PNG Fashion Week Limited through its economic arm, Miss Papua New Guinea has launched its second shop, this time an international branch in Brisbane, Australia which is a first for the business and a very first for the nation in this industry.
The shop which specializes in selling locally designed clothing and local arts and craft is looking forward to serving the demand for Papua New Guinean made items in Australia and the surrounding international community.
According to PNG Fashion Week Director Ms Philma Kelegai, the Brisbane branch located at 28/198 Adelaide Street, Anzac Square, Brisbane CDB, will provide an avenue for local designers to tap into the international market to further push their local brands and in turn reach more international clients for their businesses.
For over five years now, the Miss Papua New Guinea shop located at Vision City in Port Moresby has been carrying local brands by local Papua New Guineans and so far has created a mark in the fashion and textile industry as a brand that is here to stay.
Ms Kelegai said that with the country facing a downturn in the economy as far as inflation and the turnout of success for SMEs is concerned, the focus for the business now is to look outside of the local market and explore promising opportunities at the international level.
“With the country’s economy going through some tough challenging times, the focus for us now is to look further and find avenues for growth for our business and our clients whom we are connected to.”
“With the opening of our newest shop in Brisbane, our clients (local designers) can now have direct access to the international market as whatever products we have in our branch in country will be the same for our international branch as well,” Ms Kelegai said.
Miss Papua New Guinea is a business pathway for local designers and creatives who are part of the country’s premiere fashion platform, PNG Fashion Week.
Ms Kelegai said, “With a platform as massive as PNG Fashion Week, the potential for pushing local brands on there is very promising and so that has been our focus, to push for and to encourage local designers through all our major activities, the most coveted one being the NGCB Paradise Runway.”
Dubbed as “the future of culture”, the NGCB Paradise Runway is PNG Fashion Week’s largest and most popular high fashion runway which is dedicated to promoting Papua New Guinea’s diverse and unique cultures through culturally and traditionally inspired designs.
With the opening of the Brisbane shop, Ms Kelegai is confident that the future is looking bright for PNG Fashion Week and more importantly for the Miss Papua New Guinea brand as they continue to venture into unexplored markets to establish themselves as a leading brand in the world of fashion.
The official launching and opening of the shop was attended by representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office as well as officials from National Gaming Control Board Ltd who currently remain as the naming rights sponsors to the NGCB Paradise Runway.
NGCB CEO Ms. Imelda Agon officially opened Miss Papua New Guinea – Brisbane on 14th February, 2023.
Source: PNG Fashion Week