Polynesia was represented for the first time in the MAF fashion professions competition. Naomi Cerresia took up the challenge by winning gold at the departmental level and silver at the regional level.
She was the only one to take on the challenge among her classmates. Naomi Cerresia submitted her technical file and her creations on April 22 to the President of Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF), Jean-François Girardin, who was visiting Tahiti. He then sent the test to the examiners in Nice… Naomi was to be inspired by Vivienne Westwood, leader of punk fashion known for her eccentric style, to create a bodice, a technical file and a cover — all in 35 hours.
The student at the Faaa vocational high school first stood out at the departmental level with a gold medal, which allowed her to access the regional event. She manages to present her application in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region…her adventure will end there since an error in assembling the turtleneck costs her first place. She still came away with the silver medal, despite all the difficulties encountered. Naomi and Lysiane learned the news in advance on Monday morning.
“She handled it well” confides Lysiane Abecassis, her teacher. Naomi competed from April 15 to 19, in a high school room generously made available to her. With three educational projects in progress and aging equipment, “it was a double ordeal” continues Lysiane, who had to lend her sewing machine so that Naomi could finish her creations in good conditions.
The 18-year-old student trained tirelessly with her teacher for several months. “It was quite intense” she admits, but it was worth it… A great experience with her teacher, recovering from breast cancer, but who always believed in Naomi, one of her “three nuggets“, as she says.”We [l’équipe pédagogique, NDLR] try to push them“so that one day other students feel ready to take on the challenge…
As a reminder, thehe competition “One of the Best Apprentices in France” in question was created in 1985 at the initiative of Paul Labourier, MOF teacher from Morbihan, at the departmental level, then regional and finally national since 2001. The competition has taken the scale since now, more than 5,500 candidates register each year in more than 120 professions… It is aimed at young people aged under 21, in CAP or Bac Pro training. After having taken the step of the MAF, Naomi cherishes the hope of one day participating in the Best Worker in France competition.
