For Channey Wong fashion is the sole way for her to express herself; a sketch on paper and bringing that sketch to life through fashion is a talent she describes as freedom. “I feel free. Every artist has their way of expressing themselves: poets write, artists draw and mine is in the form of sketching and bringing my fashion piece to life.”
The Scene during this week sat down with the beautiful young designer. Born under the zodiac sign of Sagittarius in 1992, this city girl recently captured the Courts/Fly Jamaica Aspiring Designer’s Showcase title, at the inaugural Guyana Fashion Week which was held from October 20 to 27.
The Scene: What drove you to fashion designing?
CW: Well. It was something I was never aiming for to tell you the truth, it kind of happened. All I knew was I liked drawing, I started doing fashion sketches and it developed from there.
The Scene: Okay, so you always loved sketching designs but was there any launching pad for you to actually start bringing your sketches to reality?
CW: Yeah, I first presented at FACTS in 2009. [FACTS: Fashion, Arts and Creativity by Talented Students was a competition founded by designer Michelle Cole.] I was encouraged by friends from school to enter the competition and when I did submit my sketches I was called and told I was in the competition. I received positive feedback even though I did not place in the competition. I continued designing; it was exhilarating knowing that I can express myself through art.
The Scene: You mentioned you started this in school. What school did you attend?
CW: St Stanislaus College. I wrote ten CXC subjects there before graduating.
The Scene: So after not planning on being a designer, what drives you to this day? What motivated you to continue?
CW: I come from a talented family, mainly my mother. Each member possesses their own artistic talents and it comes through in the things they do. Both my grandmothers are seamstresses and I grew up with them sewing things for me, not that I asked them to but as tokens. In fashion, I just did stuff for friends and people who would call me up and say they wanted a piece for this and that. I then would usually sit down with the client and get a feel of their personality and find out what they like. I try to meet their expectations through my eyes and then sew the final work.
The Scene: What inspires your work?
CW: Well inspiration varies and it often depends on my mood, like really depends on my mood. For instance my line for Guyana Fashion Week’s Young Designers Showcase was inspired by my pride and happiness in my African and Amerindian background. The line was called ‘Tribal Twist’ which featured tribal inspired designs of Amer-indian and African ancestry to make modern, wearable outfits.
The Scene: Talk to me about the Designers Showcase.
CW: I didn’t think about winning or gaining a prize really, I just wanted to get my stuff out and make it happen. Fashion is not a side-line. I love what I do. I love waking up in the middle of the night with an idea to sketch. There is more I want to do in the fashion industry; this is just the stepping stone. You have to start somewhere.
The Scene: As a young aspiring designer, how would you help develop the local fashion industry?
CW: Right now I [am] doing a lot of mini fashion shows but I would work on having local celebrities wear my clothing. Good marketing would keep the industry alive.
The Scene: So who do you target in your fashion lines and why?
CW: Women, I love designing for women. My designs don’t have an age limit or limitations to body type and I design for women because as a woman, I know what a woman wants. I do plan on starting to design for males in the future; it is just another challenge for me to take up.
The Scene: So other than designing for males, what else do you have planned for the future?
CW: I don’t want to count my chickens before they are hatched but I have a lot on my mind, have a lot to do. All I can do is encourage people to support what I’ll be doing in the future and know that my journey is just beginning as I enter into the world of fashion.
