Back to the PNG Direct journal
David Rei Kila-Pat: heritage on the runway.
Maimai Designs founder David Rei Kila-Pat draws on Oro and New Ireland heritage. His path through PNG Fashion Week has taken his work onto a regional stage.
David Rei Kila-Pat founded Maimai Designs and draws inspiration from his Oro and New Ireland heritage. The PNG Sun’s June 2026 profile described the regional opportunities opening through PNG Fashion Week, alongside his garment-making and community work.
An August report in The National subsequently listed him among the PNG designers featured at Paradise Runway in Brisbane. Together, the reports trace a pathway from local creative practice to an overseas audience, with cultural identity central to the work.
Read the original storyRead the August Paradise Runway report
PNG Direct editorial summary · Source: The PNG Sun / The National · Researched 2 November 2026. Reporting and photographs remain credited to their respective publishers. Historical exhibitions are labelled by year.