Kokonati Talk

The designers of the inaugural Fijian Fashion Festival came to slay! OK! Rain christened the night in Suva City at the Grand Pacific Hotel, the show was well styled and intimate. I like this set up where it's free seating, your $150 ticket gets you a guaranteed front row, you snooze you lose. A tight show with seamless transition between designers meant a packed 1 hour show where you weren't losing the attention of the audience. Trends on the runway were tropical prints and f

Nostalgia hits me when I walk through the doors of Fiji’s newest fashion boutique on Butt Street in Suva City. Cut the Jazz by De Phazz is playing softly in the background but it’s the loud, vivid colours and prints hanging elegantly on floating racks that eloquently states ‘Samson Lee Fiji’ has arrived. I’m in tow with my 8 year old daughter and I look at the wonder on her face when she walks through the door and I’m instantly catapulted to my memories at her age going shopp

Suva, September 24, 2016 - Emerging designer Samson Lee is set to pay tribute to his late sister through a fashion extravaganza to fundraise for WOWs Kids. The show titled ‘Cevuga’ celebrating the richness of life will also officially launch his brand ‘Samson Lee Fiji’. Maraia Maisena Lee, who lost her battle to a rare form of bone cancer 2 years ago, was a connoisseur of life, Lee recalled fondly. Tatiana opens the show for the 'Cevuga' evening wear collection at GPH “My sis

In the village of Naqali in Naitasiri a wedding is taking place, the groom stands regally beside his bride decked out in his traditional attire of masi and his bride is wearing a masterpiece by Fijian designer Hupfeld Hoerder. The intricate details of shells and hand painted motifs are contemporary yet delicate but importantly it reflects the evolution of fashion taking place in our tiny island paradise. Va Turagakacivi is the bride mentioned above and was asked by Hupfeld to

Ilai Jikoiono is the creative mind behind the label ‘ZUBER’ which is set to debut at FJFW15 Trendsetters Show.‘ZUBER’ which means strong or powerful in Arabic will show their first collection ‘Hard’ for Spring/Summer 15. Jikoiono has been an artist all his life, his talent completely natural and raw, he honed his skills and ability when he attended the International School Suva where he undertook a vigorous Visual Arts programme from year 7 to year 12. “I have been emotionall

Fijian born designer Jadeine Whiteside is set to show her inaugural collection ‘Sotiana’ at FJFW15 after successfully completing her degree in Design Technology at Donghua University in Shanghai, China and she is now undertaking her Masters. Sotiana is Jadeine’s second name given to her by her late uncle Sotia Donu. “Sotia in Fijian means ‘solider or warrior’, a soldier is strong, brave and intimidating, my collection is about empowering women through fashion” said Whiteside.

What is a fashion blog? A fashion blog can cover many things such as specific items of clothing and accessories, trends in various apparel markets (haute couture, prêt-à-porter, etc.), celebrity fashion choices and street fashion trends. They cover fashion at all levels from the biggest names to the smallest indie designers according to Wikipedia. In Fiji during our tumultuous coup period we had blogs popping up everywhere with unsubstantiated stories that caused the rumour m

Rako Designs is set to debut at Fiji Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer Show at the Grand Pacific Hotel. It is an interesting story of how the label started which is from Rako Pasefika their dance and music group, an organic growth that has sprung from their fashion line Rako Designs. Rako Pasefika Jewellery and Homeware Range “A lot of them are amazing printers and jewellery makers, we launched Rako Designs in Sydney at the beginning of this year and we launch the fashion sid

THE date is Saturday, May 23, 1914 and the guests have arrived for the opening of what was to be the Crown Jewel of the Pacific — the Grand Pacific,The Governor at the time, Sir Ernest Bickham Sweet-Escott, stood by to conduct the formalities of the day as the full heat of the tropical sun seared through the delicate parasols of the mainly Caucasian colonial line-up. Like a scene from the 1950s in the heyday of the Grand Pacific Hotel, the future of Fiji Fashion Week pose in