Five years after launching out of a Native community arts space, Le Pasefika Runway PDX remains the only Pacific Islander-rooted runway show in the Pacific Northwest, and it's marking the milestone with an October 24 show built around the theme “Cultural Avant-Garde.” The Portland-based nonprofit is holding open model casting this weekend, with no professional experience required to walk the runway.
Founder Andrew Fa'alogo joined The Juice to discuss the runway's five-year milestone, according to KOIN.com, which reports that Le Pasefika Runway PDX is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that features original collections from designers rooted in Pasefika, BIPOC, LGBTQ2SIA+, and differently-abled communities. The show casts its models directly from the community, and organizers say the venue for this year's event will be announced in September. Tickets are already available at lepasefikarunway.com, per the station's report.
The show has grown considerably since its debut. Le Pasefika Runway held its first show on October 22, 2022, at the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation's Center for Native Arts and Cultures in Portland, according to the event's own account on Le Pasefika Runway's website. It moved to Avenue Portland in 2023, The Redd on Salmon Street in 2024, and Porsche Studio Portland on October 25, 2025 — a four-year run through progressively higher-profile Portland venues that tracks the show's expansion from a grassroots gathering into a full production.
Open Casting and a Boot Camp for First-Time Models
In-person model casting for the 2026 show takes place Sunday at Hoku Events on Madison in Portland, with a Model Boot Camp following on September 20 and final fittings scheduled for October 10, per the event's casting page. The show accepts models of all backgrounds, and casting remains open ahead of the fall production timeline. Organizers have also left room on the schedule for vendors and small-business tables alongside the runway program itself.
Backstage, the production enforces explicit consent protocols that set it apart from conventional fashion-industry norms. Guidelines published on the event's website require all staff, stylists, and attendees to ask permission before touching models or garments during casting, fittings, and show day itself — a rule that applies across every stage of preparation, not just on the runway.
A Founder Rooted in Both Fashion and Advocacy
Fa'alogo, also known as Pitoitua Faalogo, has worked in fashion production, retail, and visual merchandising across the West Coast since 1994, according to UTOPIA Portland. He also serves as Donor Engagement Coordinator and Journey Navigator at the organization, a nonprofit supporting queer and trans Pacific Islanders, which links the runway's aesthetic ambitions directly to grassroots equity work in the region's Pacific Islander community.
This year's fifth-anniversary theme, “Cultural Avant-Garde,” asks participating designers to present eight-piece collections that blend traditional cultural textiles and craftsmanship with experimental silhouettes, according to the event's website. The season's community backing includes Ka 'Aha Lahui O 'Olekona, the Hawaiian Civic Club of Oregon & SW Washington, and the Samoa Pacific Development Corporation, alongside local corporate and small-business sponsors.
Accessible Pricing for a Growing Audience
Tickets for the October show range from $25 for standing room, which includes a $5 food voucher, up to $125 for VIP passes offering front-row ushered seating, light snacks, a drink ticket, and an exclusive event swag bag. That pricing structure keeps the show accessible even as it has moved into more polished commercial venues over the years.
The runway's growth mirrors a broader demographic shift in the region. The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population in the Portland metro area grew 168% between 2000 and 2022, reaching roughly 16,500 residents and making it the fastest-growing racial group in the metro area by percentage, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates analyzed by Axios. Statewide, 39,709 Oregon residents identified as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander in the 2020 Census, a 54% increase since 2010, per ArcGIS data.
The runway show arrives amid a busy season for Pacific Islander cultural programming in the Portland area. It follows close behind the Marianas Festival back in Portland, an annual gathering at Blue Lake Regional Park celebrating Chamorro and Micronesian culture. Together, the events reflect a wider ecosystem of Pacific Islander cultural gatherings taking shape across the metro region as the community continues to grow.
