The search is on for a Cole Facts youth designer to be Guy-ana’s representative at the Caribbean Youth Designers Competition slated to be held during Carifesta X here in August.
This is the second year that this competition, which is the brainchild of local fashion designer Michelle Cole-Rose and Natasha Martindale, the owner of Gysphere.com is being held.
The closing date for entry into the competition is April 25 and all plans are in place for its first round staging on May 9 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall which will showcase the young designers’ work.
Speaking to The Scene, the award winning fashion designer said that the competition is much bigger now as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth Culture and Sport are board.
She said it is being vastly promoted in schools and the responses have been great with e many applications are rolling into the office. Application forms were sent to 20 schools. Michelle said 12 young designers would be selected from among the applicants by a jury. Following a catwalk show at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the top three will be chosen to show a collection of their pieces during the Guyana Fashion Expo billed for late next month.
It is from here that a winner would be chosen and that person will represent Guyana at the Caribbean Youth Designers competition, which will be a part of the youth forum at Carifesta.
For the first round of Facts 2, the chosen finalists will have until May 9, to get five designer pieces ready for the catwalk.
Michelle recalled that when she was young there were no programmes available to encourage fashion designing in Guyana.
As she made a name for herself in this sometimes challenging and competitive industry, Michelle and her friend Natasha came up with the concept of a student designers competition in which youth can be given the opportunity to showcase their talent.
The student designers’ competition was first held in 2006. In 2007 Michelle took a career break after becoming pregnant with her first child, Sapphire, but decided to bring back the competition this year.
This competition targets high school students between the ages of 12 and 19 across the country, students in their last year of high school who will graduate or get a diploma or certificate in 2008 and young talent, who although not in possession of a diploma or certificate, might have the creative flare for and experience in designing.
Each applicant is required to full out a form, which includes sketches of outfits, photographs and a certified recommendation from a schoolteacher.
Once the twelve candidates are selected, their materials including sketches and photos will be published on the Facts 2 website.
According to Michelle, the jury will be made up of renowned fashion experts and their names will not be revealed until the final event. The judging criteria will take into account creativity, innovation and feasibility as well as the portfolio and catalogue photograph of each finalist and not only the fitting and catwalk show.
During the competition, students will win for themselves sewing machines, kits and cloth, which are all necessary to kick start a career in fashion, cash and trophies.
The eventual winner will, apart from being in the Youth Designers Competition, also be showcasing his/her pieces at the 2009 Facts 3 and will also be invited to be a member of the jury next year.
