From humble beginnings, CCK backs Fashion Week

13 September 2016, 12:00AM

CCK has announced its Gold Sponsorship of the Samoa Fashion Week – S.A.C Runway 2016 valued at $5,000.

Samoa Fashion Week – SAC Runway 2016 kicked off in style last night at the Hotel Tanoa Tusitala.

In 1989, CCK opened with a small second hand clothes store in the old WSTEC building at Sogi, gaining in popularity after Cyclone Ofa when many needed to replace lost clothing. 

From there, CCK expanded and opened at Salelologa, Savaii, in 1992. 

In the 24 years since it opened, Big Island CCK has expanded five times, eventually being rebuilt in 2006.  

As the bus terminal was going to be closed in Sogi, CCK opened a 3rd store, Downtown CCK at Matafele, where it currently stands. The building has quite a history, it used to house a Playground nightclub and was also at one stage a butchery. The Sogi store eventually shut its doors in 1995 not long after the bus terminal was closed.

With the expansion of the Vaitele area throughout 2000 – 2010, CCK opened a store in front of Moanalisa Hotel, next to ANZ Bank, to cater for customers who were enjoying the benefits of the many businesses that have opened in the area during that time and with limited parking space in Apia, the availability of parking in Vaitele plays an important part in meeting customers needs. Vaitele Store was opened in May 2010 and is currently under reconstruction to open as bigger 2 story store on the 1st October.  CCK Saleufi was opened in 2011 and is home to our furniture department as well as catering to the Fugaleiand SavalaloFlea Market stall holders.

The range of products at CCK has also expanded over the 27 years, now including new clothing for the whole family along with footwear, handbags and school bags. We have a baby section and a homewares section and sell fashion jewellery and accessories, however, many of our customers still love our range of second hand clothes which come from Australia and America and include some of the latest fashion labels. 

All the second hand clothes are lovingly sorted daily by owner and director Leonie Newton, and have been since 1989. It has been Leonie’s eye for fashion which has guided the sorting and pricing and surely many loyal customers appreciate being able to buy quality garments at a more than agreeable price.

In this light CCK is well aligned to sponsor Samoa Fashion Week, not only from years of being a fashion house of sorts but also many aspiring designers are CCK customers, buying fabric and sewing accessories from our stores.No doubt spending countless hours divining inspiration from chatter amongst the many likeminded customers and staff in the stores, as it is a little community of its own.

In accepting this sponsorship, Jackie Loheni of Samoa Arts Council says: “ Heartfelt thanks to the CCK family for coming on board as a GOLD sponsor for our first ever “Samoa Fashion Week. 

“CCK has played an important role in the fashion industry with providing us with a wide selection of fabrics and accessories. I applaud the initiative of their loyalty program that they have introduced to our designers, as their slogan goes, “everything goes a long way. Faafetai faafetai tele lava on behalf of Samoa Fashion Week- SAC Runway.”

Presenting the cheque to Samoa Arts Council on behalf of Leonie Newton, Georgina Lui, General Manager said: “I am grateful that CCK can be a part of this inaugural event and the team that drive Samoa Arts Council have certainly got the vision to create pathways for those with artistic aspirations which can only add value to Samoa’s arts community as well as Samoa as a whole. We here at CCK congratulate SAC on this initiative and look forward to it being an ongoing event!”

13 September 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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