More than 80 people turned up to try out for the Bottega model casting at the University of the South Pacific in Laucala Bay, Suva today.

The Bottega Fijian Fashion Festival which is an initiative organized by the Fashion Council of Fiji aims to encourage local designers.

Council Chair, Faraz Ali says this also focuses on helping to build Fiji’s fashion industry.

He says this is the first casting for the festival and they want to prepare models for the future of the industry.

The festival encourages models of all genders, sizes and ethnicity to be part of the runway.

It will be held from the 6th to the 9th of June at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva.