The collections of designer Donna Ramsammy-James celebrate her creative genius which is why the recently unveiled 2010 line was expected to be no different.
She paraded the line on Sunday last at a private viewing, in keeping with her sense of exclusivity, and it was simply gorgeous.
If clothes were edible the majority of her pieces would be choice selections on any menu, particularly from the latest collection dubbed, ‘Spirit of the Caribbean’. There were no fanfares, just quiet music, the afternoon sun and a visible feast of stunning designs.
Donna described the pieces of the new collection as incorporating the softness of Asia, the depth of Africa and the colour of the Caribbean, an apt description of pieces that captured the natural beauty of the Caribbean yet offered the exotic appeal of Africa and Asia.
The collection of 120 pieces, all hand designed, celebrated Donna’s love for bold, inviting colours and showed off a playful yet inspiring side of her. From the gorgeous feminine pieces which any woman would readily jump wear to the loose fitting male shirts, it was classic Donna. The blend of colours which was used in various segments of the collection provided a balance which she has perfected over the years.
Close inspection of her work reveals detailed and largely, intricate work. She is as good an artist as any, creating unique pieces on natural fabrics. She is a stylist too, who presents her work complete with headbands, wraps, scarves, belts and hats.
As reserved as she is, Donna would open up to a select few whenever she unveils a new collection, often putting herself out there to scrutiny from among some faithful and a few critics. The initial feedback seemingly guides her and projects a sense of how the collection is likely to be received when it is marketed to a wider base in and outside Guyana. Judging from Sunday, she is likely to find that the collection is poised to do well.
On Sunday too, Donna also revealed a side of her that quietly goes into small communities across the country and mingles for a day with her clothes and her models. She chose Better Hope, East Coast Demerara this year and a few months later she was at the market at Merriman Malls taking her fashion to the vendors. She used a segment of the show to recapture the spirit of those events.
As the curtains came down on the show, one thing was for certain, Donna’s 2010 collection is another work of art.