Carla Campbell - Contributed
Caribbean Fashionweek, the region's largest and most important fashion event, was launched in Barbados recently.
A packed Sherborne Centre audience, headed by the Barbadian, inister of trade, sat in rapt attention as a star-studded line-up of Pulse models from Barbados, along with featured guest supermodels Jaunel McKenzie and Carla Campbell, led a runway parade of the best of Bajan style.
Since inception, Barbados has played a crucial role in the development of Caribbean Fashionweek, culminating with key participation at cabinet level, when the then Deputy Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, addressed buyers, press and other members of an invited audience at the National Indoor Sports Centre last year.
Largest delegation of designers
In outlining Barbados' plans for the development of the creative industries, Mottley emphasised her Government's commitment to these industries generally and fashion in particular. Outside of Jamaica, Barbados usually has the largest delegation of designers and models attending CFW, from the Caribbean region.
This year will be no exception, as officials of Invest Barbados and the BIDC, will lead a 14-member team of designers and models to CFW. Designers who showed at the launch, which was the highlight of the annual BMEX (Barbados Manufacturers Expo) opening night, include Nefertari Caddle, Pat Braithwaite, Fifth Element, Wayne Smith, Pauline Bellamy, Third Revolt, Avark, Dwayne Sobers and a number of others.
The launch was produced by Pulse Barbados which is headed by John Hunte and Dawn-Lisa Callendar-Smith. Pulse Chairman Kingsley Cooper and General Manager Romae Gordon both attended the event, which was widely covered by local and Caribbean press, including SHE Caribbean's Editor-In-Chief Mae Wayne.
Strategically important fashion event
Caribbean Fashionweek 2008 will be held from June 11-16. It is the most far-reaching and strategically important fashion event in the region. Over the past years, Pulse has created a production of the highest international standard to showcase the best of the Caribbean's designers, as well as others visiting from various parts of the world. Approximately 50 designers from 20 countries participated in 2007. An even more enhanced event, in reach and scope, will be presented in 2008.
A continuing partnership with Fashion Television, Paris, will take the event even further in 2008. A Caribbean Fashionweek Cruise on the ultra luxurious Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas (boasting 4,000 cabins, it is the biggest cruiseliner in the world), will be jointly presented by Pulse and FTV. It will be launched at this year's event for inauguration at CFW 2009. Fashion TV is currently broadcasting last year's event to more than 300 million households around the world.
