THE woman behind the design of the new Fiji Airways logo said designs on masi were not mere decorations.
Rather, each intricate imprint represented important events in a person's life or in the case of Air Pacific — in its proud history and profitable future.
"When a person wears a masi or when it adorns the new Fiji Airways aircraft — it will tell the tale of a thousand words without even speaking to those that understand the deeper meaning in the design," said Namuka-i-Lau, Lami masi artist Makereta Matemosi.
Speaking at the launch of the national carrier's rebrand, Air Pacific's managing director and chief executive officer David Pflieger said engaging Mrs Matemosi to create the Fiji Airways logo was critical to the national carrier's search for a symbol that was uniquely Fijian and could also be viewed as a marketing tool for the country.
"Makareta's design will essentially mean that we stand for Fiji and will be a flying billboard for Fiji. This isn't about just putting a new paint job on an aircraft, we believe this is something that will help us succeed even further. Ultimately we want to be able to grow the airline and fly to new destinations," he said.
According to Mrs Matemosi, the outer circle with the four crosses at four corners indicated interconnection — just as Fiji Airways connected people to the Fiji Islands.
The inner circle reflected the spiritual values of the Fijian people — denoting a culture of caring and looking after each other as a community — just as the airline cared about its nation and strove to improve the quality of life for its people.
The middle section of the masi with sixteen petal shapes reflected people working hand-in-hand to create a stronger nation, just as the men and women of Fiji Airways worked as a team to create a stronger airline.
The smaller circle on the inside reflected the Fijians' friendly and welcoming nature to all visitors, and the airline's role as Fiji's proud ambassador to the world.
Finally, she said the innermost part of the teteva or centrepiece featured a diamond, which was the most important part of the logo as it represented the love that the airline had for Fiji and all the customers it was privileged to serve.