Style Week Jamaica 2011

So while Caribbean Fashion Week 2011 is all but history now, model agency competitors Saint International recently wrapped up their version of fashion week last Sunday. Initially it had started about a week before CFW, but due to some recent rains, the final show, Fashion Block, was postponed till a further date. Usually the whole thing is kicked off with the mens shows, but seeing that I was way too late for that to have captured any real images, here's everything else that happened.

Kevin O'Brian

Based in Paris, couturier and close friend, Kevin O'Brian's collection (naturally, a highlight of the night dubbed, "International Mecca of Style") was all about couture elements augmented with dramatic head-pieces and such. Having worked closely with him before the show in helping to sequence and style the collection, (along with stylist Michael Atkinson) the quality of the pieces was exquisite; O'Brian's design aesthetic is second to none.

LaQuan Smith

US-based designer, and designer to young style icons such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna, presented his "Hard Candy" collection, inclusive of the gold body suit Rih rocked in the video for her smash hit, "Rude Boy." I have to admit that I liked the colours and use of neoprene-y fabrics through-out, even though I thought the collection was a bit bare at times.

Donovan DePass

I'm always excited when Donovan tells me he'll be showing a collection in Jamaica, as one of those designers lucky enough to have worked with a few important New York designers, (Vera Wang chief among these) he's actually pretty good at what he does. This collection didn't really have a theme, or at least one that I could quickly gauge, but there was definitely a punk edge to a few of the pieces. There were a few gowns here and there, and even a Greek goddess kinda silhouette, but I have a feeling Donovan's main focus was a 90's-esque insistence on asymmetrical cuts. 

Now onto Fashion Block. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's an annual event held here in the streets of Kingston's central business district. (And sometimes in second city Montego Bay.) A 100 foot cat-walk is mounted in the middle of the road, serving fashion a crowd sometimes as large as 50,000.
Here's what I captured:

The running order

Runway all set up 

Last minute hair and make-up

Reve Jewelry designers, Duane and Tesea

Designs from Shades of Africa

The girls, clad in designs by Gregory Williams, (who created pieces out of Soldanza, who was a main sponsor for the show, potato chips bags and even the chips themselves) make a final walk

Shena Moulton (who might I add, just walked for Christian Dior's Fall 2011 Haute Couture's collection yesterday) strikes a pose backstage 

Saint International C.E.O. Deweight Peters sends his girls on

Designs by Rick B's from his "Code Red" collection

Style Week Jamaica 2010

 

A huge presence in the world of international modeling, Saint International is responsible for the growth and development of the likes of Shena, Sosheba, Sigail et al. Every year, their top girls and guys return here to Jamaica for the fashion spectacle that is Style Week.

Better known to the general public for its last show, the ground-breaking Fashion Block, the model agency has, consistently over the last ten years, provided a platform for the best of local fashion designers and well-noted international designers to converge and celebrate fashion.

The shows kick off next week, and i'm yet to confirm venues etc, but i'm looking forward to what this year will bring; in the last few years, the likes of Kevin O' Brian and Eymeric Francois, both from Paris, have graced the runway with their dazzling couture. Who will wow us this time around?

UPDATE: Style Week, due to recent civil unrest in Jamaica's capital and the city's current State of Emergency, has been pushed back to July 9-11. Here's the schedule:

July 9- International Men's Collection at Devon House

Jul 10- International Mecca of Style at Fort Charles in Port Royal

July 11- Fashion Block in the streets of New Kingston

All shows begin at 9pm!

Fashion Block Mobay 2009

ANDRE ROWE

PABLO PALAIRE

LES CAMPBELL

RED BULL ART OF CAN DESIGN

ENTRY TO THE RUNWAY

DEXTER POTTINGER'S 'SWIM IN BLACK' COLLECTION

HAIR AND MAKE-UP

SILLINESS ON THE BUS

Montego Bay residents are used to Fashion Block in the summer, but this year, the Saint International team decided to do things a little differently, hosting the show on October 24. This year was also a first for me- I decided to travel on the bus with the Saint team. Suffice it to say, it was a good choice- it's never a bad thing to be in the presence of fabulous friends.
We left Kingston at 9 a.m. and arrived in the second city at about 1 p.m. We were accommodated at the Coral Cliff first, then transported to the Doctor's Cave Hotel for lunch, make-up and hair, before being transported to Gloucester Avenue for the show at 9 p.m.
When we got there, the location was stunning- white tents for backstage and dressing; a VIP section courtesy of Red Bull with an exclusive bar for juices and wines; a white runway about 6 feet high and over 100 feet long; it was show time.
Admittedly, the show started about an hour late, but when it did, it was well worth the wait. With over 30 models and about 13 local designers, designer/stylist Dexter Pottinger kicked things off with a segment dubbed "Swim in Black"- all black swimsuits accessorized with black shades, poufy hair, black stilettos, leather and studded bracelets- where Shena Moulton, fresh off the runways of Calvin Klein in New York and Louis Vuitton in Paris strutted confidently, while Stacy Ann Anderson, having given birth recently, was back, thin and gorgeous as ever.
Les Campbell showed his usual colourful mens and womenswear collections, though seperately, while designers like T&T Fashion and Akira Lyn (new to showing at a Saint show) showed their more laid-back casual wear, the former in black, green and gold knit-wear, Lyn in more breathable and slouchy cottons.
The menswear designers were not to be outdone- Mark Anthony showed his trademark customized fitted shirts, while Pablo Palaire sent his male models swaggering down the runway in gorgeously coloured and eye-catching tailored suits. Andre Rowe closed the show with his collection of lace and plaids from his Casa De A'Rowe line, before we were whisked off to the Blue Beat where we partied the night away. Here's to a show well done.