THE organisers of Caribbean Fashion Week have always touted the marriage between fashion and music. This union has resulted in a number of artistes appearing on the annual show over its 14 years.
However, very few persons are ever able to see the ‘marriage’ unfold.
On Saturday’s opening night, the entertainment package included international selectors Jillionaire of Major Lazer, and Kyle Desouza as well as Tony Matterhorn, Ishawna and the dancehall duo RDX. However, few of the patrons who turned out for the fashion segment stayed behind for the performances.
The entertainment was scheduled for the end of the evening after patrons had their fill of fashion. Truth is, with no full-length sets, these acts could have been well-served during breaks between collections. They would have provided great entertainment while patrons milled through the exhibition halls, especially when Jillionaire and Desouza were ‘spinning’ music.
That aside, the designs displayed inside the National Indoor Sports Centre in St Andrew Saturday left some fashionistas wanting more.
“There were too many inconsistencies,” one patron told the Jamaica Observer. “The designers really need to step up their game,” she continued. “That said, I really liked the collection by Jehan Jackson, and Delia Alleyne has great potential.”
Jackson created one of the evening’s few buzzes with a line of resort wear titled ‘Old Harbour Babe’ — homage to her mother’s hometown in St Catherine.
The collection featured textiles created by Jackson to represent the area’s famed flora and fauna.
Singjay Ishawna turned up the heat with a steamy performance which featured a cameo by Beenie Man. They did their collaboration, Hottest Gal Alive. She also took the opportunity to launch her lingerie line, Legendary.
Of note, this year CFW gave the stage to emerging designers, five of whom were from the island of Tobago. Diamond Linton, whose line is called Tobago Gyal, was one of the standout collections among this group, as well as bag designer Cherie Warner of Cee Wee Designs.
CFW 2014 also saw the return of Jamaican swimwear designer Denise Katz (formerly Denise Heffes) and her label Spunk. The collections on Saturday closed with local designer Juliette Dyke for Julan.
The fashion showcase was scheduled to culminate last night with designs from Cedella Marley, Robert Young from Trinidad, and Mutamba.
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