PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago government has joined local fashion designers here in celebrating the victory of. Anya Ayoung-Chee, who won the “Project Runway” fashion design show in the United States.
In a statement, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, who is in Australia attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit, praised Ayoung-Chee “for her bold and unique style and her courage and composure under intense pressure and scrutiny during this season of Project Runway.
“Anya is a fine example of the talent of the young people of Trinidad and Tobago. She has much to offer to the Region and the World through her artistic abilities”
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar noted that although on many occasions Anya seemed to be the underdog in the highly competitive series, she remained a favourite with the fans.
“I understand that Anya has been declared the ‘fan favourite designer’ based on votes cast on social media site, Twitter – a testimony to vivacious personality and her determination to succeed despite several setbacks”.
Ayoung-Chee admitted that the reality of her victory has not yet sunk in because she’s “more focused on doing the work that lies ahead”.
“I really hadn’t thought about the impact of the win, until I saw the photographs of my family and saw how much joy they were experiencing, as well as the video clips on the Net where I could hear the people at the viewing party screaming… and then all the tributes and the people that have written me saying how much they’ve been inspired by what I’ve achieved.
“ I feel so happy to have made so many people so happy and proud, but I really am looking forward to the road that lies ahead and trying not to focus on the achievement thus far: I’m not sure if that’s such a bad thing because I feel like it’s only just begun and I want to keep working.
“I tried to compare how I feel now to when it all began and I had just gotten accepted on the show and I don’t feel that much different,” said the former Trinidad and Tobago contestant to a Miss Universe Show held in Asia two years ago.
She has received numerous praise for her work with local designers noting also that she entered the US competition having taken lessons a few weeks before the reality show began.