Youth Ministry to promote fashion design
Suva, May 25 – The Ministry of Youth and Sports is interested in enhancing and promoting fashion design to Fijian youths.
Youth and Sports Minister, Hon. Laisenia Tuitubou, was chief guest at The Business of Fashion Symposium this morning and said; “We are slowly showing our interest in fashion design through our sponsorship of this event this year.”
“Ultimately, we want to promote fashion design as prominently as other training we provide,” said Hon Tuitubou. “This is to encourage young creative minds to take up fashion designing as a career and job opportunity.”
“Youths have creative abilities, which the Ministry wishes to exploit and empower, especially in area of designing,” said Hon. Tuitubou.
He added that this year’s partnership with Fiji Fashion Week will ensure that “we learn more regarding fashion design, strengthening networks, identifying young designers, entrepreneurs, future opportunities and areas of collaboration regarding youth development.”
He also said that “fashion is synonymous with young people and the Ministry is trying to break gender stereotypes” and attract more males to fashion designing and vice versa in other male dominated areas.
He also heaped praise on Fiji Fashion Week, their invited expatriate judges and renowned designers for spending their time with youths in Suva on Wednesday at a workshop.
“I thank the international judges and Senior Fashion Lecturer Ms Tracey Kennedy, Ms Elisa Harrison and Ms Ellen Whippy of Fiji Fashion Week for the time they took to speak to speak youths on Wednesday,” said Hon. Tuitubou.
“It was enlightening and we hope to develop further our relationship and maybe broaden fashion design as part of our skills training to youths throughout Fiji,” added the Youth Minister.
The Mini Fashion Workshop jointly organised by the Ministry and Fiji Fashion Week. “The turnout was great and we had 70 youths from around the Central Division,” said Principal Youth Officer Central Division, Mr Iowane Soko. “The workshop focused on creative industries’ development and career options available in this industry,” said Mr Soko. “There was a show of great interest from youth.”
He added that the workshop really encouraged youths and young aspiring designers to be aware of the latest trends, be creative and also explore the role of social media in marketing and much more.
Ends …
Caption
Young designers … Youths at the Mini-Fashion Workshop at Studio 6 on Wednesday.