Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Isabella AhMu-Mageo is an American Samoa-based fashion designer and in 2013, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising with a background in fashion design and returned home and has since been teaching fashion design at the only trades school on island - Nuuuli Vocational Technical High School.

Mageo is also the owner of Le Laga’ali Atelier, a business that specializes in dressing their clients in formal wear, bridal and cultural attire, that has taken American Samoa by storm.

 To start off our inquiry of who she was, we asked Mageo, why fashion?

“Fashion, to me, was a culmination of all my interests - history, science, art, etc. —  in trying to figure out what I wanted to be and I found that fashion as a way of my expression is infinite, your only limitation was your own creative spectrum,” said Mageo.   

Mageo stated that in college, her “most trying course was patternmaking - it was math, geometry and creativity all blended together.”

In time and as she grew to understand it, it became something she fell in love with, the intricacy of taking a flat piece of fabric and molding it into something beautiful. 

Samoa News asked Mageo, what her inspirations were and she replied that her “love for fashion was inspired by her mom, Lele Ahmu, a woman of many talents — she had once made a wedding gown for my aunt years ago, everything was hand stitched, and every time I make something, those memories come back to me — the smell of fresh silk satin and the sound of the sewing machine late in the night.” 

“In 2013, after graduation, a friend had convinced me to apply for Project Runway. At the time, project runway was filmed at our school's sewing studios, and it was an exciting dream at the time, but I felt it was just too soon”, stated Mageo in talking about her life after graduating school.

“I moved to Arizona with my dad a few months later and in December of 2013, while visiting with my mom here at home, I decided to stay.” 

“This is when I began my teaching career at the local trade school. I miss Los Angeles at times, but I found my calling here at home. I’ve taught at Nuuuli Voc. Tech for 10 years now, and I’ve seen my kids, my students find their passions. A few have continued working in this creative field locally and abroad, it keeps me going.” 

Samoa News also asked Mageo, how come she did not stay in mainland United States to further her brand and her name in the fashion industry?

“I believe I was always meant to come back home to share and grow, it has been a blessing to be home and to find myself.”

“So much has happened within the 10 years of being back, I’ve found a new love for my culture, and was able to implement it within my design aesthetic as means of inspiration.” 

“I have had the honor of working alongside many creative individuals and have learned from them so much that I’ve treasured it and applied it today in my work. 

“A long time dream of mine was to come back and help re-elevate our island into the fashion mecca it always have been — our people have always been fashion-forward with works of great local designers and it is high time that we reclaim or realign ourselves with the rest of the Pasefika fashion industry currently making strides in the fashion world.”

 Samoa News then probed Ms. Mageo on a little background information about her up and her coming business, Le Laga’ali Atelier.

A collage of Ms Isabella AhMu-Mageo’s cultural attire that she offers as part of her services as the owner of Le Laga’al Atelier, a local business. She provides the materials and the creative talent, you just pay for the service. [courtesy photo]

“We officially open in August but for now, we are only taking a handful of projects, but once we officially open, I hope Le Laga’ali continues to grow as a brand and creatively expand. At the moment we specialize in formal wear, bridal, and cultural attire, with the hopes of expanding into Ready-To-Wear fashion.

We then asked Ms. Mageo what advice and words of affirmation she had for our Pasefika people that want to pursue a career in design and fashion.

“To anyone interested in being a fashion designer or being in the fashion field - just do it.”

“Fashion is an art with infinite possibilities —  just be aware that with anything in life, hard work and determination are your sword and shield.” 

“You’ll have your ups and downs and moments of doubt but a wise woman once said to me “Don’t waste your talent, use it!” 

Words that push us today to be better than yesterday.