By Erica Meus-Saunders 

On November 5th, 2008, the Islands of the World Fashion Week premiered at the historic British Colonial Hilton. The catwalks at the Hilton were buzzing with models strutting couture, ready-to-wear, resort, swimwear, accessories, and other designs from far and near: Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Fiji, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Madagascar, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, and The Bahamas.

Nu Woman magazine; Island fashion.

Nu Woman Magazine topic: Island Fashion

The first day of the fashion show had some minor setbacks with a few delays but the designers and runway models did not disappoint. Nu Woman had two photographers (Dwayne Delancy and Phillippa Michel) on the scene and they worked tirelessly to get the photos of the designers’ collections as they hit the runway.

The opening night was scheduled at Atlantis in the Imperial Ballroom, and the atmosphere tingled with excitement. Again, there were some events that were delayed; however, the designers and models were ‘at the top of their game’. There were some pre-judging and the audience was given a taste of what to expect in the coming days. Throughout the event, I met numerous designers and ‘fashionistas’ with the highlight of that night being meeting Nolé Marin from America’s Next Top Model and Claudia Pegus (a designer from Trinidad and Tobago).

After all the collections had showed one or two pieces for judging, we were treated to designs from Peter Ingwersen of NOIR Illuminati II from Denmark. It was such a ground-breaking experience with young designers such as Hupfeld, Tamiko Browne, Tesha Fritz and Apryl Weech displaying their collection for the first time, while more seasoned designers such as Claudia Pegus, Percy Wallace, Queen Ester of Kuumba Designs, and Basheva Eve held their own.

Also showcasing their designs were Nick Verreos of Nikolaki from the USA; Kevan Hall of Kevan Hall Collection from the USA; and Kenneth Cole from the USA who also received the Humanitarian Designer Award.

Islands of the World Fashion Week was conceived by Mr. Owen Bethel, President of Mode lIes, Ltd., while on his tour

Nu Woman magazine; Island fashion.

Nu Woman Magazine topic: Island Fashion

of duty as the Representative for The Bahamas on the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.

The event was endorsed by UNESCO, and promoted cultural diversity and dialogue, focusing on such global issues as the environment and climate change, the education of youth on HIV/AIDS, and poverty alleviation. Participating designers each presented a design that embraced environmentally friendly processes or addressed global social issues, and a design that reflected cultural influences. Below are the closing night results.

 Closing night results:

Cultural Eco & Fashion Award

1. Darcel de Vlugt
2. Hupfeld Hoerder (Fiji) *
3. Tamiko Browne  “Tami B Designs” (St Vincent and the Grenadines) *
4. Lisa Cordice

Winner: Tami B Designs.

Sustainable Eco-Fashion Award

1. Queen Ester Joseph (St. Lucia)
2. Darcel de Vlugt (Trinidad)
3. Hupfeld Hoerder

Winner: Queen Ester

 Next Generation Designer Award (Less than three years experience with no showing at a major fashion house).

Winner: Tami B Designs

 Seals of Excellence

1. Claudia Pegus (Trinidad) *
2. Nadya (Bali, Indonesia)
3.  Heather Jones (Jamaica) *
4.  Harl Taylor (Bahamas)
5. House of St John, Jeff St. John (Bahamas)

 * Look for interviews with these designers plus a few more.

Nu Woman magazine; Island fashion.

Nu Woman Magazine topic: Island Fashion

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