FOR the first time since it began seven years ago, resort wear will open this year’s Fiji Fashion Week on May 29 at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
FJFW managing director Ellen Whippy-Knight believes resort wear, which is now viewed by designers, store buyers and the media as a specialised year-round clothing style and fashion season, is relevant to Fiji’s economy, specifically tourism.
It is for this reason that Ms Whippy-Knight is calling upon Fiji tourism stakeholders to attend the resort wear night to see what local designers have to offer.
“Over 600,000 tourists came to Fiji last year and we need to tap into this market by providing locally-designed and made resort wear for these tourists to take back home,” she said.
The resort wear category will feature 16 designers who will showcase this season’s new style, prints and colours.
“At the moment we have established designers such as Robert Kennedy available in resorts which is great but we want at least five to 10 designers to give tourists a variety of choices to spend their money on.”
According to the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, as of January 2014, 47,551 tourists arrived in Fiji, an increase of 3 per cent compared with the year before.
Designers showing at the Resort Wear Show are Sarah Jane, Robert Verebasaga, Mere Shuster, TAV, Robert Kennedy, Mesake Nacola, Leba Koroi, Hupfeld Hoerder, Hanna Hering and Benjamin Schetrit, Fai Lepou Peni, Christine Evans and Laurice Romeo, Cecelia Peterson Keil, Ashly Daunibau, Aisea Konrote, Ana Rabuka, Ali Zulfikar and Intimate Apparel.
Tickets for the event are available at Damodar City.
