I've always admired the emotion and narrative in design, particularly fashion. My earliest memory was watching the Spring/Summer 1999 collection of Alexander McQueen, where mechanics and model collaborated to create pure and present art. To be a visionary and to be someone who was ahead of their time inspired me to make something as impactful as the theater of the McQueen Fashion House. I think my graduate collection speaks volumes about me as a person, in particular my cultural background and the significance it has on not only myself but my close friends and family. It was in this collection that you see people of all different shapes and sizes and from different walks of life who came together to represent a standard of beauty that should be advocated more often: beauty that you see every day. And that is something that I 100% support.
The Royal Native Collection
Isle of Her is the balance between tradition and modernisation, a constant flow of creativity that embarks on the true meaning of culture, Particularly the Polynesian society founded in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. This brand embodies the Mana, which is an impersonal supernatural power that is inherited within you. Isle of Her welcomes you into your own body and your soul is the island that we bring treasures of cloth to.
Isle of Her would like to represent the people of the Pacific culture, their customs, history and nature of dress. We would like to educate the world about the beauty of Polynesian tradition and advocate for current issues which subside in these nations.
The Royal Native Collection is inspired by the existence of the Tongan Monarchy, and the importance of ngatu, a traditional fabric as cultural currency. I wanted to demonstrate the integration of past and future with the use of these fabrics into simple but elegant designs.
Some of the major features included is the tribal pattern print that I painted on myself. It is more than just a print: there is a narrative behind the symbols and for each woman presented I added different symbols that defined their story.
