BIOGRAPHY - Leiana Rei PerawitiTRIBAL AFFILIATIONS
Iwi -Tainui Born in Waverly, Taranaki, New Zealand, September 1966. Leiana is third eldest of eight children. Her Father is of Maori descent and her Mother is Pakeha. Having come from such a large family, Leiana took up sewing from a young age to avoid "hand me downs". She made her own school uniform and clothes, and earned an income dressmaking while still at school. She left college to work for a reputable Fashion Designer in Wellington and then moved to Australia for 10 years, where she gained further experience working with leather, tailoring and interiors.
With a background in manufacturing and retailing, Leiana realised her career as a Fashion Designer. She attended Wanganui Polytechnic from 1998 - 2000 and graduated with a Bachelor of Fashion & Design. Leiana's natural talent was exposed when she won the Supreme Award in 1999 and again in 2000 for Lycra Du Pont New Zealand. In 2002 she won the Kakaahu Fashion Design Travelling Scholarship that sent her to London, Paris, Florence and Milan. In Italy she worked at the House of Versace with the Versace Classic team. She attended Versace fashion shows, media presentations, buying showrooms and international trade shows of other labels.
Leiana launched her label "Leiana Rei" at the L'Oreal New Zealand Fashion Week held in Auckland, October, 2003. A collection of "High Fashion Daywear & Paua Printed Resortwear "wowed" International Media & Buyers. The Paua Resortwear Collection, put Leiana into the limelight as the Supreme Award Winner making her the "Fashion Design Ambassador for New Zealand". The prize was a return trip to Britain. A few days later her paua collection earned her the Supreme Award at the Wearable Maori Heritage Awards that sent her to Arushi Fashion House in Dubai, owned by New Zealander, Peter Loughlin (Tuwharetoa). The internship in 2004, was an opportunity of a lifetime, creating garments for royalty and aristocrats of the Middle East.
After the success of her launch, local interest spread with many reputable outlets, such as Kirkcaldie and Stains and Te Papa in Wellington, stocking her range. She licensed the paua printed fabric to "Moontide International ", New Zealand's largest Swimwear Company for 2004/05. With Leiana's vast knowledge in Design and her experiences in the International Fashion World her future is in creating a global market for her label "Leiana Rei" | 
