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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
(Photos: Frédéric Bukajlo /Labo Ethnik)
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FRANCE - May 22nd through 25th was all about fashion in Paris, as Labo Ethnik Fashion and Lifestyle, an international fashion trade show, took place at Cite de la Mode in Paris. This year was the 8th edition, and this annual fashion event is about giving international fashion designers the opportunity to showcase their brand, designs and style to not only a French audience, but to international visitors, press and fashionistas.
There were 80 brands displaying their designs and accessories, giving you the opportunity to meet the designers and purchase their beautiful designs. Furthermore, there were fashion shows with more than 20 designers showcasing their masterpieces on the runway, like
Yoodi, Deborah Manene,
Nansa Camara, Madoki, Nubia, Chalina Couture and so on.
On Saturday there was an 'Emergence Young Designers Contest' with 7 designers participating including the Caribbean fashion designer
Shernicia Mayers' who is from St.Vincent and the Grenadines. The six other designers were
Deborah Manene, Nansa Camara, Estelle Coezy from France,
Ketsya Desruisseaux, Marie-Laure Kuliralo, and
Lala Sultana. The winner of this contest was the young designer Estelle Coezy.
I had the pleasure to meet several designers from the Caribbean and potential sponsors to financially support our 'Caribbean Fashion Industry Fundraiser' as we seek to bridge the gap between the Caribbean and Western fashion industries (USA and Europe) by enhancing sales and promotions opportunities for the Caribbean designers. 'Dy Muñeca the Caribbean Fashion Spot’ intends to enhance more brand awareness for and promoting the Caribbean Fashion industry at international (fashion) events like the 2015 Golden Globes Celebrity Gift Suit event in Beverly Hills next January; by making a (small) donation.
Designer Heather Jones seen bottom left image (on right) with fashion writer, Dy Muneca at Labo Ethnik in Paris, France (Fashion photos by Frédéric Bukajlo for Labo Ethnik)
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We had a chance to personally meet and interview '
Heather Jones' the internationally known designer from Trinidad and Tobago (this was her 6th time in Paris and first time at Labo Ethnik); the young designer
Shernicia Mayers of 'Atelier Shernicia' from St.Vincent (first time in Paris and Labo);
Sabrina Vincent of 'TiMolokoy' a clothing line for baby's and children, she is from French Guyana;
Anneliese Dayes from the UK who is of St. Lucian and Jamaican descent, she's is not only the founder and the designer of 'Frills' a socks brand (she just started a year ago and this is her first time at Labo), but also a model, she participated in UK Next Top Model and America's Next Top model (the British invasion) ; and
Silvia Berté of 'SWA', an accessories designer from Martinique. These designers are our next 'Caribbean Fashion Designers of the Week'.
Another designer who is not from the Caribbean, but was very impressive with her designs that was shown on the runway is the young designer
Lala Sultana of 'House of Sultana' from France, originally from Congo. Her designs are a fusion of Indian and African influences. She told us that her vision is to incorporate different cultures in her designs as she wants to give traditional clothing a more modern and fashionable look. Her message is, "It's okay to embrace your own culture in modern society by wearing clothing with traditional features."
Sultana's choice to create pieces with Indian and African prints is based on the fact that she perceives herself as a very open-minded person who is very interested in different cultures and wants to express that through her designs. This young talent who is only 28 years old, speaks Hindi fluently and is also planning to learn Japanese and to incorporate their culture in her designs. She continues that she has so many ideas and she would love her designs to be appealing to many cultures. In the future she also sees herself showcasing her work in the Caribbean and designing clothing with Caribbean features.
There is a big world to be explored and she is open to meeting new cultures and countries to get inspiration from, she claims. Lala is very determined, talented, hardworking, original, and has a very open-minded mentality mixed with an extrovert personality, which are good ingredients to make it as a successful fashion designer. We strongly believe that she will succeed!
Left to right: Yvette Tai-Coquillay, Director, Labo Ethnik; Vincent McDoom, Artistic / Casting Director, Labo Ethnik; singer Inna Modja; and Heather Jones, Designer, Heather Jones International Photo: Frédéric Bukajlo /Labo Ethnik
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(Photos: Frédéric Bukajlo /Labo Ethnik - Photo far right by DConcept)
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After a great show! Models with Vincent McDoom (standing center in colorful caftan by Lyn Bristol / St. Lucia) Models from the Bahamas and St. Lucia also participated. Photo: Frédéric Bukajlo / Labo Ethnik
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‘Dy Muñeca the Caribbean Fashion Spot’, is the spot for all your fashion in the Caribbean Community We aim to provide women of today in the Caribbean, especially the 15
member states of the CARICOM (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas,
Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat,
Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), with updates about the latest
fashion and at the same time ‘Dy Muñeca the Caribbean Fashion
Spot’ is an independent directory of webshops shipping in and to the Caribbean.
Website
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