The Registrar of PNG’s Intellectual Property Office, Amelia Na’aru, has described the inclusion and advocacy for people with disabilities in this year’s PNG FASHION and DESIGN WEEK as an added value towards the creativity by humans themselves, however there are some serious concerns.

She mentioned this in her speech during the launch of the 2019 PNG FASHION and DESIGN WEEK at the National Museum recently.

However, Na’aru also used her speech to call on well-known designers around the country to register their creativity at the IPO Office.

“While local designers are creating new clothing, they should also be thinking about what kind of mark they would like to create to stand out in the market and if their products are marketable,” she added.

She said well-known designers like TABU, PNG KALA and LAVA GIRL, these are the big names in the industry, but yet they have not registered their creativity with the PNG Trade Mark office.

The Intellectual Property Office is a valuable partner to the work and focus of the PNG FASHION and DESIGN WEEK as it helps to promote the role of the IPO in the creativity industry and continues to help designers to promote what they create as individuals.

This year’s theme is “Making Fashion Inclusive and Accessible to all” and IPO stands ready to support the Founder, Janet Sios and her team in raising the standards that need to be identified in promoting the creativity of ordinary Papua New Guineans.

Na’aru while congratulating the team behind this year’s runway and program, pointed out that by allowing PWD’s to participate this year, the platform is allowing them the opportunity to create and explore their skills and talent that are hidden in them that must be fully appreciated and ideas protected.

It is also the focus of this platform to ensure the workshops in both Kokopo, Lae and Port Moresby will cater for locals who are able to design “adaptive clothing” that can be comfortably worn by people with disabilities.

These workshop training for emerging and new designers in Lae, Kokopo and Port Moresby are FREE and registration is now OPEN for interested participants with forms readily available on its website.

The PNG FASHION AND DESIGN WEEK has been able to train at least 200 emerging designers and 150 local models who can be able to sustain themselves following the week through hard work and networking while at the same time, seeking a possible future within the PNG SME Sector.