Lindah Lepou is one of the New Zealand designers commissioned by Te Papa to create a wedding dress for their exhibition Unveiled.  Unveiled is an exhibition on at Te Papa at the moment celebrating 200 years of wedding fashion from the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Lepou has been instrumental in bringing Pacific fashion out of the stereotypical shadows of grass skirts and aloha shirts. She uses raw materials and natural fibres in an innovative way, under a term she coined herself – ‘Pacific couture’.  So as part of the Te Papa Unveiled exhibition Te Papa are putting on a retrospective exhibition for Lepou’s stunning work, covering the past 17 years, as well as extraordinary new pieces for purchase.

Just one of the highlights of Pacific Couture Unveiled at Te Papa is Cocomono (2004), above.  Based on a kimono, the work is made from varnished coconut rings.

‘Some artists create art for a particular time and place, while I am more interested in creating art that transcends this time and space.’  Comments Lepou on her own process.  Lindah Lepou is a New Zealand artist of Samoan and palagi (English/Scottish) descent, with a background in performing arts, music, and fashion.  Lepou has built a strong body of work that pays homage to her love of French haute couture and her own rich New Zealand and Pacific heritage.

Watch Lindah talk about the dress she designed for Unveiled

Pacific Couture Unveiled
When:   Thursday 19 April   -  6.15pm–6.45pm
Where:  Wellington Foyer, Level 2
Cost:  Free entry

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