Page 38 - Fiji Traveller Issue 3
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Passion and pattern
Sonam Sapra
By Samantha Magick means that what she starts out with often turns into very different
pieces.
As the daughter of an international public servant, Sonam The brilliant colours of her work bely the ‘dark place’ Sapra
Sapra has lived all over the world. says she has to go to, in order to create them.
That nomadic, rich lifestyle is reflected in her latest fabric “When people come into the boutique, they say ‘everything’s
collection, titled ‘Worldly’, which takes ornamentation from many so bright, you must be so happy’. And actually, I have to go to a
of the countries she has lived in and reimagines them in a new really dark place in order to create this because I have to isolate
way. myself for days.” Sapra says she listens to “very emotional,
“When you see it from far away, it looks like a tribal print. romantic, touching music, I have to get to a very emotional state
But when you come close, you'll see ornamentation from to feel the beautiful things that I want to feel in order to create it.
Bangladesh, ornamentation from Iran, Africa, Fiji, Japan, all So people think okay, she's sitting there drawing butterflies and
these places. I love those elements of surprise, where you see these things, but the butterfly represents life and the dragonfly
something from a distance, and you go in close and there’s a represents new beginnings. There's a reason why I've chosen
whole different thing going on.” these things.”
Sapra reopened her boutique, Handcrafted Island Essentials, Sapra’s retail team is as passionate about her work as she
at the Sofitel Resort and Spa on Denarau in December 2021, is. “It’s their business too,” she says. Ideas like customisation
just before the borders reopened. She had designed the fresh, of designs for clients, and product lines such as bags, hats and
modern staff uniforms for the hotel and observing Sapra’s work scrunchies that use fabric offcuts and speak to the desire to be
ethic, dedication and passion for her craft, management offered more sustainable, came from her team. “They brought that to
her a boutique space at the resort. life, it was not me,” Sapra says.
That boutique is a jewel box of a store, displaying caftans, She is currently printing small batches of 100 metres on cotton
short and shirt sets, bags and other accessories, and bolts of and silk georgette, to try and keep the fabrics ‘authentic and
vibrant cotton silk fabrics. exclusive’. And despite fielding many requests to expand and
“When they said, Do you want this space?', I don't think they supply her deigns and fabrics to others, she says she is unwilling
realised what was going to happen with it. They thought it was to compromise on quality or customer service.
going to be a boutique that opens up and just sells ready-made Sapra's previous collections have been inspired by designers
clothes. I didn't know what was going to happen either! But William Morris and Emilio Pucci, and her life in Taveuni, its rich
now it's become a service. It's not just a boutique… you go in biodiversity, as well as the way it makes her feel.
there and you can create, it's a very creative process with the Her childhood on the garden island involved “playing around,
customers as well, and they’re taking a memory of Fiji,” Sapra climbing rocks, being by the ocean, rolling around in the jungle,
reflects. you know, just getting lost like when I do my art... that frees me.
Sapra’s father, Dr Sharad Sapra, worked as Director of Global It's uninhibited. So that's how I feel when I'm in nature. And for
Innovations at UNICEF, where his role was to empower women me, I want to give that feeling to other people, that peace. I feel
and children; connecting them with each other and resources that humbleness, that, there's something greater out there than
to get the opportunity to be seen and be heard, as Sonam me, you know, there's something very peaceful about those
describes it. thoughts. So the whole idea is that when somebody wears that,
“Can you imagine what it's like being the daughter of someone they feel that, they feel beautiful.”
like that,” she says. As someone who studied and lived in New York, Sapra says
“I used to sit in my room and doodle, doodle, doodle. And my ‘she has some of that hustle’. However Fiji gives her something
dad walked in one day and just saw walls covered in art.” He deeper.
encouraged her to make her artwork functional, and to apply it “I've loved all the places I've lived in, but no place has felt like
to products people wear. home. When I stepped back here, and I heard the laughter and I
Her process involves initially drawing directly with pen on saw the mannerisms and everything, I was like, this is this is my
paper. “I don't use pencil because I love the mistakes. I love people. I had just never felt so comfortable.
working around them. And I just think that's what makes it unique “I think living overseas my whole life…there was a big part
and authentic, especially with AI and all this stuff going on.” of me that was missing. And that became known when I came
She continues that with so much ‘art’ now computer- home.”
generated, “I feel like mistakes are the only thing that makes it
real.” After working on paper, she digitises and then manipulates handcraftedislandessentials.com
the images to create balance and harmony in the whole, which
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