IT was a night of glamour, colour and great tasting of food and beverage at the Fashion Designers Alliance of Fiji's crystal ball thanks to celebrity chef Lance Seeto and Fiji Fashion Week (FFW).
The event held at the Suva Civic Centre's lower auditourim was to raise money to establish a professional association for fashion designers in the country.
Mr Seeto said food and fashion were two fronts on which Fiji could be highlighted on the world stage.
Fiji Fashion Week Ltd managing director Ellen Whippy-Knight, who helped establish FDAF, said they were very lucky to secure the services of Mr Seeto who had committed to his first-ever cooking extravaganza in Suva.
"He understands like we do in the fashion scene, that Fiji has many exports and there is much to be gained not just socially but also economically from organising events like this to continue the momentum of development that is happening in our country," Ms Whippy-Knight said.
She said FJFW was working to support the fashion industry so it could earn the country substantial export earnings.
Ms Whippy-Knight said Fiji had the potential to earn a lot of money from fashion because culture and heritage were a strong part of our society as was the case for France, a country which made billions of dollars from fashion each year.
FDAF president Naziah Ali said they wanted to ensure people who had some real creative potential were able to go into business if they wanted to, whether it was a retail shop or online.
"We need to create that access for them because right now, nobody gives anybody a break," Ms Ali said.
The night was entertaining with a fashion show, auction of people and fashion wear and an awards ceremony for the hardworking designers who have worked hard to produce fashion in Fiji.