A dynamic wave of Pacific creativity swept through Sydney last Wednesday as The Pacific Intruders, a high-impact fashion showcase led by a new generation of Fijian designers, captivated a crowd of fashion industry heavyweights, buyers, stylists, and global media.
Held in a stunningly transformed church-turned-runway, the event was part of a European Union-funded initiative aimed at Globalising Fijian Fashion Designers, with €69,000 awarded to Fiji Fashion Week to develop international platforms for local talent.
The show featured seven Fijian designers who are pushing boundaries in design, identity, and storytelling: Anton Conway Wye, Hilda Mondo, Jerry Qiolevu, Nicholas Kama, Shane Pickering, Su Samuels, and Rosie Semisi Emberson. Each designer unveiled collections that fused deep-rooted cultural heritage with cutting-edge contemporary aesthetics, drawing gasps and applause from a diverse international audience.
“This isn’t just a runway — it’s a turning point,” said Ellen Whippy-Knight, Managing Director of Fiji Fashion Week.
“The designers are challenging ideas of Pacific fashion and its potential.
They’re not asking for space; they’re taking it.”
The Pacific Intruders show is the culmination of a rigorous 15-week mentorship program with global fashion educators Lucy Jones, an award-winning designer and accessibility advocate, and Paul Rider, a veteran of international fashion design and editorial. Their guidance helped elevate the designers’ work to an international standard, enabling them to engage with global markets and critical discourse.
The EU’s support was not just financial — it was symbolic. Ambassador Barbara Plinkert, EU Representative to the Pacific, stated: “The European Union strongly promotes cultural diversity and identity … By awarding these grants to Fijian designers we also support the local creative and cultural industry that has the potential to generate income and create jobs.”
The runway itself became a powerful space for disruption and redefinition. As designer Anton Conway Wye put it: “We rocked up to Sydney for a fashion show in the most unexpected spot, a church turned runway. The models slayed, the setup was next level, and our Pacific-inspired pieces definitely turned some heads. We came, we showed, we intruded Sydney’s fashion scene.”
But the journey doesn’t stop there. These same designers will bring their now globally recognised collections back home for Vodafone Fiji Fashion Week 2025, where they are set to showcase again this Friday and
Saturday. It’s a homecoming of sorts—one that closes the loop between local roots and global reach.
Sponsors for the event included Vodafone Fiji as the major partner, with contributions from Pure Fiji, Ere Perez, All Shades Matter, Kloud, and Davroe ensuring the models dazzled both on and off the runway.
Special thanks were also extended to stylist Emma Cotterill, and the production team led by Leanne Cherney, Sonny Vandevdle, Myles, Chadwicks, and Felix.
As the applause fades in Sydney and anticipation builds in Suva, one thing is certain: Pacific fashion has arrived—and it’s here to stay.
