted to be inclusive this year, and would be heading to Kokopo and Port Moresby after Lae.
“There’s a lot of potential here in terms of models and aspiring designers,” she said.
“Our training wanted to show that the platform is not just for women but men and boys too. We’ve seen that there’s a lot of talent and creative ideas from people here.”
Para-athlete and Morobe Women in Disability president Paula Kundi is attending the garment design training for the first time.
“I really like the training and wanted to go into designing. It’s really interesting. I can design something. But I need help and advice to market the designs and improve,” she said.
“I’m happy that people with disability are included in the fashion and design industry.”
Morobe Disable Agency president Benedict Hipom said within PWD, many had the ability to design and sew.
“We need to come together as a group to get experience and later train others.”