
Sonny Vandevelde
Fashion should be fun and with my photography I love to create those fun moments.
Travel
Ballantine Secondary Memorial School Suva Fiji
In Fiji at the moment, and myself and the other international guests for Fiji Fashion week were invited to come visit one of the secondary schools
we did a similar visit ( woauw just saw how long ago ) 7 years ago to a school about an hour's drive from Suva into the mountains to a place called Tailevu North College ( see the original post here ) I thought we were going back to the same place to be honest, but instead it was just a short drive from the hotel in Suva to a turn off just before Lami bay to the Ballantine Secondary School.
and all the students were waiting for usall neatly sitting in front of this long table, and then it clicked, hang on, that's not a table for a banquet, that's a runway, they are going to put on a show for us. I was expecting it to be like last time, where we gave a talk and presentation about photography and fashion.
So we are treated to a fashion show
by the students home economics class
They even dressed up their class room ( well done by the way students )
and then this outfit walked out - as this years fiji fashion week is all about sustainability, and we just had a talk about sustainability with Kiri NAthan, Dr Bobby Luke and Akira, I felt there was something about this dress
all hand made
details
I was impressed
attentive audience
the finale
and then they bring out a cake to celebrate 15 years of Fiji Fashion week
Akira, Nicholas, Thomas, out of frame Iker and Jacqui, then school principal and Ellen Whippy-Knight
cut the cake
love all the smilling faces
once we were outside, I asked some of the students if they could get the model to come out again that was wearing the outfit I liked, so here is Hadassa, looking very nervous
Nicholas is also a fan of the outfit
and the model who wore the outfit
I ask to take a few photos of the Hadassa
I think she is warming up a bit and is not as nervous anymore
cute
love this
Hadassa with the students that made the dress, Agness &
So I was pretty keen for this outfit to somehow be part of Fiji Fashion wee, I asked the girls before talking to Ellen if they would be up for it ( would they ever :-) so I talked to Ellen and she said yes. I did not get a photo of it but you can imagine the excitement and tea
Smiling faces
everyone wants a photo with Nicholas
more happy faces
Bula
even the teachers want photos with Nicholas
so next day, saturday night, the girls get ready for the show
Students helping Hadassa get dressed
then backstage, during the main part of the show, its the waiting game
she looks happy, but Jacqui tells me she's probably super nervous
walking back from closing the show and presenting Ellen with a flower bouquet
walking back to backstage, job well done, hope fully first one of many more
:-)