Fotofusion Photography
Nā Shakayla Andrews-Alapaki tēnei atikara.
SUVA, Fiji - Ōtākou designer Amber Bridgman showcased her latest collection, Te Ara o Kiwa, at Fiji Fashion Week, joining Indigenous designers from across the Pacific, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia in celebrating cultural identity through fashion.
Held at Vodafone Arena in Suva, the sold-out event marked the 19th year of Fiji Fashion Week and attracted approximately 900 attendees. Sixteen designers from Los Angeles, Sydney, New Zealand, Fiji, and other Pacific nations presented collections that highlighted storytelling, heritage, and contemporary Indigenous design.
Bridgman described Te Ara o Kiwa as a deeply personal collection inspired by her pōtiki and shaped by experiences across the Pacific.
“This body of work's pretty special to me. I named it after my pōtiki, Te Ara o Kiwa. It was created throughout all of the Pacific,” Bridgman said.
She explained that the collection was influenced by time spent in Matavera, Cook Islands, and through her involvement in creative collectives across Aotearoa. Bridgman said the work also reflects ongoing social and environmental challenges affecting Pacific communities.
“I've been working really hard on this collection. There’s a lot happening back home, and it’s not just affecting Aotearoa; it’s affecting everyone in the Pacific,” she said.
Bridgman’s designs formed part of a wider showcase demonstrating how Indigenous fashion can serve as a platform for storytelling and cultural expression. Fiji Fashion Week also featured the Student Designer Show, Resort Cruise Show, and Resort Luxe Show, highlighting both emerging and established talent.
Bridgman is set to showcase Te Ara o Kiwa again at Melbourne Fashion Week in October.
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The Sprinkler Photography.
Kua whakatairanga ake a Amber Bridgman, he kaiwhakarākei weruweru nō Ōtākou, i tōna kohinga weruweru hōu ki Fiji Fashion Week. He tūhono hoki ngā kaiwhakarākei weruweru nō Te Moana Nui a Kiwa, Aotearoa me Ahitereiria me te whakanui i te tuakiri ahurea mā roto mai i te pūeru.
I tū ai te whakaaturanga ki te taiwhanga o Vodafone ki Suva. Koinei te tau 19 o Fiji Fashion Week , ka mutu, tata ki te 900 o te marea i tae atu. Tekau mā ono ngā kaihoahoa nō Los Angeles, Poihākena (Sydney), Aotearoa, Fiji, me ētahi atu whenua o Te Moananui-a-Kiwa i whakaatu i ā rātou kohinga e aro ana ki te kōrero tuku iho, te whakapapa, me te whakahoahoa taketake o ēnei rā.
Hei tā Bridgman, he whaiaro tana kohinga Te Ara o Kiwa, ā, ko tōna pōtiki te ranga wairua o te whakaaturanga nei. I waihangatia e Bridgman i roto i ōna haerenga puta noa i Te Moananui-a-Kiwa.
“This body of work's pretty special to me. I named it after my pōtiki, Te Ara o Kiwa. It was created throughout all of the Pacific,” ko tā Bridgman.
Ko tā Bridgman, ko te noho tahi ki Matavera i Rarotonga tētahi atu kaiwhakaaweawe o te whakaaturanga nei me tana whai wāhi ki ngā rōpū auaha puta noa i Aotearoa. Hei tāna, he whakaata tēnei kohinga i ngā wero o te hāpori me ngā wero o te taiao e pāmamae ana ki ngā hapori o Te Moananui-a-Kiwa.
“I've been working really hard on this collection. There’s a lot happening back home, and it’s not just affecting Aotearoa; it’s affecting everyone in the Pacific,” hei tāna.
I noho ngā weruweru a Bridgman hei wāhanga o tētahi whakaaturanga whānui e whakaatu ana i te āheinga o te ao hoahoa taketake hei ara mō ngā kōrero tuku iho me te whakapuaki ahurea. I whakatūria hoki ko ngā whakaaturanga o te Student Designer Show, Resort Cruise Show, me Resort Luxe Show, ki Fiji Fashion Week. E whakaatu ana i ngā pūmanawa hou me te āpōpō o te ao pūeru.
E whakarite ana a Bridgman ki te whakaatu anō i Te Ara o Kiwa ki te Melbourne Fashion Week hei te marama o Oketopa.