Bottega Fijian Fashion Festival 2019

This is a look. Waisea Jikoiono in ZUBER by Ilai Jikoiono.

It was a weekend worth waiting for. I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect because this was my first Fijian Fashion Festival. . . But the wait was worth it in the end. The event concept this year was the best I’ve ever experienced in all my years being in the industry. It was a breath of fresh air and I especially enjoyed the intervals in-between shows that allowed us to visit the loo or grab a drink (or in my case, a cigarette or two). Our industry was so used to the standard runway and 2 hour long shows that I think many of us weren’t sure how this concept was going to work out - BUT IT DID, and I hope they stick to this concept for at least a few years because I’m sure everyone enjoyed the hype and energy coming out of one show and waiting to get in to the next. If anybody needs to be acknowledged, it has to be the amazing team behind this entire Festival. So I’d like to start my blog with a THANK YOU to Faraz, Ilai, Sydel, Dylan, Phillipa, Jorja, Mercy, Hanisi, David, Disova and the rest of the team for pulling off an INCREDIBLE show. As a person that worked for Fashion Week for three years, I can tell you that it isn’t easy working in events, especially if it’s a Fashion event. So kudos to you all for a job well done and for executing this years Fijian Fashion Festival effortlessly. Should there have been glitches back of house or whatever, nobody noticed. Everyone knew their job and did what they were meant to do.

Samson Lee

LAVALANI by Su Samuels

ZUBER by Ilai Jikoiono

My review of this years Fijian Fashion Festival will highlight my favorite 3 designers throughout the Festival, the model lineup, the hair and makeup and the entire experience being at the Festival.

My 3 favorite designers during the festival would have to be Samson Lee Fiji by Samson Lee, ZUBER by Ilai Jikoiono and Hupfeld Hoerder by Hupfeld Hoerder. I also enjoyed the LAVALANI collection by Susana Samuels and 8 Mountains by Moira Slovalu, but my favorites were the three, not just because of their clothes but because of my experience at their shows and how every collection told a story.

SAMSON LEE FIJI by Samson Lee Now this collection deserves to be in my top 3 because it didn’t just showcase amazing and luxe clothing, it showed us that Samson Lee is truly a person filled with talent and creativity. His 3 collections were just WOW. Not only were they cohesive, they were trendy and they were inclusive in size and gender. Samson played with colorful fabric in his first collection which was mixed with purple and pink hues incorporating a hint of animal print with an African and Greek Goddess theme. Being a stylist as well, we saw turbans and head scarves on the runway with clutches that matched the male and female pieces. Following the Resort Collection was Bridal Wear. I spotted pieces that had mask and ruffles, masi bows and bouquets to men’s sulus that had masi appliqués and magimagi along the boarders. I almost wanted to get married in one of his gowns. Such a magical moment! His last collection had a more cocktail/evening vibe to it where he showcased a lot of black lace and sequins. It was it was that type of collection that targeted that independent woman who could wear a piece to work and change it up for a Friday night out with friends or even a cocktail party. It was a GORGEOUS collection overall. His show? Let me just tell you, it was the fullest show during the festival. His VIP guests took up most of the seats and everyone else who came late had to stand. ThreeGoodLane was lucky enough to get a spot right by the camera pit which was why my Instagram story updates were great because I was in the best spot in the house. So to Samson Lee and the team, thank you for your hard work. It definitely paid off. ZUBER by Ilai Jikoiono Ilais show closed Friday night and he closed with a bang. You may have seen my updates from the show and how cultured it was. The opening number was the USP anthem sung by the amazing people at Oceania and every time I hear the anthem it gets me in my feelings all the time. The ZUBER collection didn’t disappoint at all. Yes, Ilai did use some old prints and some pieces from the Mai Life Style Magazine editorial, but he blended them in well with his block colored pieces which worked perfectly well together. Did the runway appear a bit busy ? Yes it did. I didn’t expect the performers to spend the entire show out on the runway but they did. It, to some extent, took away the attention from the garments, made the runway look busy and didn’t give us front-rowers good photo ops at all. However, Ilai did an exceptional job with the styling of his pieces including statement oversized glasses for him and her to braided belts as details. Moana came to life on Friday.

HUPFELD HOERDER by Hupfeld Hoerder

Now Huppys shows are always so delightful to watch because it gives you a sense of pride for your culture and it includes models from all walks of life. His designs were fresh and trendy and I’m glad he didn’t include his beige bridal collection he showed at Fashion Week during his show at Festival because the vibrant colors stood out the most for me. As always, Huppy dresses the strong and sophisticated women and he used some of our influential women in society in his model lineup which was a great idea. His matching bags and day dresses was an instant hit for me. It was something you could wear anywhere in the world and still fit in. It was timeless and elegant and if styled well you could even wear it to a cocktail on the evening. I spotted kaftans and matching shirts for the men. I saw grad pieces with woven bags and accessories worn with beautiful signature HH fishtail gowns. It was a full-house at Huppys show and I’m glad that he opened Saturdays shows because it definitely set the mood. So congratulations Huppy and your hardworking team. Okay now with that said, I also feel the need to highlight two other designers because of the work and effort that I know they put in to their collections - Susana Samuels and Moira Solvalu. It is without a doubt that your collections were amazing and congratulations cousin Moira on your 10th year as a designer. I couldn’t be more proud of you. Su Samuels, you were definitely the underdog this year. You kept it on the DL from everyone and came out with a banging collection and I had to hold back my tears watching your clothes glide with the wind by the poolside. Moira, your show closed the Festival and you didn’t disappoint at all. The story behind your Hoi prints and your Rotuman runway music made me so proud to be a Rotuman that night that I almost stood up and did a little ‘tautoga’ lol. It was such a successful year for the both of you and you both should be so proud of yourselves.

The model lineup was amazing and it was great to see a lot of plus-size models on the runway and designers who made pieces to cater for the plus-size women. It was good to see my sister Asinate from Sydney gracing our runway together fresh off Pacific Runway together with Sports Illustration model Veronica Pome’e as well. Of course the makeup. It isn’t easy to change looks and put makeup on almost 90+ models but you did it. So congratulations Lodo and your spectacular team for a job well done. As a fashion blogger and in my 8th year of being in the industry, I can honestly say that our industry is now fully fledged and we are ready for bigger and better things ahead. With Fashion Week happening almost two weeks before Fashion Festival, it allowed people to take a break, breathe and prepare for the next major event of Fashion Season. It was an amazing concept to have these shows one after another and I only hope that one day those who hold grudges against others in our Fashion industry stop and realize that what they’re doing isn’t taking our industry further but instead creating toxicity among stakeholders of the industry who want nothing to do with the ‘drama’. It’s almost 2020 guys. Are we still going to be calling other people out on social media for their lack of creativity thereof ? Or are we going to hold each others hands and overcome hurdles together as an industry? All that aside, I’d like to close my review with a special shoutout to my two designers who, without complaining, offered to dress me up during the festival and I am so grateful to them for that. My Friday nights long-sleeve throwover by KUIVITI Epeli Tuibeqa and my Saturday’s Palazzo Pants by SUGAROSE Ashly Daunibau. Remember, keep your friends close and your designer friends closer. Lol

So there you have it guys, my long overdue Fijian Fashion Festival Review. It was a pleasure attending the shows and thank you so much to Faraz Ali and the team for giving me an all-access pass. Can’t wait for next year. Till next time. Love, D