The truth hurts sometimes

The CFStyle.com editor shared a very personal and controversial preoccupation on Facebook this morning.

"There are times as an Editor that I wish I could go through young or new Caribbean "designers'' pages and give them the proper critiques they need to grow and attain the true level of designer when it comes to construction and finish of their product and cohesion of their collections... or simply tell them which badly photographed pieces do not need to be included in their portfolio as it brings down the quality and credibility of their work. But many of them are still too emotionally attached to their work to understand constructive criticism versus personal attacks. It's very sad, but it's also a major part of why the regional industry is yet to be taken seriously."

The fact is you can and should-- actually you must give them the most honest critiques  It is a tough industry. Much of it is based on subjectivity and taste. Sometimes this may blur the line when it comes to the mere fact that fashion has standards!

Caribbean fashion, especially Trinidad fashion is close to my heart. During my training as a stylist, I was taught to stay away from online shopping. When I tell my clients this, they are aghast. Shop in Trinidad?!! The horror. What is there to buy in Trinidad?!! The truth is, they are kind of right. The options are limited and the quality is poor a lot of the times.

I own a copy of this book. A must-have for
all aspiring designers

Fashion does not start in the store, nor the runway. It begins in the place of inspiration. If your place of inspiration is how you can get a deal on this cloth and make some money- you are not producing the kind of fashion we need in the region. You should not just know how to stitch. You should be a master clothier. No idea should seem too far fetched. No fabric should be too luxurious. Fashion is an expensive business. No one ever said that designers are rich people. If that's your motivating force, you are not the kind of fashion designer we need for the region. Get sponsors. Build networks. Do research. Read. Travel. Don't for one second feel that as you step out of Design school you are the best designer in the country. With school you have barely scraped the surface of what you need to achieve before you send looks down the runway. How dare you allow a bunch of sweat shop workers to produce better garments than you, who has all the time in the world, not to mention water and shelter? Go touch designer clothing. Look at the perfect Hong Kong seams. Study the impeccable draping.

If we would stop patting one another on the back for less than mediocre work we would get somewhere. I know that a lot of hard work goes into these collections no matter how poorly they are presented, but the mere fact is that the work was not enough. We need to set higher standards. As the editor said, "it's a major part of why the regional industry is yet to be taken seriously."

To the editor, whip out your inner Anna Wintour. If it wasn't for her hardness, so many of the American designers we know and love today would be lost in a see of unfinished hemlines and exposed zippers.




I leave you with a provoking thought. It comes from a book (best book you will ever read) "A grain of wheat" by Ngugi Wa Thiongo. The prologue is an excerpt from the bible 1Corninthians 15:36

"Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened,except it die."

In other words, we must struggle and hurt if we hope to achieve greatness. For the seed to bare wheat, it must first crack and be forced open. Becoming a designer- one deserving of the title, requires the same torture. Nothing great was achieved without hardships to precede it.

Here is a link you can go to for help selecting fashion books : http://pennyluxe.com/2009/12/10/holiday-gift-guide-books/