CFW 2011: Night Three

 Night three for Caribbean Fashion Week was a bit more eventful than the other nights, and in all honesty, I was able to sift through some pretty decent pieces through-out the night. I arrived just in time for the second segment, and was treated to performances from Beenie Man and R&B star Joe, and even with a brief blackout, (yes, you read right- A BLACKOUT!) the energy was pretty high right through. Here's the best of the runway collections I saw, and then some.

Julan

Designed by friend Juliette Dyke, Julan's collection consisted of a pre-collection made of sea island cotton in addition to the main collection which was shown after. The pre-collection was simple, emphasizing clean lines and maxi silhouettes. I personally loved the colour, and in all honesty, if Dyke had stretched this out for the entire collection, I wouldn't have had any qualms. 

Here are some of the pieces from Julan's main collection. It was all about sass and bad-ass punk attitude, I even loved the runway music. There were a few pieces with some leather detailing, I absolutely loved those. Unfortunately, my camera started to screw itself around that time. Still, if you look at the very last piece, you can get an idea of what I mean. All in all, it was a very wearable collection from Julan, and a marked improvement from her collection last year.

Attitude by Ashley Martin

Ashley Martin may have emphasized presentation over content for her "Attitude" line, but it cannot be denied that there were some good pieces here. There were frills and things, but my fave pieces came towards the end with the patterned and sequined body-con gowns.

Biggy

If you didn't already know, Earl "Biggy" Turner's modus operandi is via the dancehall. With each collection, he looks to dancehall music and culture for inspiration for his pieces, and more usually than not, it works wonderfully. This season, though, I was rather bored with his collection. Sure, there were some nice colours and the usual sheer motif, but I didn't see much to be excited over.

Everblazing 

But what Biggy might have lacked in content, Italian designer Milica Pesic more than made up for in her "Everblazing" collection. The collection was very urban, very Jamaican, very eye-catching. I love the chain embellishments, and I could easily see myself rocking a few of those blazers. But what I found even more uncanny was how Pesic was able to actually make the collection look soooo Jamaican. I dunno if the whole urban edge is her usual design aesthetic, or even if she designed this collection specifically for a Jamaican/Caribbean market, but whatever. It worked.

 

And last but not least, Gavin Douglas made a very, very small presentation with just four pieces before he discussed briefly his brain-child, a venture that would provide young and upcoming designers with the opportunity to develop their line. I loved the shoes!

CFW 2011- Night Two

I arrived at CFW on Saturday night way too late to have gotten any real pics or to provide any commentary on what happened on the runway, (I hardly had time to find my ass at a party) but I sauntered through-out the crowd and got pics of everything else.

Designer Camesha Powell

Prof. Carolyn Cooper (love her necklace) and friend

Pulse models Oraine Barrett, Jaunel McKenzie and Khalil Marks

Designer Juliette Dyke in deep conversation with Pulse Investment Ltd. C.E.O. Kingsley Cooper

Juliette again, this time with designer Shenna Carby, winner of the first season of Mission Catwalk

Designer Sandra Kennedy and press

Patrons anticipating the next look coming down the runway

Not everyone stayed for the performances toward the end, but those that did, went quickly to the front to gyrate to the music of soca-star Machel Montano

And last but not least, here I am with supermodel, and friend Jeneil Williams :)

I'll have plenty of runway coverage for the next post.- DW

CFW 2011- Night One

SO, ladies and gents! Last night was the first major shows for Caribbean Fashion Week. Naturally I arrived late, but I got in just in time, as apparently the show started late, too.
After searching for a drink, finding a space, saying my quick hello's, I was treated to collections from Hope Wade, Mutamba, Jahtaxtreme, among others, as well as performances from local reggae/dancehall star Tanya Stephens. Mavado also performed, but I didn't stick around that long. Here's the best of what happened on Night One:

Drenna Luna

Designed by Arlene Martin, (who I had the pleasure of meeting last night) the Drenna Luna pieces were simple, at turns elegant, free flowing and emphasized clean cuts. Sophistication seemed to be the theme, while free movement clearly influenced silhouette. I would have loved to have seen a bit more colour to make the pieces pop, (like that pink on Nell) but good stuff nonetheless.

Milkaya Laijah

Designed by Milkaya Henry, the Milkaya Laijah collection (from France) was one with a unifying motif through-out- a kaleidoscopic Versace-esque diamond emphasizing a cinched waist, and an almost-Grecian silhouette in some pieces.

Hope Wade

Hope Wade's collection wasn't so much a collection as a display of clothes, but I at least liked it texturally. Thematically, it was all over the place, but there were a few strong pieces through-out.

 

Mutamba

Mutamba also didn't seem to care about any real theme, but I at least liked a few of the pieces. Especially that last one before the final walk.

So that was Night One. To be honest, the show itself was a bit flat, and most designers really showed nothing to get very excited about. Here's to a more exciting second night.- DW