My name is Noelle Moa, and I’m a Samoan printmaker and artist. In 2022, I founded Maketi Moana: Pasifika Makers Market – a vision I had carried for years but was too shy to pursue! Over time, the lack of spaces for artists like me to share and sell our work became frustrating. I longed for a space that centred Pasifika makers, artists, and creatives – a space that felt safe, welcoming, and ours.

With a background in Art History, I’m deeply passionate about bringing the visual arts into our communities, especially for our young people. I believe in the power of exposing our kids to Pasifika art and artists – to spark inspiration and foster a love for the arts.

To quote one of my favourite writers, Toni Morrison, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it” – I finally decided to act on this vision in August 2022. I reached out to other makers and artists and launched our first Maketi Moana: Pasifika Makers Market in the Campbelltown suburb of Minto, NSW in December 2022.

Since then, we’ve held seven Maketi – with more on the horizon, including this special edition of Maketi Moana at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre in November and our Christmas Maketi in December. For many of our vendors, Maketi Moana has been their first public platform to showcase and sell their work – and that’s exactly what it’s about: creating a space where Pasifika creativity is seen, celebrated, and supported.

We are very much grassroots – but it’s grassroots initiatives that drive communities by creating connections. And that is what we aim to foster through Maketi Moana: Pasifika Makers Market.

Western Sydney Fashion Festival (WSFF)  is a creative platform celebrating the fashion, culture, and creative voices of western Sydney. Established to showcase the region’s rich diversity and emerging design talent often overlooked by mainstream fashion spaces, WSFF champions local stories and style with authenticity and pride.

Over the past decade, WSFF has profiled designers from across western Sydney through runways, exhibitions, and storytelling projects, including collaborations with Blacktown Arts, Western Sydney University, and Fairfield City Museum & Gallery. From grassroots beginnings to sold-out shows, WSFF continues to amplify local talent and redefine what Australian fashion looks like, bold, diverse, and proudly western Sydney.

You can find them on Instagram here