AN ultimate goal of the Fiji Fashion Council should be to establish Fiji, and particular Suva, as the Fashion Capital of the Pacific.
“We need to think big and establish ourselves as a true crossroad, a centre for more than just business, but also of culture, the arts and fashion,” says council’s president Faraz Ali.
All these elements, he says, must go hand in hand in creating a truly sophisticated regional centre.
The effect of fashion on tourism, Mr Ali says, is noticable on resort wear which is certainly our strength.
Last year’s Fiji Fashion Week main show and International Resort Wear Show really illustrated this.
“It is because we are the inspiration source of resort wear collections the world over.
“For our tourist market — which I must note is only one market segment as our designers are more than capable of tapping into a lot more — this is the way to go.
“Designers who have a skill and eye for creating resort wear must educate themselves on international trends within their genre then interpret those trends in a local way.
“If the trends are presented ‘as-is’ rather than in a way unique to our industry, then they will not be able to compete with labels that are already established. It is the difference that will take us far.”
He says there is a lot of money to be made in this market segment — it is now about pushing Fijian fashion as a product of Fiji along with traditional items such as handicrafts.
“Here is where the Ministry of Tourism comes in — the ministry is in the best position to support the fashion council and the resort wear designers that it represents to sell our products to tourists who visit our shores.
“Again, the fact that we are having this conversation now is already a step in the right direction and puts us miles ahead in our region.”
Fashion, according to the structure from the Fiji Fashion Week (FJFW) has a ripple effect where a massive new employments can be created.
For example, in a fashion industry it employs people across occupations including fashion designers, computer programmers, lawyers, accountants, copywriters, social media directors, and project managers.
The beauty and cosmetic industry in Fiji, FJFW says, have also developed as has jobs for stylists, bloggers, fashion photographers has emerged where it did not previously exist.
