Amidst a surfeit of young, emerging, female would-be entrepreneurs marketing fashion across Guyana, a handful appear to strive to be different, their advertising ‘pitch’ seemingly reflecting an enduring eagerness to ‘arrest’ the attention of the potential buyer. This, it seems, is the objective of Melissa Ochoa, a 27 year-old clothing vendor who has altogether persuaded herself that she is a standout in the ‘maddening crowd.’
Fashion has done much to transform the entrepreneurial landscape in Guyana. Time was when boutiques were owned/run almost entirely by ‘youngish’ women, sporting a ‘pretty penny,’ parading a personal sense of fashion, offering not just garments, (mostly dresses,) but, as well, modest ‘doses’ of style advice.
The contemporary transformation has been profound, even startling. Like so many other business pursuits in contemporary Guyana, fashion has ‘stepped out’ from inside ‘posh’ looking tasteful stores, rendering itself more accessible on corners, inside cavernous Malls and on pavements,