Taprobana Fashion Show at Fiji Fashion Week a success

Taprobana Fashion Show at Fiji Fashion Week a success

By Rashika Kumar
Friday 20/11/2020

The Taprobana Fashion Show at Fiji Fashion Week 2020 was a major success as more than a hundred fashion enthusiasts attended the show held at Garden City and showed their appreciation for curator Zulfikar Ali.

The show highlighted fashionable Indian wear such as salwaar kameez, kurti, sarees and lahengas.

Speaking from Australia in a video message, Fiji Fashion Week Managing Director Ellen Whippy-Knight says even COVID-19 could not stop them from deferring the show from May to November to help support designers and the local fashion industry.

She says it is a great pleasure to work and collaborate with Zulfikar Ali as they have always acknowledged him to be the face of Indian wear.

She says Ali is always bringing in the latest fashion from India.

Whippy-Knight says Ali has participated in Fiji Fashion Week for the last 13 years.

Ali, who manages Taprobana says he started his career about 29 years ago when he worked as a salesperson in a leading fashion store in Suva.

He later joined Tappoos in 2000 as the Head of the Boutique Department and became the fashion buyer for the company.

Ali was later promoted to National Sales Manager for Boutique.

He got into designing in 2012 while working at Tappoos and launched his first label called AZA in 2014.

Ali says they opened Taprobana in October last year.

Their second store in Nakasi opened three months ago.

He says COVID-19 has obviously affected everyone and it especially affected them as they are very new in the market.

Ali says after the lockdown was lifted, the business started picking up and it gave them the courage to go ahead with the business and they took a bold step to open up a new branch in Nakasi.

He adds they have 20 staff whose pay was affected as they were on reduced hours however, they are back to normal pay since August when the business started normalising.

The fashion designer says Diwali sales were not as they had expected but they were fortunate enough to get their stock on time.

He says they are also getting a lot of inquiries as the wedding season is coming up and a lot of people have already placed orders and pieces have been engaged to be bought.

FEATURE NEWS
Two women killed in domestic violence cases this year - Ali
Two women lost their lives this year alone at the hands of their husbands while 53 women have lost their lives over the past 11 years. Fiji Women...
3 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
Prof. Biman Prasad to appear on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan at 7pm Wednesday
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad will appear on fijivillage Straight With Vijay Narayan at 7pm ...
2 hours ago

Man found floating in Navua River this morning
A man in his 40s was found today floating in the Navua River near Naitata. Police say the case was reported at the Navua Police Station and the ...
2 hours ago

Chinese national allegedly locked out of home by husband, lawyer claiming human rights violation
A Chinese national residing in Fiji is bringing to light her alleged unlawful eviction from her home in Laucala Beach after the landlord was ...
2 hours ago

Police investigate teacher’s sexual assault allegation after claims of delayed action
A teacher’s allegation that he was sexually assaulted by another teacher while accompanying him at a workshop during the school holidays in May is ...
2 hours ago

From banking to fitness : Michael Prasad opens gym in Suva to tackle NCDs
34 year old Michael Prasad who transitioned from working in a bank to starting his own business, is now running a fitness centre called Evolve ...
2 hours ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
yb
IN DEPTH
Doctor Alipate Vakamocea on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Fiji Medical Association President, Doctor Alipate Vakamocea will appear on fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan The show will focus on ...
10 days ago

Mangal and Akauola on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
Adult Teen Challenge Fiji Executive Director, Hemraj Mangal and Director, Matai Akauola appear on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan The ...
10 days ago

Sporting federations demand answers from FASANOC
National sporting federations who are part of Fiji Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee or FASANOC, are still calling for answers and ...
17 days ago

TOP