Culture shines in designs

CULTURAL BRAND: Both Susana Tasi (left) and Michelle Tasi said what separates ST from other brands is their authenticity. “ For what we do, our values, and roots.” Picture by Avneesh Vincent

Weaving her Samoan roots into fabrics, local and upcoming fashion designer Susana Tasi welcomes the public to her new shop branded with her initials ST.

Located on Gladstone Road, the shop offers three unique brands — the quirky and fun-fitting Gin and Tonic (GT), the casual and sporty Polo Pacifika (PP) and the exclusive high-end brand Susana Tasi (ST).

“What makes us unique is our authenticity, our culture, and roots,” Tasi said.

The designer recalls she was about six years old when she used to help her mum sew.

“My mother had those fascinating hand-sewing machines and I always used to watch her sewing.

“She would make these curtains and clothing literally out of anything, especially from recycled materials. That’s where my first love and interest in fashion came from.”

Growing up in South Auckland, she used to love observing what the ladies at the Methodist church wore every time.

However, back in those days, she could not take up fashion as a full-time career because it was not considered a “desirable choice” by her parents.

“My mum and dad come from the villages of Falelima and Fasito’outa and migrated to Aotearoa in the late 60s.

“They mainly encouraged us to study economics and accounting to secure prospective jobs like working in a bank. Marrying a pastor was another option. But I did neither.”

It was only in her twenties that she enrolled herself in a textile course in Auckland. But her passion for it was “on and off”.

“I did do sketchings and designs every now and then. But it was only two years ago that the desire to do something in the field of fashion came back.”

Last year, she made her debut on the runway of the Pacific Fusion Fashion Show in Auckland.

The show was started in 2016 as a platform to display and promote Pacific fashion.

Among her handcrafted collection, she showcased her personal favourites in the opening design, Fiame — a velvety red dress inspired and named after the first female Prime Minister of Samoa and modelled by oldest daughter Marlene.

The other was the closing design, Nifoloa — a teal green dress, named after her mother’s village on the island of Savai’i. The dress was modelled by Tasi’s youngest daughter Fuatino.

It was only last year when she had her eye on the shop location and decided to follow on from her fashion show.

Tasi said when she is not working at the shop, she is busy doing social service and supporting her other daughter who is representing New Zealand overseas in show jumping with the equestrians.

The fashion designer is ably helped by her youngest sibling Michelle Tasi who has a wide range of experience in retail.

Michelle said she was working for a reputed brand in Samoa when she got 

her sister’s invitation to come to New Zealand and help Susana with the shop — especially with operations such as merchandising.

“My eldest sister is the creative head who oversees the designing process while I deal with everything else from managing the store to setting up marketing strategies for the brand.

“We combine our skills to ensure that we put our story the right way.”