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Lindah Lepou.jpg) Lindah Aaron Lepou is a New Zealand-Samoan fashion designer.[1][2] Her work is included in the permanent collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.[3] Early lifeLepou was born in Wellington and lived in Cannons Creek, Porirua until she was nine. She then moved to Samoa.[1] When she was 15, she won a scholarship to Brigham Young University–Hawaii, however she only studied there for three months before returning to Samoa.[2] Lepou won a beauty pageant, with the prize of a trip to New Zealand, and moved to Auckland. In 1994 she entered her first fashion competition, the Benson & Hedges Awards; she entered a flax tutu, which the organisers placed in the Avant Garde category, however the following year the competition opened a Pacific Influences category for entries such as hers.[2] CareerIn 2005, Lepou was the supreme winner of the Style Pasifika Fashion Awards. In 2015, Lepou worked with choreographer Neil Ieremia to design costumes for SIVA, a show marking the 20th anniversary of Black Grace Dance Company.[1] In 2017, Lepou was the Matairangi Mahi Toi Pasifika artist in residence at Government House, Wellington.[4] Lepou's work features traditional Samoan materials and skills such as tapa cloth and pandanus leaves.[4][5] Lepou won the Special Recognition Award at the 2021 Arts Pasifika Awards.[6][7] References
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