[Pasifika Fashion Series] Designer Spotlight-Hupfeld Hoerder

Designer, Hupfeld Hoerder pictured above with one of his models

Hupfeld Hoerder's designs are known for its signature hand prints of island motiffs and creatively merging authentic designs with contemporary.  He incorporates traditional with western fabrics to make his designs hold a strong sense of the Pacific and promotes the pasifika culture and traditions.

Hupfeld started designing whilst still completing his undergraduate studies at the University of the South Pacific almost 20 years ago.  Initially he started designing and making beach bags which eventually led to shift dresses and summer dresses.  Over the years and through experience he moved from casual resort wear to evening wear then found a niche market  in the Bridal industry in Fiji and Haute Couture.  Now he is focusing on taking another step to establish his brand overseas and to find other markets to sell his beautiful works of art.

Having shown at NYFW in 2009 and continuously showcasing successful collections at the World Fashion Week (WFW) in the Bahamas season after season, he is definitely a name to be on the look out for.  See the other installments in my Pasifika Fashion Series ( 4th: here 3rd: here 2nd: here 1st: here).

Check out some of my favorite pieces from his past collections that are on trend for Spring & Summer's bright and bold color palette:

[Pasifika Fashion Series] When the Pasifika Culture Meets the Modern Day Fashion World!

"Pacific Couture" designer, Lindah Lepou

This is my first installment of a series of posts highlighting and discussing Pasifika Culture and Fashions.  Living in Chicago and having been involved with the fashion industry in some form or another for the last 10 years, this harsh reality has plaqued me for years: Pasifika Fashion has yet to hit mainstream.  Even after years of revolutionary strides in technology that affects fashion & world culture, there has yet to be a notable recognition of what Pasifika Fashion has contributed to the industry.  So, through my blog and this platform I am going to do my part in bringing more awareness to the monumental and impactful contributions Pasifika Culture has made and continues to make to the fashion world/industry.

Introducing, Lindah Lepou. Renaissance Woman Extraordinaire, Lindah Lepou is a full-time New Zealand artist of Samoan and Palangi (English/Scottish) descent, with a background in Performing Arts, Music, and Fashion. Not only does she work with some of New Zealand’s pioneers in music (Annie Crummer, Hellosailor, etc) as a Singer/Songwriter, Lindah has built a strong body of work that pays homage to her love of French Haute Couture and her own rich New Zealand and Pacific heritage. With this, she is instrumental in bringing pacific fashion out of the stereotypical shadows of grass skirts and aloha shirts, through her innovative use of raw materials and natural fibers (i.e. tapa cloth, flax, etc.) she also expresses in a modern way, under a term she coined herself called, “Pacific Couture”.

Today, she continues to inspire a new generation of designers in New Zealand and in the Pacific, who reference and use her work as a benchmark in New Zealand’s mainstream fashion institutions, while at the same time continues to be sought after by museums around the world.

“Some artists create art for a particular time and place, while I am more interested in creating art that transcends this time and space” Lindah Lepou

*Photo Credit: Lindah Lepou

Check out some of her amazing works of art!