Orlando Williams’ summer collection 2014 was resort wear for women and men, consisting of cover-ups, shorts, skirts and even a jumpsuit. His fabric were chiffons and African print. It was 13 well-thought-out pieces from the former Coleridge and Parry Secondary School student. Oh and it had bow ties.
“I am known for my bow ties. I wear a bow tie every day, even when I am home. I don’t throw away fabric so I had left over scraps so I said why not do something with them?”
That something turned into a bow tie line that is different and unique. He even caters to females.
“I didn’t just want a bow tie to be a neck piece. I wanted them to be an extension of people’s personality. They are not even limited to be worn around the neck,” he stated. He admits to giving away more than he has sold.
“People have asked me for the ones I wear daily and I give them.”
Orlando had high hopes of being a forensic psychologist (he actually enrolled at the University of the West Indies to pursue it) but he wanted to be a fashion designer even more.
“I started sketching at age eight and as I got older I started turning my sketches into art by making copper, coiling and paper jewellery. I also did a bit of modelling but that wasn’t my thing so I started to help out backstage with styling.
“I started to recreate then create my own stuff when nothing fit, like a pants was too long or a waist was too big.”
Orlando’s grandmother Marva Watson was a seamstress who had the gift to make a garment just by looking at the person.
“I wanted to make her proud. So after I made a shirt for myself by deconstructing one, a girl I knew asked me to make an outfit for her. I did it under duress and showed my gran for criticisms. She loved it and gave me some pointers.”
Orlando said his three sisters and mum then became guinea pigs and when people started to see them wearing his pieces, orders started to slowly trickle in.
He built up the courage to do his first collection (12 pieces) in 2012 named Linda Belle after his mum.
“It was an all-female collection and I wanted it to represent what I had done up to that point. All I ever made was clothing for women. I used lace and jersey and the colours were black and burgundy.”
Orlando said the collection was a hit and orders poured in. So he upped his game by teaching himself new skills, even learning pattern drafting.
“I will never say I have the full grasp of the whole design business as everything I know is self-taught. But my garments are conversation pieces. When my clients enter a room the piece captures your eyes and you have to talk about it.”
Orlando is looking to launch another collection soon, and he hasn’t stopped making bow ties.
“Right now ideas are fighting for space in my head. I want to put on a full production. I am seeing the venue and where the guests will sit, the runway, the lights . . . the garments on the models.”
And where would he like some of his pieces to end up one day?
“I am hoping to one day design for Beyoncé. Even Anna del Russo, Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker. And there are so many more too.”
Orlando says for now his mum is happy to wear his outifts and sits patiently while he turns out beautiful creation after creation, ready to wear off the sewing machine.
