From Behind the Scenes to the Runway: Joy Paese Debuts as a Designer at PNG Fashion Week 2026

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — For years, Teleasau Joy Paese helped bring other people’s creative visions to life. At PNG Fashion Week 2026, she stepped forward with one of her own, presenting Baseman Designs on the GENESIS runway as a designer for the first time.

The moment marked a new chapter for the Australia-based Samoan creative. Joy had long been part of the community around LifeCon Samoa, contributing her time and talent in supporting roles. She had also shared her skill in headpieces and accessories at Paradise Runway. At APEC Haus on Saturday 19 September, she took her place among the designers presenting their own work to a runway audience.

Joy’s path into fashion began close to home: the first garment she made was a formal dress for her daughter. Born in New Zealand and raised in South Auckland, she draws on her Samoan roots in Faleasi‘u, Siumu and Papa Sataua. Her creative work takes inspiration from Samoa’s colours, textiles, siapo, ceremonial traditions and landscapes, carrying stories of faith, family and identity into contemporary design. The name Baseman Designs was inspired by her husband, Galumalemana Auimatagi Paese.

For PNG Fashion Week, Joy’s debut represented the kind of opportunity the platform exists to create. An artist who had spent years helping others shine was now able to be recognised for her own vision. Her place in GENESIS also reflected the growing creative relationships between Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Australia and the wider Pacific.

“Joy has given so much to the creative community behind the scenes. We are proud that PNG Fashion Week could give her a platform to present as a designer in her own right, and we want to keep promoting her work and the opportunities ahead of her,” said PNG Fashion Week founder Philma Kelegai.

PNG Fashion Week’s 2026 program brought designers and creative professionals from across the region to Port Moresby. Through the runway, markets and Pacific Fashion Summit, the event created space for artists to meet, share knowledge and build connections that can continue beyond show week. Joy’s debut showed what those connections can make possible: a step from supporting a creative community to leading with a collection of her own.

As PNG Fashion Week looks toward its tenth year in 2027, Joy Paese’s first designer showcase stands as a moment to celebrate. It honours the work she has done for others, while opening the door for more people to discover what she can create under her own name.