By Iana Seales
Randy Madray talks fashion like someone raised him to understand cuts, coordinate colours and differentiate between glam and trying too hard. He makes no claims about being the hottest new designer around though it would be hard to find critics to dispute this.
“I have my strong points and what I am particularly good at is the concept as well as the execution, there are people who have issues with bringing the two together,” the 15-year-old Randy said recently in a matter-of-fact way. He is fun to watch, but more interesting to listen to because he is so frank and for the most part, right.
His breakdown on how the FACTS 3 competition, which he easily won, is a discussion people would line-up to hear for the spot-on analysis of his competitors alone. He entered the contest predicting quite early that he would win, and his predictions as to who would place second and third were just as precise. Call it good intuition or boast, Randy simply sees it as a gift.
Randy’s take on the little black dress is the kind of breakthrough young designers hope to have, a single moment when people stand up and take serious notice. With the challenge facing him in the competition, he decided on a bold new style with a hint of colour and it was enough to make the ladies who saw it go gaga. He now has the little black dress women would find hard to say no to even those who consider themselves pretty conservative.
Fashion is exciting when the designer is, and Randy has that stimulating factor, somehow this young man who has a deep interest in the sciences understands chic and he also knows how to bring it to a catwalk. Forget for a minute that he is preparing for the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) next year and is busy wrapping up a series of School Based Assessments (SBAs); he is what the local fashion scene has been waiting for.
Randy sat down with The Scene last week to share his debut into fashion and how life has been since he won FACTS 3, the young designer competition which is the brainchild of Michelle Cole-Rose and Natasha Martindale.
The first thing up for discussion was his much-talked about final collection for FACTS 3, described by persons with no affiliation to him as fierce and very original. Those who are close to him have gone more out on a limb and declared that he has unveiled a bold collection which is right up there with the seasoned designers.
For the finale Randy went for a heavy metal-inspired gothic collection and offered up among his pieces, ‘the Bride of Frankenstein’. Randy’s interpretation of the bride’s gown was a fierce purple and black strapless dress complete with a ridiculously long trail and a high back collar and it was an instant hit. But he felt more connected to a piece he called, ‘Blood Bath’ which told the story of a battered woman who opted for revenge. The dress and the props beautifully captured his tale and impressed the judges. His third offering on that night was a dress he named ‘Spider Queen’, which also won solid reviews.
Randy recalled paying attention to the clothes as well as make-up and accessories for the finale saying he was not prepared to unveil any of the pieces without completing the look. Though confident that he was going to win, he said, there were bumps along the road which tested his resolve. He missed the last challenge prior to the finale because of an SBA.
He singled out Candacie McLean as “serious competition” saying her work was so impressive that at times it made him take a second look at what he was doing. He considered Clinton Duncan a real threat. He said Clinton easily did the best sketches in the competition and his work “was truly professional”. But he had trouble executing his ideas.
Randy is not your average designer who grew up reading the magazines and clinging to a favourite brand, he spent more time focused on his studies. He attends Queen’s College and is preparing to write the CSEC examinations next year. He has signed up to write 12 subjects. Initially, he wanted to write 15 subjects but dropped some after he realized they were not really relevant.
“People are writing 16 and 17 subjects now, so I had a serious interest in writing 15, but on second thoughts I decided on 12 because those are the subjects that mean something to me. Ultimately, I want to work in fashion but this is clearly the foundation that I need,” Randy said in reference to his education. He loves science subjects, but admits to being more interested in fashion.
He is currently looking into fashion universities. He recalled that officials of Savannah College, which is in Georgia in the US, were recently in Guyana scouting for talent and his teachers at QC recommended him for a scholarship. “They sent for me when the folks were there and though I am not certain of whether the scholarship would be offered to me, I have my options open,” Randy added.
Randy revealed that he started designing at QC under the artistic direction of his teacher, Louann Lewis Jackson, who is also one of the highly-rated designers here. He said she is his mentor and has nurtured his talent over the years to the point where he was selected for FACTS 3 and emerged the winner. But he had feared entering the competition because he had no idea how to sew; this he said, his grandmother quickly remedied.
“She is the best seamstress in this country and this is no idle boast, she is good and in less than two weeks she taught me how to sew pretty decently,” Randy said of his grandmother. Since the competition he has thrown himself completely back into his studies and hopes to excel at his examinations next year. But he is designing a little on the side.
Randy has a few clients and would usually fulfil orders as they roll in. He was recently asked to design the evening gown for the reigning Miss Guyana World Imarah Radix, which he described as an honour. However, he noted that it would not have been possible without support from his teacher.
Randy is keeping a low profile these days because of CSEC, but he promises to be back on the radar by next year July. (ianaseales@yahoo.com)