(Trinidad Guardian) Caribbean Export, the region’s trade and development agency, with funding under the EU’s Tenth EDF, will be partnering with the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association as well as JAMPRO, to debut the Caribbean Collection at London Fashion Week. The collection is an exhibition of capsule collections from 13 esteemed and exciting hand-picked designers, ranging from debutante Juliette Dyke of Jamaica, to Phelicia Dell of Haiti, whose range of handbags were chosen by Diane Von Furstenberg to sell in her chain of stores across the globe marking International Women’s Day.
The exhibition will culminate in a private dinner with international fashion and musical icon, Grace Jones.
Chris McNair, manager at Caribbean Export, said, “It is only fitting that as we prepare to present to the world the Caribbean’s best athletes, we also present our culture and creativity in the form of our fashion. We have a fantastic group of designers and hope that everyone will come out and see their work.” Chairman of the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association, Kingsley Cooper, said, “This exhibition is really about showing the fashion industry that we have design talent to compete in a global arena. The contribution which the islands can make to fashion has gone under the world’s fashion radar for too long.
“We are delighted to be a part of London Fashion Week and as organisers of Caribbean Fashion Week, we see this as a big step for Caribbean fashion, as we continue to develop our industry and position our designers to take their place on the world stage — our time is now,” he said. The Caribbean Collections exhibition is endorsed by some of the world’s most beautiful women, all hailing from the islands. Jeneil Williams who followed Kate Moss on the cover of LOVE and I-D magazines, adorned the cover of Italian Vogue and has fronted campaigns for Vivienne Westwood, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton, will join former Victoria Secrets model Nell Robinson and her fellow Jamaican supermodel and American Vogue favourite Jaunel McKenzie in supporting the collection.
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The Caribbean Export Development Agency is responsible for delivering the exhibition in partnership with the Jamaica Promotions Corporation and Caribbean Fashion Industry Association. The Caribbean Collections exhibition takes place on February 17–18, at Charing Cross Hotel, The Regency Room, The Strand, London.
