From the runways of Suva to the pages of Vogue: the rising star of Fijian's young fashion scene
The hopes of Fiji's fledgling fashion industry rest on the slender shoulders of a 25-year-old young man from the village of Muaninuku named Laisiasa Raibevu Davetawalu.
The young designer has achieved what so many people in the Pacific country have dreamed of but haven't had the opportunity to do.
Sponsored by the entire Fijian fashion community, who recognized his promise and raised funds for his fashion tuition, he trained at the Fashion Design Studio in Tafe NSW Australia, making him the 'one of the few Fijian designers to have been able to access professional training.
The strength of his recently graduated collection, a sensual summer wardrobe for women with winks of eye for Fijian design traditions, landed him in the pages of Australian Vogue and a job as a junior garment technician at Zimmermann, one of the boutiques Australia's most successful fashion companies. Labels.
"I am proud of my heritage and want to represent Fiji on the global fashion scene," he says.
Alongside his work at Zimmermann, Davetawalu has his own label Elaradi - a game about his initials, LRD.
In May, he brought an expanded version of his Sydney graduate collection to Suva for the closing show of Fiji Fashion Week, where she was greeted by enthusiastic fans, well-wishers and supporters.
"Lai showed promise from the moment he launched his first collection as a student designer," says Hosanna Kabakoro, a fellow designer, who makes resort wear branded Duatani, Fijian for "something different".
class="dcr-1mfia18"/>"Promise is something we see a lot here, but who rarely has the opportunity to grow beyond that potential."
And it grew, showing sheer chiffon, intricate corsetry and dresses hand-knotted that would look at home on a yacht anywhere from Ibiza to Barbados.
“He may be our first Fijian designer to really cater to a general overseas market,” says Kabakoro.
Davetawalu's designs make subtle nods to Fijian cultural influences. A fringed, high-necked dress, photographed for Australian Vogue's annual Fashion Fresh Graduate Portfolio to Watch, featured intricate hand-tying that took her four months to complete. It was the antithesis of fast fashion.
The hopes of Fiji's fledgling fashion industry rest on the slender shoulders of a 25-year-old young man from the village of Muaninuku named Laisiasa Raibevu Davetawalu.
The young designer has achieved what so many people in the Pacific country have dreamed of but haven't had the opportunity to do.
Sponsored by the entire Fijian fashion community, who recognized his promise and raised funds for his fashion tuition, he trained at the Fashion Design Studio in Tafe NSW Australia, making him the 'one of the few Fijian designers to have been able to access professional training.
The strength of his recently graduated collection, a sensual summer wardrobe for women with winks of eye for Fijian design traditions, landed him in the pages of Australian Vogue and a job as a junior garment technician at Zimmermann, one of the boutiques Australia's most successful fashion companies. Labels.
"I am proud of my heritage and want to represent Fiji on the global fashion scene," he says.
Alongside his work at Zimmermann, Davetawalu has his own label Elaradi - a game about his initials, LRD.
In May, he brought an expanded version of his Sydney graduate collection to Suva for the closing show of Fiji Fashion Week, where she was greeted by enthusiastic fans, well-wishers and supporters.
"Lai showed promise from the moment he launched his first collection as a student designer," says Hosanna Kabakoro, a fellow designer, who makes resort wear branded Duatani, Fijian for "something different".
class="dcr-1mfia18"/>"Promise is something we see a lot here, but who rarely has the opportunity to grow beyond that potential."
And it grew, showing sheer chiffon, intricate corsetry and dresses hand-knotted that would look at home on a yacht anywhere from Ibiza to Barbados.
“He may be our first Fijian designer to really cater to a general overseas market,” says Kabakoro.
Davetawalu's designs make subtle nods to Fijian cultural influences. A fringed, high-necked dress, photographed for Australian Vogue's annual Fashion Fresh Graduate Portfolio to Watch, featured intricate hand-tying that took her four months to complete. It was the antithesis of fast fashion.
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