Young Designer Sold BBQ To Make It Big In Local Fashion Industry

If there’s one word that would best describe upcoming local fashion designer Cherish Prasad, it would be ‘determination’

The drive to make it big in the local fashion industry led to many sacrifices and planning for the 25-year-old from Savusavu.

Mr Prasad’s passion for fashion designing was derived from his love for the Fijian sulu jabas and dresses that he would design for families.

In high school, his creative taste in clothing captured the attention of many and was asked to enter the Student Designer Show for Fiji Fashion Week.

“This is where my journey began. I entered that year, when I was 15 and re-entered again the following year and was able to scoop the Student Designer of the Year Award,” he said.

He kept to his passion for fashion designing since then and over the past 10 years, the young designer has released several collections of his own.

Mr Prasad’s collection has also been featured in the Fiji Fashion Week show last year.

Eventually during the pandemic period, Mr Prasad decided to produce his own stand-alone show in Suva.

His plan was to make a name for himself in Suva where the fashion market was bigger.

The planned stand-alone show in Suva will feature his clothing collections.

“I knew from the start this would be very hard work but that has not deterred me.

“I work for my parents and all of my pay goes back into investing in my collections for my standalone show in Suva.

“In my determination, I also sold BBQ from our supermarket front on Thursdays and Fridays to pay for my materials and production of the garments for this upcoming show. It will cost up to $25,000 to pull off a show of my own – it is not cheap. “

“To help raise funds for his stand alone show in Suva, he organised a fundraiser event at the Copra Shed Marina in Savusavu.

He hired an events production team from Suva to plan and co-ordinate the event whilst he focused on his full-time job at his parent’s shop.

Mr Prasad said the response from the Savusavu community was good as tickets were sold out.

“In fact, we sold out the initial 100 tickets at $50 then had to reprint another 100 and sold that out too.

“The fundraiser event featured a fashion show where I showcased two previous prints that I had created.

“The response from the audience was mind blowing! We had guests from the world-famous Jean Michel Cousteau Resort and Namale Resort buy off the runway, and in US dollars too.

“We also brought in two famous singers from Suva, Sofaia Tukana and Amania’s Josa in addition to Labasa based band KKU – they boosted the fundraiser event as well.”

He is planning for another fundraising event to help fund his stand alone show in Suva which would cost him $25,000.

“This fundraiser event was kindly sponsored by the world-famous Jean Michel Cousteau Resort which is a lottery ticket draw for an Oceanfront Bure stay, wellness treatments and all meals for two people.

“This and my ticket sales from the main show in Suva will help me pay for everything.”

He said the goal of having the stand-alone show was to raise enough funds to bring the production of his garments to be based in Savusavu.

At the moment production is done in Suva.

“I realised the Suva market is flooded with great local designers who are very well established.

“I’m still young and I hope everyone will give me a chance and come out to support my show and take a look at what I have to offer.”