A fashion designer based in Pirongia is on a venture to start her own label to provide women with baby-bump and curvy-friendly garments without sacrificing style or quality.
Alecia Kana describes herself as a self-taught fashion designer and has been designing clothing since 2013. Before this she also worked asa low profile stylist.
Alongside designing her own garments, Alecia also imports plus-size labels from the United States and sells them on her website, Curvy Mama, to give Kiwi mums or mums-to-be more accessibility to suitable and fashionable garments.
"When I was pregnant it was really hard to find fashionable and affordable clothes," Alecia says. "There wasn't much of a range in New Zealand."
She is currently working on her label, Akana, and will release it at the Pacific Fusion Fashion Show.
Alecia has been selected as a one of 13 international designers to present at the show in October.
The collection she will show at the event is called Tai ki Tai and is inspired by New Zealand's coasts and her own genealogy.
"Tai ki Tai means coast to coast and the collection draws inspiration from my connections to the West Coast of Waikato (Ngaati Mahuta ki Tai) and the Tauranga Moana Matakana Island region (Ngaiterangi)," Alecia says.
