Guyana Fashion Week (GFW) will be more than just pretty girls sashaying down the catwalk, according to organisers, who are promising more opportunities to help many of the country’s budding designers, models, and make-up artists achieve their potential.
What began as the annual Guyana Fashion Weekend in 2007 has blossomed and is now moving into its next phase,
GFW CEO Sonia Noel and GFW Creative Director Richard Younge both told a news conference yesterday at the Herdmanston Lodge, ahead of tomorrow’s launching of the inaugural GFW 2013.
GFW 2013 is set to run from October 20th to October 27th and designers from Guyana, including the most promising designer of GFW 2010 Nelsion Nurse, as well as several other Caribbean countries will have their pieces exhibited.
Before the grand week of events though, pre-showings will take pace in Linden Bartica and Berbice, while the premiere is carded for tomorrow.
What is particularly special about this year, Younge said, is that eight new designers from Linden, Bartica, Berbice and Georgetown will be sponsored by Courts and given the opportunity and exposure needed to take them to the next level of their development.
GFW has even grabbed the attention of the international community, Noel told reporters, as designers from as far as India have expressed interest in having their work featured in this year’s event.
Younge said that since its genesis in 2007, GFW has enabled several designers, and even make-up artists to make a living from their abilities.
One designer in particular, he said, has even gained regional recognition and has had several of her pieces bought in several Caribbean countries.
These accomplishments, he offered, is a testament to the fact that the event is about more than just dressed-up pretty girls walking down the catwalk. “It creates an atmosphere for growth in new ideas and new arts,” Younge said.
GFW will see the coming together of make-up arts, performance arts, and culinary arts and much more, all with a Guyanese flavour, Younge assured.
One culinary artist, he noted, is expected to sculpt a dress out of butter.
Younge further said that GFW has and continues to build its participants. He said he always tries to make the models understand that modeling is much more than looking good in clothes. He said that the pieces that models wear are the product of a designer’s hard work and ideas.
As a result, he noted, they must see themselves as the marketing agents they are and take that responsibility seriously.
This and several other lessons taught to not just models, but all participants, he said, instills discipline and prepares them for the next step in their development.
In addition, Younge said that GFW has become a platform for affecting economic and social change.
The various arts that will be on display appeal to a wide array of people, he said, and this niche can now be easily accessed by those who wish to affect change and development in society and in the economy of their countries.
Taking this into consideration, he said, anyone that can, should strive towards sponsoring the event.
He said that aside from major partners such as Courts and Giftland OfficeMax, persons can partner with the GFW to sponsor a piece or two, or they can even purchase a piece that they find to their liking.
