Robert Kennedy is a descendant of two settler families that arrived in Fiji in the 1870’s. Born in Suva, Robert completed High School in Australia and studied Interior Design in Brisbane and Textile Design in Melbourne.
Kennedy’s return to Fiji in 2002 saw him creating Silk Screen prints onto Masi (Tapa Cloth) and Digital Photography, drawing inspiration from Fiji’s flora, fauna and people. He has consistently exhibited at local Art Exhibitions including The Western Arts and Crafts Society, The Fiji Arts Club, The Fiji Arts Council and Alliance Francaise.
Kennedy’s interior design skills have been put to great use with several prominent Fiji clients including Castaway Island Resort, Outrigger on the Lagoon, Myola Plantation Villa, Pure Fiji and Tappoo Ltd. He has won Best Booth at the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange twice for Castaway Island Resort in 2005 and Myola Plantation Villa in 2007.
Kennedy is also responsible for the design and buying of the Fiji Market Brand in Tappoo Fiji Ltd. and has designed several home wares and fashion collections. In 2008 Tappoo, Fiji Market won the Fiji Excellence in Tourism Award 2008 for best Shopping Experience. Robert also showcased his Fiji Market Fashion range for the first time at Fiji Fashion Week 2009 and was nominated for Designer of the Year 2009 and in 2010.
2010 saw Kennedy launching two collections for Fiji Fashion Week 2010, a Resort Collection for the Fiji Market label and a Cocktail Collection inspired by his recent travels to Marrakech. This collection was filmed and shown internationally on Fashion TV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpYUeBnn5qA&list=PLnlevbTxQCs4Q9kIRpmzkCjopJorNyjf4&index=4
2011 saw Kennedy win two awards at Fiji Fashion Week 2011 for his Blue Lagoon inspired Fiji Market Collection, where he won the FJFW 2011 Established Designer of the Year Award and the FJFW 2011 Resort Wear designer of the year Award.
2012 was busy for Kennedy when he was chosen as one of three fashion designers from Fiji to show at the Festival of Pacific Arts being hosted by the Solomon Islands in July. Later in the year saw Kennedy showing his collection to great acclaim at The London Pacific Fashion Show which was a fundraiser for the British Army charity for veterans, Help for Heroes.
His Resort Wear collection for 2012 and was inspired by Melanesian culture. He named the collection Kai Nona (loosely meaning neighbor) as he was fascinated by the arts and culture that surround Fiji. Different things stood out for him like the feather headdresses from PNG, the masks and wood carvings from the Solomons and the Lapita and War Club designs from Fiji. Above all the strong colours of all these beautiful Pacific countries really brought the collection together.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdI8LHHmyGU&list=PLnlevbTxQCs4Q9kIRpmzkCjopJorNyjf4
The Golden Age of Travel in the Pacific is the inspiration for his 2013 Grand Pacific collection when hotels like the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva were in their heyday. Early 20th Century photographers in Fiji also inspired him like his own Great Grand Father Leslie Norman Anderson. His prints capture the natural landscapes, flora and striking colours of the Fiji Islands. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4GiDOZtWGs&list=PLnlevbTxQCs4Q9kIRpmzkCjopJorNyjf4&index=1
Robert Kennedy lives in Korotogo, Sigatoka, Fiji.
Kennedy’s return to Fiji in 2002 saw him creating Silk Screen prints onto Masi (Tapa Cloth) and Digital Photography, drawing inspiration from Fiji’s flora, fauna and people. He has consistently exhibited at local Art Exhibitions including The Western Arts and Crafts Society, The Fiji Arts Club, The Fiji Arts Council and Alliance Francaise.
Kennedy’s interior design skills have been put to great use with several prominent Fiji clients including Castaway Island Resort, Outrigger on the Lagoon, Myola Plantation Villa, Pure Fiji and Tappoo Ltd. He has won Best Booth at the Bula Fiji Tourism Exchange twice for Castaway Island Resort in 2005 and Myola Plantation Villa in 2007.
Kennedy is also responsible for the design and buying of the Fiji Market Brand in Tappoo Fiji Ltd. and has designed several home wares and fashion collections. In 2008 Tappoo, Fiji Market won the Fiji Excellence in Tourism Award 2008 for best Shopping Experience. Robert also showcased his Fiji Market Fashion range for the first time at Fiji Fashion Week 2009 and was nominated for Designer of the Year 2009 and in 2010.
2010 saw Kennedy launching two collections for Fiji Fashion Week 2010, a Resort Collection for the Fiji Market label and a Cocktail Collection inspired by his recent travels to Marrakech. This collection was filmed and shown internationally on Fashion TV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpYUeBnn5qA&list=PLnlevbTxQCs4Q9kIRpmzkCjopJorNyjf4&index=4
2011 saw Kennedy win two awards at Fiji Fashion Week 2011 for his Blue Lagoon inspired Fiji Market Collection, where he won the FJFW 2011 Established Designer of the Year Award and the FJFW 2011 Resort Wear designer of the year Award.
2012 was busy for Kennedy when he was chosen as one of three fashion designers from Fiji to show at the Festival of Pacific Arts being hosted by the Solomon Islands in July. Later in the year saw Kennedy showing his collection to great acclaim at The London Pacific Fashion Show which was a fundraiser for the British Army charity for veterans, Help for Heroes.
His Resort Wear collection for 2012 and was inspired by Melanesian culture. He named the collection Kai Nona (loosely meaning neighbor) as he was fascinated by the arts and culture that surround Fiji. Different things stood out for him like the feather headdresses from PNG, the masks and wood carvings from the Solomons and the Lapita and War Club designs from Fiji. Above all the strong colours of all these beautiful Pacific countries really brought the collection together.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdI8LHHmyGU&list=PLnlevbTxQCs4Q9kIRpmzkCjopJorNyjf4
The Golden Age of Travel in the Pacific is the inspiration for his 2013 Grand Pacific collection when hotels like the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva were in their heyday. Early 20th Century photographers in Fiji also inspired him like his own Great Grand Father Leslie Norman Anderson. His prints capture the natural landscapes, flora and striking colours of the Fiji Islands. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4GiDOZtWGs&list=PLnlevbTxQCs4Q9kIRpmzkCjopJorNyjf4&index=1
Robert Kennedy lives in Korotogo, Sigatoka, Fiji.