Imagine getting a chance to escape the bonds of an upbringing bereft of opportunities due to financial constraints, only to have it snatched from you without warning.

That is the story of designer Hupfeld Hoerder, who pre­sented his Pacific-style designs yesterday at the Bottega Gold Fijian Fashion Festival at Suva’s Grand Pacific Ho­tel.

Mr Hoerder was forced to turn his fashion hobby into a livelihood after his university scholarship was snatched away during the coup of 2000.

His designs at the festival encapsulated his work through the 25 years he has been a designer, with an emphasis on a Pacific-style theme that captured both “the new and the old.”

Mr Hoerder said participating in the festival was a way for him “to show his support for a small industry with a lot of potential.”

“Of course, it’s a platform for us to promote our designs, but it’s also to support the purpose,” he said.

“We are very small and to support the industry, it’s very important.”

At 47 and with 25 years of experience in the fashion in­dustry, Mr Hoeder has spotted a business opportunity he is eager to capitalise on.

“I want an online boutique; I’m not into getting a physi­cal store because now social media is very powerful and everything is online, which is easy to manage,” he said, noting the change in consumer behaviour brought about by technology.

He already has a Facebook page labelled Hupfeld Hoerder Designs which has a following of nearly 7000.

The Fijian fashion industry is small, with designers sometimes struggling to find a platform for exposure. Many are forced to seek out opportunities overseas.

But it is a growing one which Mr Hoerder believes will become fiercely competitive in the next 10 years.

“At the moment we are seeing a group of very talented young ones coming through, so I think in the next 10 years the fashion industry will be exciting.”

Feedback: sheldon.chanel@fijisun.com.fj