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