By Iana Seales
Andrew Harris is about to break into the local designing circles with a casual male line and according to him, it will be an entrance worth witnessing.
The former model turned designer will launch his Bachelors Collection at the Guyana Fashion Expo, which is being organised by Facts & Roses and overseas-based designer, Roger Gary and will be held later this month.
Bachelors Collection falls under his Sole Brand Designs, which was established a short while ago and it features ready-to-wear pieces that include shirts, pants and jackets.
Harris compliments many of the pieces with matching bags.
The budding designer reveals in a recent interview with The Scene that he got his start while living in Barbados. He recalls being part of a fashion show on the island where he displayed a series of t-shirts that had been spray-painted and created quite a buzz. This opened his eyes to a whole new career and gave him the incentive he was looking for to pursue fashion designing.
“I had always been fashion conscious and had this feeling from very young to get into the business but something kept holding me back so I did the closest thing to designing, I started modelling,” Andrew says.
He took up modelling in 2003 but gave it up to design.
Andrew says he is working on making a statement with his clothing line and is seeking to impress not just Guyanese but the Caribbean. According to him, the line is called Bachelors because his idea of the single guy is one who is a confident dresser and who prefers sleek but casual clothing.
Andrew says his pieces have a Caribbean flair but they are distinctly Guyanese and that he has used materials such as polyester, drill and linen and have worked with colours such as blue, cream, yellow and orange. He points out that some materials are hard to find locally so he is forced to travel to buy materials. In addition, he says, materials are expensive.
The young designer who will celebrate his 21st birthday pretty soon is hoping to change the way local men view fashion but points out that this may take a while. But he says he has patience and persistence and will keep at it until his goals are realized and his clothes are popular.
He credits his uncle with bringing his creations to life, as the person who does the tailoring. He adds that very few people are as good as his “Uncle Kentish” on a sewing machine.
Andrews says while he does the designing, his uncle has the right touch.
Though his line is yet to be launched officially, Andrew says he has a representative in Barbados who is promoting his clothing there. He says that after the Fashion Expo his sights are on Carifesta and then two upcoming shows in the Caribbean.
Harris, who hails from Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, says his family and the community have been supportive of his work from the day he first announced that he has a line coming out.
He says his family is part of the reason he is so into fashion because he was allowed to grow up in an environment where it was okay for him to embrace fashion and show off his skills. (ianaseales@yahoo.com)
