No one can deny that the energy at last weekend’s Barbados Fashion Weekend was simply incredible. With a runway surrounded by well placed white chairs, ambient lights and cornered by palm trees, there was no better way to portray the best of the best in Barbadian fashion, Caribbean fashion, and international fashion designs. With over 10 designers, those being Alexis Campbell, Andre Watson, Andrew Harris, Anthony Redhead, Christina Goddard, Deron Attzs, J Angelique Clothing, Kesia Estwick, Kimon Baptiste, Marice Lindey, Nerkida Jones, Praxis Barbados, S.M. WARNER: Art with Attitude, Sharleen J Lagon Jaeyluinc, Shaune Griffith Perez Designs, Simon Peter Simply Garnetts, Stacy Smith and Susan Burrowes & Deniese Dennis, the ‘season’ was definitely off to a fabulous start.
Apart from the few drops of rain that nearly ruined my velour blazer and caused the show to start almost 2 hours later than scheduled, I think the opening night was one that left a lasting impression as it related to the showcase of designs. My favorite designers for that night was without a doubt, Andrew Harris, Alexis Campbell, and some pieces from J Angelique Clothing. There was no doubt in the fact that many of the very Caribbean designers caught up with international trends that walked the runways of Paris, New York, London and Milan, in preparation for the Spring 2012 season. Major trend appearances would have been patterns and prints, bold and bright colors, embellishments and unbelievable details, as well as versatile silhouettes for men and edgy pieces for women.
As it relates to the entire weekend, check out my favorite designers after the jump.
Amazing is the only word I could use to describe what I now know to be my favorite collection for the fashion season here in Barbados. Alexis Campbell, who is an incredible designer known for simplicity and minimalism, rightfully took the Best Designer award, at Sunday’s Fashion Gala and Award show. I was completely blown away by the great detail, and perfect finish of the collection. Being all about coarse texture on soft delicate fabrics (in my mind Savage Beauty), Alexis showcased petal-like embellishments made from leather, and copper accessories which complimented them. The highlight was definitely the petal-cut detail that came on almost every piece, and apart from that, there were patterned pieces, ranging from leopard print to that of the tiger. Covering swimwear, casual wear, formal designs and a minor touch in the menswear arena, Alexis gave us a glimpse at her desert grungy inspiration that proved to be loud by the use of camel, brown, black and white.
Presenting a versatile and bold collection must have been the first thing on the mind of Guyana born, Barbadian based designer, Andrew Harris. There’s really nothing like a touch of animal inspiration for the ladies and a great deal of risqué designs like short shorts and floral detail for the guys. All being trendy for the Spring/Summer 2012 season, Andrew didn’t fall short of keeping up with the international market, with his jersey fabric dresses, and his textured pieces.
Known for her gothic inspiration, I was expecting Barbadian designer Kesia Estwick to bring something a lot darker than her last collection, bold and of course beautiful. But with just a hint of goth infused within the accessories and with the use of the colors white and black, Kesia mostly used two of the three; those being bold and beautiful. Showcasing her collection’s functionality and effortless versatility, ethnic and bohemian inspiration were seen in bold pants prints. Interesting details included her touch to dresses, which had patterned under-layers that showed themselves under a series of frills. Cool rocker chic outfits included graphic tees, textured jackets and mini skirts with pops of color. Then came the bolder looks, that featured dresses with can-can to give them a lift. With linen, frills and geometric patterns Kesia presented a stunning collection that certainly came in as one of my favorites.
With shells pinned to the heads of models who wore no hats, J Angelique Clothing honestly had one of the best styling techniques used for the weekend of Barbados’ Fashion season. I was impressed by the color blocking which is definitely still a prevalent trend, along with the use of interesting accessories that gave every outfit an interesting pop. The outfits all had a chic style aesthetic, being extremely feminine, in the ways they were cut and designed with vibrant neon colors. Tailoring also played a part in the display, being a major inspiration for the high-waist trouser and the crinkled pants that came in pink. Although the entire collection wasn’t a huge favorite of mine, the collection was definitely a good one and appealed to the cute girly girl.
Sheer glamour is the description I’d give to the lovely collection that walked the runway designed by Christina Goddard. The symmetrical cuts, the gorgeous sheer fabric that was used in minimal looks, and of course the bold and edgy dressed that came in white. It was a wave of freshness for the collections that had previously walked the runway, and in all it’s simplicity, it was bold and different.
Exaggerated shoulders, red, orange, yellow, black and white. These were elements that flooded the Kimon Baptiste collection, along with ruffles, floral accents and prints & patterns. The St. Vincent designer, who is branded as Kimistic designs took a very classic approach, and used extreme femininity to create the main silhouette of the collection. Accessories were certainly not absent, emphasizing once again, the classicism of the collection.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, MY FAVORITES.
