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Creative ID: 383

Art form(s): Fashion design
Language(s): English, Samoan
Based in: Auckland
Where I'm available:
Auckland
When I'm available: My wellness programme is running in 2023 and available throughout the year.

My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths)

I run a wellness programme which teaches students about self-worth with fashion as the medium. The programme has been in schools throughout Auckland since 2016, for females aged 8 to 18. The programme now has bespoke versions available for different groups which include boys only and unisex sessions, university students, entrepreneurs, fashion, health and beauty students, woman, young mums and mums and daughters.

The programme in schools can be tailored to work with the school’s schedule and can be between 6 hours or up to 40 hours long. The programme includes health and wellbeing exercises, practical skills that help you find your Personal Style, Personal Grooming, Fashion Design, walk with confidence runway workshop, visit to an op-shop for the Thrift Shop Challenge and concludes with either a fashion show graduation/shared lunch or an outing for lunch/dinner. The students will receive a free programme T-shirt, complete the $20.00 Thrift Shop Challenge at a second-hand clothing store and put together an outfit that they will wear with their t-shirt, utilising the styling tips they have learnt in the workshops.

The programme will teach students to celebrate and embrace who they are as individuals, with a focus on what they have inherited from their loved ones, rather than comparing themselves to others and feeling they are not good enough. The exercises and discussions that take place throughout the programme will help individuals feel comfortable in their own skin and teach them how focussing on their assets (for e.g. favourite physical features) can help them build their self-confidence and also find their personal style. The students will also develop inter-personal skills which are vital life skills for self-development and will be challenged to be vulnerable within themselves and in group settings.

My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with

I am a Creative Entrepreneur and have been running my small businesses for eight years now. I run a Fashion Styling and Event Management business, and a small modelling agency advocating for diversity in the fashion industry. I direct the largest high-end Pacific fashion week in New Zealand, and I run my social enterprise/programme. All four businesses are intertwined and have similar values and my programme workshops came to life as a way for me to give back to my community. In 2018 the workshops branched into other spaces whilst still being run in schools. The programme was run at a young mum’s centre as a way of building the young woman’s self-confidence up again after having babies. The programme focused on the young woman learning to love their new bodies whilst growing healthy relationships with their new babies.

The programme gained momentum recently when it was presented to the New Zealand Minister of Social Development, then piloted to youth beneficiaries aged 16 to 24. In September, it was facilitated for 200 Pacific and Māori university graduates who were on an internship programme which grooms the next generation of Māori and Pacific business leaders. In October, our Wellness Day took place as part of the Pacific Fusion Fashion Week which had 70 students complete the day course. Then to finish off the year, in November I was the guest speaker at Solomon Islands Fashion Week and ran the programme for 60 individuals who were fashion designers, creatives, models, young entrepreneurs, youth and people with disabilities. This opportunity was sponsored by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. To date over 1,000 youth have been on the wellness program with over 400 students completing the programme in 2019. The programme was also selected to be run as part of the Microsoft Digi Girl Workshops this year in May however it was cancelled due to Covid-19.

Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes

I thoroughly enjoy working with children and youth, and when I decided to start my social enterprise, I knew instantly that this would be the demographic I would work with. As previously mentioned, I have worked with both female and male individuals aged between 8 to 24, and I have found that I have learnt so much from the students – just as much as they have learnt from me. The programmes are always amended to cater to the different demographics for e.g. female-only sessions will include a lot of fashion accessories and fashion vocabulary and the younger the students, the more basic the fashion styling exercises.

Some interesting insights I found after working with Pacific and Māori students aged 16 to 22 who were either 1) students who didn’t find the education system worked for them or unemployed, or 2) university graduates, was that these students basically had the same insecurities and confidence issues. I came to the conclusion that the first group of students didn’t have the best role models and had a lack of support which hindered their ability to reach their full potential. So, I believe the programme is beneficial for all students regardless of where you end up in life because students will always come across challenging situations. The themes covered in the workshops are:

  • Self-confidence
  • Self-worth
  • Emotional stability
  • Cultural Identity
  • Favourite Physical Features
  • Public Speaking
  • Personal Style
  • Positive Body Image
  • Definition of Beauty.

The programme has been audited by a third party and the feedback received along with the student and teacher evaluation forms have allowed me to amend the programme so that it is relevant and beneficial for students.

Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice

My experience with working with Pacific and Māori children and youth has shown me how naturally artistic we are as a people. Personal style and fashion is also an art form, as it is a form of self-expression so I love seeing students experiment with fashion so they can find an image that is their true inner self reflected externally. I have been very fortunate to follow students on this journey of self-discovery while they experiment with fashion and find their personal style, as I have been able to see them grow in their self-confidence and understand the importance of self-worth.

Although the digital world we currently live in has its benefits, it also has disadvantages of conveying unrealistic ideologies of what is determined as beautiful. And it is a known fact that students spend so much time on their smart phones, so I believe it’s just as important to continue to remind them of the importance of self-love. So, when my students realise this or they allow themselves to try and understand the importance of self-love, then I know I am planting seeds of hope and it encourages me to continue to share these key messages. If we can teach the students at a younger age then they can carry these values with them throughout their teenage years, right through to becoming adults where they can then teach their kids also.

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