– fashion weekend hits the runway today
Can you hear the click of the stilettos? This is one of the teasers of Guyana Fashion Weekend (GFW) 2010 and our answer is no. We’d rather not hear them and or see them; if isn’t about the clothes then we are not interested.
Remember the Telford Sisters and their edgy Climax label? Maybe not, but their story really is what it is all about- discovering fresh new talent that had been locked away in some corner of this country and watching it grow into something huge.
Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Fashion Weekend, Sonia Noel understands that while the focus is on the collections, the real story is the people behind them. She told The Scene on Thursday that as GFW celebrates another year this weekend, “Guyana is celebrating new designers”.
Sonia happily made the declaration, but she also laments the reality of the industry here, which is that many of the young designers appearing on the scene are going to have it “tough” to put it mildly. She opens the door and they walk through it, but what happens next?
What happens next is what very few people want to talk about- young designers are spotlighted and then they fade away. They slip back into that place where you realize that you have a talent and that is it; very few are able to have a second showing.
Sonia said that many of them realize how tough things are, but “they want that one shot”. She said that some people are waiting for that one moment but it never happens for them, which is why those who turn up at GFW “try to make the most of it”. She pointed out that the road to GFW is not lined with gold either because the designers find it hard to secure funding to present a full collection; others struggle to find good fabric.
Sonia said also that GFW is not likely to survive the next two decades if the youth in the industry are not encouraged to be creative and are also not afforded a stage to “let that creativity loose”. She said that is part of the reason why she fought to have fashion weekend here.
“They bring a fresh perspective and lot of creativity to the runway…some of these young people are really good and I am impressed what the entire line-up of designers this year…people are going to love what we have this year,” Sonia said.
Sonia said also that local designers, particularly the new designers have to compete in a market where foreign products are favoured. She said local designer labels are not popular fashion like the designer labels coming out of North America. “It is something we are going to have to live with until it changes,” she said.
But while the society waits to embrace local fashion, she said, they will keep discovering it and showcasing it. “This is what we do, we offer them a stage and we hope that it pays off,” she said. This year some ten new designers would be on stage, in addition to some of the seasoned designers.
Sonia said some of the collections are “simply gorgeous” and while she was careful to guard the information as to which ones are likely to heat up the stage there is talk of the collection of designer portfolio winner, Natisha Johns and of another designer who interprets ‘life’ through the clothes.
“I’m excited about some of what we have to show”, Sonia said, noting that this year the event has taken on a life of its own.
Over the past two years GFW has focused on low carbon fashion and also addressed domestic violence; this year the focus is on cancer. Sonia spoke of her collaboration with the Ministry of Health and PAHO saying that they fused fashion and health to promote healthy bodies and also to raise awareness of breast cancer.
GFW will open this year with a collection which pays tribute to breast cancer survivors and which commends the work which is being done locally to raise its profile. “I wanted to get involved with this because it’s an important issue… if we can use fashion to spread the word then we will,” Sonia said.
GFW opens today and wraps up tomorrow night at the Pegasus Hotel and 
due to overwhelming response patrons would be treated to four shows this year; two every day. The first show starts at 4 pm and ends around 6 pm and the last show begin at 8 pm.
Asked about her own collection this year, she said, her focus was on plus size models and children. The void is there according to her for “plus size collections” and in addition, she feels there is always room for children’s clothing.
Sonia admits that some of the collections at previous shows have been disappointing, but she is adamant that “designers learn from that”. By the time this weekend is over we will know who learnt what, if at all.
Tickets for GFW are on sale at Kings Jewellery; Gizmos and Gadgets; Wireless Connection; Nigel’s Supermarket; Silhouette and LIZ A VOUS boutique.