The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre
An innovative multi-arts hub in the heart of Blacktown City.
Get comfy for our new series titled Digital Stories to hear insights and stories from artists and locals who have a connection to Blacktown, and the surrounding areas.
In this episode of Digital Stories, join Thuy Nguyen of Western Sydney Fashion Festival and Iki Haangana of Public Island Society as they discuss how growing up in western Sydney can influence cultural fashion, the tension between streetwear and traditional clothing, and how fashion can build community.
Founded by Iki Haangana, an Australian-born Tongan fashion designer, Public Island Society started in Mt Druitt as a way of reimagining traditional and modern island wear through a contemporary lens. The fashion label fuses high fashion with streetwear to create a fearless blend of culture and couture that refuses to be ordinary.
Bio
Iki is a Tongan fashion designer from western Sydney. He is the founder and designer of the label Public Island Society.
This fashion brand blurs the lines of eveningwear, with the rebelliousness, and ease of streetwear while pulling influences from his Polynesian background. After winning Best Established PIR Designer at the Australian Modelling and Fashion Awards in 2020, he’s showcased his collections at Powerhouse Museum, Westfields, and even underwater at the Sydney Sea-Life Aquarium. In 2023 he was also flown to Papua New Guinea to showcase a capsule collection at the PNG Fashion and Design Week.
You can find Iki on Instagram here
Thuy Nguyen is a film maker, creative producer, and arts advocate. She was introduced to the power of film making as a high school student, where she participated in a Vietnamese digital storytelling workshop with local legend Maria Tran. Thuy credits support from the Fairfield film community for the development of her craft and pathway as a young culturally diverse storyteller. These locally fostered opportunities have enabled her numerous platforms to showcase her work in film festivals both nationally and internationally. Thuy’s work has been featured at Melbourne Fashion Film Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Singapore Design Week and Milan Fashion Film Festival.
As a creative producer Thuy established the Western Sydney Fashion Festival (WSFF) in 2015. A platform that showcases fashion talent from Fairfield and greater western Sydney. This work has profiled fashion designers including Marky Atelier and Ilham A Ismail, who have both drawn inspiration from the textiles and fabric shops of Cabramatta. Approaching its 10th year, Thuy considers Who Are You Wearing, held at Fairfield City Gallery and Museum and a sold-out fashion event at Blacktown Arts Centre as her WSFF highlights.
As a creative producer Thuy is driven to pay-it-forward and develop creative opportunities for artists and communities in the Fairfield LGA. She is a member of the Fairfield City Council Arts Advisory Committee, where she works to advocate for better arts opportunities and infrastructure for our local community.
You can find Thuy on Instagram here
This project is presented by Blacktown Arts and supported by Blacktown City Council.
