Curr: Wearing Fiji Great Empowerment Tool
“One of the things that has impressed us about Wearing Fiji is its focus on social impacts, its support for local vendors and its desire to help the livelihood of people in this industry,” he said.
Sunday 14 February 2021 | 14:31
Models wearing Hupfeld Hoerder designed gowns at the Wearing Fiji 2021 launch on February 12, 2021. Photo: Temesia Tuicaumia
The Wearing Fiji 2021 officially launched last Friday at the New Zealand High Commissioner’s Residence, Suva.
New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Fiji, Jonathan Curr said the Wearing Fiji was a great initiative to empower budding designers.
“One of the things that has impressed us about Wearing Fiji is its focus on social impacts, its support for local vendors and its desire to help the livelihood of people in this industry,” he said.
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He added Wearing Fiji’s desire to empower youths by educating them and growing the next generation of emerging designers was commendable.
Speaking to the mentor designers, Mr Curr said: “One of the greatest gifts you can provide to the next generation is your legacy and the hope that they will eventually become your successors.”
Wearing Fiji co-founder, Samson Lee said the Wearing Fiji fashion project began in 2020 after collective feedback from student designers to start a fashion programme.
“From then, there were over 60 applicants, out of which we chose 14 student designers,” he said.
“So right now, we have seven mentor designers with each having two student designers.”
Mr Lee has urged interested students to send in their design sketches to apply for the Wearing Fiji fashion project.
The Wearing Fiji 2021 launch saw guests arrive wearing red to mark the Chinese New Year.
About the project
Under the project, student designers will go through a 10-week training programme which will include theory knowledge and practical skills on designing.
After the completion of the programme, each student designer will produce garments to be a part of a student designer capsule collection which will be shown at the Wearing Fiji Fashion show at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva.
Garments and ornaments produced by the designers’ part of the project can be found at the Wearing Fiji Boutique in Butt Street, Suva.
Feedback: shreya.kumar@fijisun.com.fj
