Pompasetting

Last post my trendsetters, I told you that the fashion beast within me was awaken and I was left hungry for more. Well, I was given the opportunity to feed this beast at the recently held PompaWeekend at Divi Southwinds’ Pure Ocean Restaurant. Judging from last’s year event, I was excited to see this year’s fashion show and  I wasn’t disappointed as it introduced me to many new local designers that I was totally unaware of.

The PompWeekend, which is in its second year, is another opportunity for young fashion designers to showcase their designs. This year I have to say that organiser and publisher Toni Thorne and her team at Pompasette Magazine outdid themselves and gave the true definition of a seamless runway with close to 20 designers showing. There were so many collections to see and there was something for everyone including fashion for both males and females. The looks included elegant and casual ready to wear pieces, business wear, bridal wear and swimwear. The designs were chic, playful, urban and edgy with the use of colour, patterns and construction that ranged from demure to risque. I have to give credit were credit was due and even though some of the designers were self-taught, it truly didn’t show as the collections were of high standards.

As Toni always says,” Pompasette is more than just a magazine” and in addition to the stunning runway show the finalists of the “Wear the Issue” Inter-school competition held by Government Information Service (GIS) walked the catwalk in their T-shirt designs; there was also the launch of Settlers Season which was previously known as “Settlers: The West Coast Experience”; as well as entertainment provided by an artiste from the Honey Jam Jazz Barbados. Kudos must go out to Toni Thorne and her team on another successful event.

Here’s a look at some of my favorite designs:

Don’t forget to grab your free copy of the latest issue of the Pompasette Magazine available in various locations island-wide.

(BBFW) Bridgetown Barbados Fashion Week 2014

For a brief moment I wanted to rip my shirt off with my bare hands and scream “feed me more” like WWE wrestler Ryback but with my son in hand and realization of my surroundings I had to refrain. BBFW 2014 had awaken my inner beast and left me hungry for more. The independence weekend kicked of at the Hilton Barbados Hotel with an invite only cocktail launch and press release that promised fashion enthusiasts that they were in for a treat. Take my word for it, as it was surely a weekend to remember with two nights of fresh and innovating designs showcasing Spring/Summer 2015 collections from both the local and international celebrity designers. The air was filled with loud coos of approval, blinding flashes and shuttering sounds of the cameras.

The runway shows kicked off with Jewelry by Antonia. It was a selection of beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets that ranged from simple yet stunning pieces to more elaborate breath taking ones. These designs would make the perfect statement piece as the could be worn with a red carpet look or easily dress up a more toned down outfit.

The collection by Jacqueline Benn Schuppe  was named Ling Ling; a name she is affectionately known by and it was influenced by the 50’s.  Clever use of denim, tulle, lace and cotton modernized her vintage inspired pieces. One could never refer to her collection as dated with an array of dresses, classic blouses and skirts well accentuated with accessories appropriate to the time the era from pearls to turbans and other head pieces.

Up and coming designer Carla Gittens fresh from Jamaica Mission Catwalk season 4 where she was first runner-up debuted her collection Designs By Carolori for the first time here at BBFW. Carla’s collection was feminine and give an air of effortless with bold bows and flowers to compliment some of the contemporary designs.

This was the second time for Charles Corvsky Dieujuste showing at BBFW and he surely lived up to expectations based on his previous showcase. Once again femininity and sophistication was evident as his collection breathed luxurious elegance with chic flowing pieces. Charles final piece was a crowd pleaser, comprising of a black lace and tulle dress which was more risque but it was still coherent with the other looks as it easily flowed down the runway.

Learning a second language is always a plus and it offered me the privilege of working with designer Karlos Nunez as Dominica Republic as his translator. His menswear line entitled “Men Tailory” had a touch of the 40’s yet it was very modern. There was a wide selection of ready to wear pieces that were sharp and crisp accessorized with suspenders, gold chains links, hats and designer bags. His pieces showed great detail, craftsmanship and understanding of fabrics. Favorites with the crowd and myself were his trench coats pieces which had a hint of suspense to the character. Over all his collection would be perfect for the man looking for the “charming gentlemen” look.

The word “Anticipation” would be an understatement when referring to the level of excitement there was to see the collection “Alien Queen” by Viktor Luna finalist of Project Runway season 9. Viktor drew his inspiration from the pop king himself, the legend Michael Jackson. Just like Michael was ahead of his times, Viktor’s collection was avant-garde, futuristic, biker chic yet feminine. His designs mostly consisted of leather pieces, bondage straps, armor like details, spikes and studs giving a yin-yang feeling of good and bad merged into one. The final piece really embodied the collection’s name “Alien Queen” and at the end of his collection all I could say was ” Abduct me now! Beam me up Scottie”.

So there is no doubt in my mind and I can truly say that once again Barbados has proved to be the fashion capital in the Caribbean.

We Now Return To Our Regular Schedule

Hey my Trendsetters, I’m backkkk….

To all my readers I deeply and humbly apologize for being M.I.A over the last couple of months. As much as I wanted to be blogging as usual, time just kept alluding me. So much has happened, but I won’t dive into every detail of the last couple of months but I would like to highlight one of my crowning moments.  Since I was away, I had the opportunity of experiencing the growth of another human being inside of me and I gave birth a beautiful baby boy I named Nathaniel.

8 mths pregnant

Baby Nathaniel

Honestly, I became a bit overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being a new mom. What I thought motherhood would be and the reality of what it really is kind of hit me for a six or as my american readers would say a home run. At times I felt as if I was in over my head, between taking care of my newborn son, working on my postpartum body  with the practice of yoga (I am so not about the pouch life) and all that stacked on top of my daily life.  I found it a bit hard to balance everything at first, thankfully everything is coming together and I’m balancing better now.

Now that my son is older and more independent or so he thinks, I have found time to start blogging again (insert happy dance). So you can look out for my posts coming your way especially my review for Bridgetown Barbados Fashion Week 2014 that will be posted shortly and other fashion events I have left on the fashion calendar for this year.

Once again it’s great to be back.