They'd Like

These In The Islands

By a Staff Reporter

Australia is to make its first de termined assault on the South Pacific market in August, when a trade mission tours the Islands.

THE mission will call in at New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand, and will especially push a range of items of capital equipment and manufactures needed for development.

What, at the moment, they don't intend to sell, are the Australian wool fashions seen on this page, and what a waste of some beautiful talent!

I’m one man who thinks that an Australian fashion parade would go over big in the Islands, and especially would be an eye-opener in New Cale donia and French Polynesia. It would hit ’em where it hurts!

In Auckland, in April, I saw for myself the reactions that the fashions depicted here had on the New Zea landers. Four lovely NZ models dis played 40 Australian wool garments at the Auckland Easter Show. The de signs—many of them Wool Fashion Awards for 1961—were by Aus tralians, making use of new Aus

tralian manufacturing techniques with

light-weight wool, and both the de signs and the materials were for ex port.

Each session of the parade was packed, and so great was the demand

latest covered-up look in swim suits—this in Australian wool, on a New Zealand beach girl.

These Australian fashions were seen in Auckland, in April, where they attracted big crowds. Why not send the same show to the Islands? All the designs were made in Australia, from Australian woollen materials, and most of them make use of the new light-weight materials suitable for the tropics. Some of the garments were given the new permanent pleating technique —guaranteed not to come out. The gentleman in the lower picture insists on testing the theory for himself.

that extra shows had to be put on, and the models later went to Wellington by special request.

One NZ fashion writer described it as “the most wearable collection seen here”. The lightweight wools include a 2i oz. will-o’-the wisp, the lightest wool made in Australia, and quite suitable for the tropics.

It can be used for playwear, even ing and cocktail garments, and just about anything, formal or informal.

“What the Australian Department of Trade should do,” I said to Miss Judy Stenberg, the Department’s Exhibition officer at the show, “is send this collection into the South Pacific to accompany that mid-year trade drive. It would be a wow”.

Miss Stenberg agreed, but she doesn’t make all the decisions.

Whoever does, might now like to make this one, SEAWAVES ; Seismic seawaves have recently caused damage to vil lages on San Cristoval, and Guadal canal, BSIP, and there has been considerable underwater seismic activity off Vanikoro,