Last night, the city of Suva be­came the global centre for Pa­cific Fashion.

Though this is something the Fash­ion Council of Fiji and Bottega Gold Fijian Fashion Festival aims to achieve moving forward,Thursday and last night’s events achieved just that.

The Grand Pacific Hotel was the perfect backdrop for the event which culminates today.

But it’s not just about the Fashion Festival itself. The Council chaired by Faraz Ali aims to encourage bud­ding and established Fijian designers to set dreams and goals beyond them­selves.

The Council has also put in place targets as they move forward.

One of those targets is to be able to measure the fashion industry’s eco­nomic participation.

“At the moment we estimate, from this point forward we will begin to measure our economic output and contribution to our national econo­my,” Mr Ali said.

Fashion is serious business and the Council is committed to get Govern­ment, experts and other stakeholders on their side.

This past week they have brought in international influencers to assist and help designers find their pur­pose.

Mr Ali said: “The guests are exten­sions of our ideals and what we be­lieve in. They are here to explore what we already do and how we can do better – to promote not just Fijian design but also Pacific design.”

One of the guests is Success Coach, Behetsabi Sorabi from the Laureate International Universities in Aus­tralia.

She was impressed after having one-on-one sessions with some of the de­signers.

“Every designer I’ve met, there is no lack of original ideas and raw tal­ent,” she said.

“Some of the challenges they shared are access to resources and manufac­turing, textile and formal education.

“The work the Fashion Council is doing is to help overcome those chal­lenges and those are easy to over­come.”

Ms Sorabi described her role as: “They set the destination, they are the driver, I’m just the GPS that helps them navigate the road.”

Like other guests, Shannon Clay­worth, Fashion Editor for Lita Maga­zine and winter and summer Olympi­an, Pita Taufatofua, they understand that Pacific designers have their own unique and original stories.

Stories and designs that are some­times borrowed and used by global brands.

Edited by Naisa Koro