Glitz, glamour and gore all came together recently for the launch of Barbados’ newest Crop Over costume band, Zulu International.
The band’s debut presentation, Spartacus, told the often bloody and gruesome legend of the gladiator Spartacus through colourful and sexy costumes.
Fans of the Spartacus TV series would know that the story is one of brutality and blood-letting and the six sections of the band depicted the suffering, uprising and wars of the famed Spartan.
The female sections drew gasps with their artistry and daring designs, particularly Reign of Fire which had not one, but two front lines that are definitely for the body-conscious and brave.
Bandleader and designer Lauren Austin showed she had carried out her research, with elements such as the headpiece in War of the Damned which evoked ancient Roman helmets with a dramatic plume of red feathers.
Unusually for mas bands, Zulu offered as much for the male masquerader as it did for the women, going beyond the standard board shorts and waist band to include thought-out details like capes and armour on the male costumes.
Austin said the decision to form her own band sprung from her years of involvement designing and working with another band.
“The sections I designed always sold out and did well so I decided it was time to branch out on my own and do a full band,” she said.
She added that they were catering for an average of 500 masqueraders in their first year. (PR)
