Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in its ongoing support of the region’s creative industry will select three of the participating designers at the just concluded Caribbean Fashion Week (CFW) 2012 to showcase pieces of their collection in a live catwalk in London.
According to a press release, Caribbean Export sponsored 11 designers from 9 Cariforum states to participate in CFW, and these designers will also showcase their work during the agency’s London Engage initiative during the Summer Olympics. The designers’ collections were filmed by Caribbean Export and from this a video documentary will be produced and shown during the London Engage Initiative.
CFW ran from June 7 – 11 in Jamaica and apart from showcasing collections from designers representing the various countries from across the Caribbean region, there were top stylists from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
Top local designer Sonia Noel, CEO of Guyana Fashion Weekend, Guyana Model Search/Designer Portfolio (GMS/DP) who was at the CFW, expressed gratitude to Caribbean Export for the opportunity. She expressed that she was very happy with the reviews her collection received, adding “this is what energises me and reignites my passion for the fashion industry.”
Meanwhile, Caribbean Export said it viewed the event as one that is in line with its focus on export development, marketing, and capacity building, all of which are aimed at increasing international awareness and business generation for the region’s fashion industry.
A release quoted Pamela Coke Hamilton, Executive Director as saying, “CFW is the seminal fashion, entertainment and lifestyle event that has come to epitomize the essence of Caribbean style. The agency therefore recognizes the importance of not only this event, but also similar initiatives, which seek to showcase and drive the continued development and enhancements of the regional creative industries.”
CFW is supported under the European Union’s (EU) 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP).
Meantime on the local fashion front, episode 4 of GMS/DP is set to air tomorrow at 9 pm on NCN. This year, winners will secure promotions contracts with onboard partners and gifts are being awarded to challenge champions.
According to a press release, participants were exposed to workshops on Entrepreneurship, Runway Techniques, Confidence Building and Personal Development with Sonia and GMS/DP Creative Director Richard Young, in addition to others by Philippa Moorish on Motivation and Empowerment, Eric Phillips on Communications, Stella Ramsaroop on Community Development and Gender Affairs, Pamela Dillon on Skin Care Dynamics, Ann Bruce on Cutting and Stitching, Andre Jacobas on Illustration, Roger Callender on Fitness, Shemelle Mohommed- Lewis on Small Business Scotiabank), Don Thompson on Photography and Steven Cutting on Fashion Designing – FIT.
It was mentioned too that the team and participants held successful outreaches last weekend – an awareness walk and a motorcade promotion envirionmental awareness, youth empowerment, destination marketing and anti- domestic violence consciousness and plan to continue this weekend in Berbice.
The competition culminates on July 1 at Isika, East Bank Essequibo with an extravaganza titled ‘Walking on Sunshine’, which according to the release, pays tribute to Guyanese music icon Eddy Grant. There will be two events – the Better Living exhibition for which tickets cost $1,000 and Glamorous for which tickets cost $3,000 and $5,000 for VIP. Tickets are available at Nigel’s, Nanda’s, Twins Pharmacy, Kings, Courts Main St and Parika, Candyland in Berbice and Neighbourhood Pharmacy in Bartica.
