With the title of ‘Most Promising Young Designer’ for this year under his belt, Andy Cummings is well on his way to living his dream or at least a part of it.
In an interview this week, he told The Scene that part of that dream was to “…become someone of standards, someone reputable in my community. I want to be a name so people can say Andy was from here.”
Andy was born on May 1, 1993 at the Fort Wellington Hospital, West Coast Berbice. He grew up in Union Village under the care of his grandmother with financial assistance from his father who often took care of him. His mother passed away when he was just three years old.
He was raised alongside his one and only sister, Annita Cummings in a household that lived under the teachings of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Andy said he had a simple life. He was not the typical country child. Most of his time was spent indoors, watching TV. His routine was home, school and church.
He enjoyed playing with his sister because while he had school friends he hardly socialised with them outside of school.
He recalled that around the age of ten he would sit and watch as a seamstress nearby did her work. His aunt was also practicing sewing and this interested him. He was fascinated by the sewing machine and decided one day to try sewing for himself. Unfortunately, the needle went completely through his left index finger and sewing lost its intrigue for a bit.
He then turned to drawing and sketching clothing. He read books and studied prints to perfect his art and eventually used those same perfected illustrations of fashion to gain entrance to the Burrowes School of Art after he completed his CSEC examinations in 2010.
He said the move to Georgetown to attend art school changed his life. He met more people and became more socialised; he got recognition through his art, and entering the fashion industry got him even more exposure.
Andy graduated in 2012, majoring in Ceramics while minoring in Textiles. He was the Best Graduating Student and Best Ceramic Student for his year.
In 2012 also, he won the Guyana Model Search/Designers Portfolio and that gave him the opportunity to be a fashion partner with Sonia Noel, hence his entry in this year’s Guyana Fashion Week.
“My work makes me feel good,” Andy said. “I am overexcited when my work is on the runway, my own fashion and image. Then there’s that last walk when the designer has to go on stage…There is a genuine feeling of passion to see your work surrounding you and that makes you immediately think of your next fashion collection. I already see what my next collection is going to be.”
Sonia and his cousin Tebeta Carmichael have supported him in fashion. He said his family never shared an interest in the fashion industry except for Tebeta who encouraged him, saying that he needed to push harder. She would previously assist him with materials and other financial aid.
As for inspiration, Andy is fascinated with anything Guyanese. His latest collection was inspired by the Guyanese delicacy, Hassar Curry.
Another one of his collections was also inspired by his love life; the concept behind it was a mystery and dream of love.
He considers his recent accreditation from the Fashion Week committee something to be proud of. “It is nice. You walk down the road and people recognise you for your work…”
His work targets mature people between the ages of 30 to 40 although he does have an interest in designing for early teens. “I try to capture not only complicated people but the teens. I know being in the twenty-first century people want to
look glamorous.”
The other part of his dream will see him holding a fashion degree from an accredited university. His aim is to work for a big company in Paris, London, New York or wherever his talent can take him. He just wants to work for a well-known designer until he can have his own company and be creative designer on the international scene.
Andy is currently a fashion illustrator working with several local designers.
