Angela Paikea is an artist of Portuguese and Māori heritage with weaving and Māori culture at the core of her creative process. She makes objects including headpieces, wearable art and sculptures using NZ flax (phormium tenax or harakeke) combined with textiles, feathers, leather and Pāua shell. Angela is a skilled facilitator who has hosted successful workshops with Adorned Collective, Blacktown Arts, Parramatta Artists Studios, and Powerhouse

Armando Crisostomo, featured in Vogue Australia and on PEDESTRIAN.TV, this brand’s purpose is to empower men to freely choose what they wear without fear, judgment or the pressure to conform to binary gender expectations. Born in the Philippines, founder Armando Crisostomo tried his hand at nursing, IT and a Bachelor of Business and Commerce before eventually earning a Bachelor of Branded Fashion to realise his lifelong dream of designing clothing and now studying Master of Design.

Bao Nguyen is the founder of Betite the Label, an Australian fashion brand created to empower petite women through chic and limitless design. Standing at 4’11”, Bao’s personal experience navigating a fashion industry that often overlooks petite bodies inspired her to take matters into her own hands.

With no formal background in fashion and a career as a lawyer, Bao made the bold decision to follow her passion and launch a brand that would redefine how petite women see themselves in clothing. Betite the Label was born from this vision a celebration of style, confidence, and representation for women who have long been underserved by mainstream fashion.

Guided by a commitment to inclusivity, Bao designs pieces that put petite women in the forefront of fashion.

Delina Darusman-Gala is a designer, stylist and blogger behind her fashion brand DELINA. Delina has been featured in several distinguished publications worldwide such as @frankiemagazine, @Grazia, Laiqa and the @dailytelegraph to name a few. She is also considered as one of the top 18 Badass Australian Bloggers on @buzzfeed.

Frika Activewear is inspired by bold and bright African prints and is designed with uniqueness for all genders, all age groups and for both African and non-African descent. Frika Activewear has been been featured on SBS news, Western Sydney fashion festival and Fairfield City Museum & Gallery’s recent exhibition ‘Who Are You Wearing’.

Based out in Mount Druitt, Public Island Society is founded by Australian-born Tongan fashion designer Iki Haangana.

‘As a fashion designer of Polynesian heritage, my creative practice is focused on reimagining traditional and modern island wear through the lens of contemporary design.’

Public Island Society fuses high fashion with streetwear, weaving in textures and traditions from the designer Iki Haangana’s Polynesian roots. The result? A fearless blend of culture and couture, an over-the-top, off-beat elegance that refuses to be ordinary.

You can find Public Island Society on Instagram here

Noelle Moa is a Samoan printmaker and artist. In 2022, she founded Maketi Moana: Pasifika Makers Market – a vision she had carried for years but was too shy to pursue! Over time, the lack of spaces for artists like her to share and sell their work became frustrating. Noelle 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, She is deeply passionate about bringing the visual arts into our communities, especially for our young people. She believes 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 her 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” – Noelle finally decided to act on this vision in August 2022. She reached out to other makers and artists and launched the first Maketi Moana: Pasifika Makers Market in the Campbelltown suburb of Minto, NSW in December 2022.

Since then, they’ve held 7 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.

They are very much grassroots, but it’s grassroots initiatives that drive communities by creating connections. That is what they aim to foster through Maketi Moana: Pasifika Makers Market.

Mark Mariano is an award-winning Filipino writer, model, comedian and content creator from Doonside on Darug land. Proudly queer, Mark’s work spans across Blacktown Arts, SBS, BuzzFeed Australia, iHeartRadio, Fruit Box Theatre and Queerstories. He is also a proud member of the Sweatshop Western Sydney Literacy Movement, where he has been published across multiple anthologies.

Mark appeared in ACON’s With Love Sydney WorldPride campaign, stretched on posters and billboards across the city. He also featured in Refinery29’s ADIDAS campaign as a featured model, and MC’d Worship Queer Collective’s queer fashion runway project in 2022. He was named one of Out For Australia’s 30 Under 30, and speaks often about his lived experience as a proud Fat Filo from The Area — having gone viral most recently for his work on SBS’s Tell Me What You Really Think.

Shaqaeq Rezai is a Hazara fashion designer from Afghanistan, her work blends heritage, femininity, and empowerment. A refugee advocate and youth leader, she was awarded Youth Female Leader of the Year by Cumberland Council in 2023 for her contributions to the community and her dedication to amplifying women’s voices.

Shaqaeq is the founder of Sherzan, a women’s clothing brand. Through Sherzan she aims to make designs that make women feel confident and empowered while amplifying their feminine beauty. As a designer from Afghanistan, Shaqaeq uses her work to advocate for the women of Afghanistan by merging cultural story telling with contemporary design.

Yo Oo Ya is a Korean Australian music project following a story of a fox’s journey to become a nine tailed fox. Their music craft playful, dreamy sounds with melancholy and darker textural tones, weaving in Korean poetry.

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

VUVALE TREASURES started in Brisbane, Queensland 3 years ago. The Fijian word vuvale translates to family in English, so at Vuvale Treasures our vision is to bring a part of Fiji into Australian homes. Our range of products includes Masi/Tapa jewellery, clutch bags, handwoven mat baskets, custom name fans, tekiteki flowers, and salusalu necklaces for special events. We also offer gift sets, Bula wear for men, women, and children, as well as Fijian handmade handicrafts such as 21st wooden keys and Tanoa kava bowl sets. There is something for everyone at Vuvale Treasures.

All items are Fijian-made, supporting families back home in Fiji and helping to keep our traditional handicraft practices alive for generations to come

A dedicated Filipino/English mother of five, Leanne-Marie is the face and hands
behind ‘Have It Made by LeanneMarie’. Having shared 21 years with her Tongan
partner, she found great admiration and love for the Pacific Island culture, which
inspires her work. Her journey as a lei maker is the culmination of a lifelong interest
for arts, crafts and creativity, a passion she’s had since childhood.

She now creates custom leis for graduations and all special occasions, as well as many other items to
cater for events.

Te Korowai O Te Raranga Whanau Roopu was established in 2019, on the fringe of
COVID19, we are a small group who have been practicing the art of Toi Maori
Raranga (Maori Weaving) with a mission to learn, nurture, evolve and preserve the
techniques and culture of Maori NZ weaving for weavers in Sydney.

We practice Matauranga Tohatoha Wananga (Gaining and sharing of knowledge), Tikanga
(Culture and Philosophy), Whakauru Katoa (Promote Maori weaving to all ages and
diversities) and Tangata Whenua (Honor the culture and heritage of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Island people who share our relationship with caring for country, land,
water and sky, We gain and share knowledge of natural methods of the land, natural
dying, plant products and treatments.

The Nuanua is a colourful creative space created by Rosemary, an artist and
designer living in Sydney, Australia. Starting with woven wall hangings, her creative
journey has moved into more fibre art including punch needle and the most recent
addition of rug tufting.

The name of her creative space ‘Nuanua’ is derived from the Samoan word for
rainbow, which is part of Rosemary’s heritage. As an inspired and curious creative,
Rosemary hopes to keep The Nuanua as an open artistic adventure, constantly
exploring old and new mediums, keeping her colourful space open to endless
possibilities.

My name is Noelle and I am a Sydney-based Samoan artist. My practice is rooted in
printmaking and shaped by my identity as a Pasifika woman. Working under the
name Ula&HerBrothers, I create entirely handmade work that reflects both cultural
memory and lived experience.

My background in Art History, with a focus on traditional and contemporary Pacific
Island art, continues to inform the conceptual and cultural grounding of my work.
I am also the founder and organiser of Maketi Moana: Pasifika Makers Market, an
artisan market held 3 times a year, celebrating and showcasing Pacific makers and
small businesses. In addition, I currently run a small studio space in Campbelltown,
where I exhibit work and facilitate children’s printmaking workshops – creating space
for community engagement and intergenerational learning through art.