Creative Pacific share their talents in workshops

Some of the participants who showed up Saturday for the fashion and design workshop hosted by Taupou Manaia and the founders of Creative Pacific, Ben-jamin Powell and Afa Ah Loo, just wanted to try out something new.

They came away inspired and equipped with basic techniques to turn a piece of fabric into a head-turning creation.

Ben-jamin Powell said their idea of forming Creative Pacific was to introduce the Pacific flavor of fashion to the world.

The two have established themselves in the fashion and hair industry in Utah and, last year, brought 18 fashion designers from the Pacific for the Utah Pacific Fashion Show. That’s where the two met the founder of Taupou Manaia, Tuifaasisina Korina Lee, and the idea of the local workshops gelled.

Powell said teaching the youth was one of their priorities.

The design workshop was followed by a model casting which had the young Taupou Manaia dancers and some of the mothers strutting their stuff with confidence and poise.

This evening from 4:30 to 7pm is the hair and makeup workshop at the DWYA Gym. The workshop is open to the public and is free.

The workshops are a prelude the 25th anniversary celebrations for Taupou Manaia in July.