Shopping can be one of the true joys of travel; a chance to get a sense of somewhere new via local stores, brands or makers. Whether it’s a stall at a local market selling crafts, a small independent boutique or something cool uncovered in the often hit-and-miss resort store, local finds can become a special memento of a holiday. The best finds are usually unplanned – stumbled upon while you’re exploring – but sometimes, it pays to have a bit of guidance.
In Fiji, where the fashion and beauty scene may feel fledgling from the outside but is vibrant and diverse once you scratch beneath the surface, there is lots to discover. When I visited the islands recently, a few local fashion and beauty businesses caught my eye – and worth adding to your list when you head back to the islands.
Rise Beyond the Reef
You may already know of this non-profit from its collaborations with Karen Walker (in December they released a limited range of woven bags; now sold out), but its broader offering and kaupapa is worth supporting – and shopping. Launched in 2014, Rise Beyond The Reef aims to offer a sustainable solution to Fiji’s poverty – more than a third of the population lives below the poverty line, and close to 80% of the country’s total population lives in rural and remote areas – while providing a pathway to sustainable work for locals.
They describe their goal as creating “meaningful women-led solutions to the climate crisis”, which, at its simplest, means working with rural indigenous women and their families to design and make handmade goods – using screen printing, weaving, carving, dyeing, masi (tapa) barkcloth and more. Whether it’s locally made homeware, fashion or travel accessories, the pieces are also incredibly cool – they have a well-stocked online store, plus a ‘Shed Shop’ that’s open on weekdays in Nadi.
Nama Fiji
Some Fijian beauty brands may have almost household name recognition, but there are plenty of other skincare pioneers worth supporting – like this hydrating, plant-based luxe line made using a hero local ingredient. Nama means sea grapes, a type of seaweed that’s harvested in shallow reefs in the Yasawa Islands and that has numerous benefits, whether it’s eaten or used as an extract in skincare.
The dynamic Debra Sadranu launched Nama Fiji after several years of beauty entrepreneurship in Fiji, her chosen home since the 1990s where she established spa schools and helped to establish the resort spa industry in the islands (she was behind the Senikai Spas chain). She married her late Fijian husband in 2000 (he was born in the Osawa Islands but had previously lived in New Zealand), who introduced her to the versatile and hydrating nature of nama and saw her further her expertise in thalassotherapy (sea mineral) treatments to develop the skincare products. Nama is anti-inflammatory and an organic hyaluronic acid, she says, as well as a regenerating resource that grows back in 2 to 3 weeks.
Debra worked closely with the Australian Government-funded organisation Market Development Facility (MDF) to develop the sustainable nama harvesting program which forms the backbone of the brand, offering local women in the Yasawas the opportunities, tools and equipment to harvest and sell their own nama that they then extract.
“I don't want to say ‘empowering women’ – it’s more about changing the livelihood for women,” said Debra, who works across Nama as well as the wider business Essence of Fiji which also includes workplace training program Spa Academy Fiji. I visited their new headquarters that housed the various businesses, where I was treated to one of the best facials I’ve had; the perfect treat for my sunburnt skin that felt hydrated and glowy for days.
Nama’s range includes a cleansing gel and milk, eye cream, face cream, mask and scrub, but their hero is the gel serum made with nama extract, coconut and frangipani oil and vitamin E. “That’s our absolute Rolls Royce product,” says Debra. They’re available in a range of luxury Fijian spas, while in NZ Nama is sold at Farmers.
Pacific Islands Art
I noticed this brand on the runway at a resort fashion show held at the Hilton Resort by Fiji Fashion Week; one of the standouts from the beachside show with its hand printed dresses, shirts and sulu or pareo (sarongs) that took inspiration from its Tahitian roots with vibrant and unexpected colour combos. The family-run business began in Tahiti in 1958, but has been based in Fiji since 2010; with its pieces made and traditionally hand printed using block printing of motifs carved by hand in Drasa, Lautoka. They recently collaborated with another local accessories company, Kealo'a Creations (available to purchase via DM), on a range of printed and woven bags. Available via three stores in Nadi, Suva and Lautoka, they also have an online store.
Tracey Farrington
When I popped into the brand’s colourful flagship boutique in Nadi, the designer herself was helping a local decide on what kaftan to buy and wear for a party later that evening. Her fabulous resort wear – kaftans, sarongs, shirts, dresses, shorts and palazzo pants – is made to stand out, though she’s not interested in the traditional bling that’s often associated with such designs. Instead her focus is on print, and lots of it: leopard and animal, florals, abstract sunsets and more (she designs her textiles which are created overseas, with the pieces made locally in Fiji). Tracey, who last year won a plethora of awards at the Fiji National Designer Awards, including People’s Choice and the Hall of Fame, also runs Beach Shack boutique, recently opened on Plantation Island Resort, with her pieces also stocked in resort stores like Vomo.
The writer was supported by Tourism Fiji
