THERE IS AN ongoing revolution in the tranquil picturesque island of St Maarten, but not many people seem to know about it as the turnout last night for the first runway show had a scattering of people.
Hosted by Caribbean Fashion Style Journal out of Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with the National Fashion Developmental Association of St Maarten, the idea is to bring together designers from across the Caribbean foremost, as well as internationally, to promote their Fall/Resort 2015 lines.
The first runway show was staged last night at the Dr A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Port, with security making sure that guests didn’t stray into restricted areas. Five designers from the Caribbean showcased five entirely different collections.
A husband and wife team under the brand Shurnell, out of Trinidad, did a mix of high and low with haute couture. The elegant evening dresses got loud applause from the audience.
Trinidadian Donna Dove, based in Harlem, New York, showcased wearable art. T-shirts and button downs were deconstructed to give a fresher look to them.
Local designer Kai’s crochet pieces ranked number two on favourite lists. The pieces of skirts and short dresses can be worn to party or to a beach event.
Lisa Faye Designs were all handpainted silk dresses, each unique and some with embellishments sourced from India.
They saved the best for last with CLD out of Trinidad. A new designer on the block, having only been designing for a year, she showcased a cohesive resort collection that can be worn from the rack straight to the red carpet and her pieces are for women of all sizes.
Designers from the United States and from the Caribbean, along with buyers, regional and international media and a couple of celebrities are on the Dutch side of the island partaking in Colour Revolution 2014, which organisers hope to be an annual event.
Friday night was the opening gala where Blue Mall, a huge shopping centre, was partially closed to accommodate a meet and greet where designers and media mingled and exchanged chitchat over finger food and champagne.
Tonight culminates the four day event and the show is being held at Sky Beach where about ten designers will present their collections, including pieces from Andre Soriano who was part of Barbadian superstar’s Rihanna fashion reality show Styled to Rock on Bravo TV.
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