For some time now Paul Burnette has been on the pulse of local fashion, but more behind the scenes until Guyana Fashion Week 2013, when he showed his ‘Tease’ Collection.
Since then he has been putting out what he describes as more of a sexy look for women “who dare to be different and make a statement whenever they go out” and for men, clothing that is cool, edgy and different.
When it comes to colour it is usually go all out or go home. He loves blending and fusing colours. He describes himself as a Caribbean man who believes in representing bold colours and he uses light fabrics such as mull, stretched cotton, drill, rayon and American cotton; any cotton-based fabric. Paul believes that given the climate here, we need to dress comfortably and light to be cool.
He is currently working hard on shows and showcases, including the Mr Guyana International Competition (MGI) launched just a month ago.
Paul reiterated that the competition is not only a mentorship programme to help men deal with issues affecting them but it is also a way of giving Guyanese men an opportunity to be vocal on issues affecting them.
Paul, a Bartician was born on April 30, 1974 at the community’s public hospital. He spent most of his youthful days there before travelling to Georgetown to finish schooling at the FE Pollard Primary where he wrote ‘Common Entrance’ and gained a place at Tutorial High School. But his time in the city was short lived; in 1985 he returned to Bartica to complete his secondary education at Bartica Secondary. He later returned to city attending the Critchlow Labour College, the Cyril Potter College of Education and the University of Guyana.
Paul grew up in a closely knit single parent household where love and unity were key and chores were equally divided among him and his siblings. However, because he was the ‘baby’ he usually got away with doing nothing!
He was also not allowed to roam the community and its environs as the rest of the neighbourhood’s children did. While they would be running, jumping and climbing trees, going to fish and swim in the creeks, he was forced to stay close to home by his mother’s edicts, but enjoyed watching his brother and his friends play football and cricket in the streets.
Paul was always passionate about fashion but never pursued it while young because of the stigma attached to men in fashion. Back then, he just did designs for his nieces’ school parties and concerts. When his cousin and niece won a fashion pageant in Bartica back in the 80s he told himself that one day he would push himself to have this talent recognised. “Today my sisters and I are still trying to figure out where that talent came from because neither my mom nor dad was any kind of fashionista,” he laughed.
The fact that he always heard his sisters complaining about the errors in their clothes and that they were not being sewn to their design made him launch himself. “I pledged to do it and do it perfectly one day,” he said, and so he began little by little. He designed for his relatives and his ex-wife, Nirvana Ramdass, for their appearances in pageants in Bartica such as the Miss Bartica Town Day and Miss Bartica Regatta.
Today his children motivate him. Paul described them as “very critical” about what they and others wear, adding that they encourage him and even recommend alterations to his designs from time to time. He also has very supportive relatives who seem to think that he is the world’s best. “This is a feeling I hang on to and hope to be named among the greatest one day,” he said.
The fashion designer sees himself owning his own boutique, selling his designs not only locally but regionally and internationally.
Off the design boards he is a father, mentor, role model, brother, uncle, jester, dancer, interior designer and sketcher but he really cannot stay away from designing since it now part of his very being. But might consider going back to teaching, “I seriously miss my teaching job,” he sighed.
Paul hopes too, to use the days ahead of him in other productive fields. “I am seriously thinking of going back to school and pursuing social work.”
He considers his ultimate purpose in life is to mentor youths and he strongly believes he has a special gift with children. His next project is to get funding for an after-school centre where children, especially the under-privileged, can go to do homework, assignments, play games; a safe environment so that their parents can get more time to work and save. “The children are our future” he said, “…and I want to help build a better future for them and this country.”
