Words by Tishanna Williams
The Caribbean fashion industry is bustling with activity at the moment. Right on the heels of the Saint Lucia Jazz Hot Couture Fashion Show, which saw designers from Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica showcase their latest collections in Saint Lucia’s Rodney Bay last week, is Trinidad Tobago Fashion Week, culminating this weekend with a series of events at Pigeon Point in Tobago.
According to soca artist Benjai, everyone loves how Trinis look, cook, talk and ‘wuk’ but trust when we say he should have added a whole verse about their sense of style.The twin island republic seems to be really making strides to create a viable fashion market for its designers and fashion entrepreneurs. Last Sunday, 15 participating designers showcased their designs to a panel of international, regional and local fashion industry experts at the event ModeTT- The Fashion Export Showcase. A partnership between FashionTT—a subsidiary of Trinidad and Tobago Creative Industries Company Ltd (CreativeTT)— and ExporTT—T&T’s national export organization, the project seeks to develop a fashion lookbook showcasing garments, accessories and jewelry from T&T’s designers which will then be distributed to buyers in the French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Martin.
Now, to this weekend’s events. The theme of this year’s Trinidad Tobago Fashion Week is “Saga Pinto in Dungarees,” which we’re told describes a “stylish person well dressed in denim.” Not only are some of our our picks from last year’s article, Fashion Fridays: Tobago Fashion Weekend 2014 (including Wadada Movement, pictured above) back in the mix but they’ve added some new names that we’re eager to see. And don’t think it’s all business. With events like “Beautiful People Break Records” and “Fashion on The Beach,” Pigeon Point looks like the plac to be this weekend.
For tickets, social media updates and more info on TT Fashion Week, visit their website here. And, if you are in Tobago, make sure to check out our “Weekend Pass: Tobago” article for the best the island has to offer.