Jireh Levy

Born in Samoa, my work often explores themes of identity and heritage of the Pacific community. In my two-piece textile collection, Legacy, I seek to expand and connect to the stories of the past, vastly overlooked for images of ‘paradise’ typical to the Pacific Islands and modern textiles. By symbolising traditional materials and techniques by using accessible materials such as jute, cotton, and acrylic string, a new legacy is born. Designed for Samoan ceremonial dances (Siva), the collection includes a braided headpiece and belt inspired by the narratives of the ceremonial Samoan headdress, the ‘tuiga,’ and the coconut braided sennit, ‘afa’.