Fashionista Family: Coming together for "The Yes Collection"

November 2013 has shown itself to be one spontaneous and coincidental fashion month in Trinidad. Almost every evening there is some exhibition, pop-up shop, launch, or fashion show. Exhausting as it may be to keep up (while looking fab), it has been , and should continue to be great fun. I already see that events are pouring into December.

Last night I attended which was possibly my most anticipated showing of this stylish season; the showing of "The Yes Collection" by Van Der Vlugt. Despite her great talent and committed attention to detail, my eagerness to experience the show had more to do with the bond that I have formed with designer, Darcel der Vlugt.

Darcel and I met over the phone. I contacted her while I was working for a magazine, to ask her to borrow some looks for a photo-shoot. We spoke for almost two hours. The connection was immediate. For months to follow our friendship deepened and I can say now that in her I have found  someone I trust, love and truly admire.

I am not here to critique the collection. I want to share with you the magic that is happening, and how I saw it at the debut showing of "The Yes Collection". I was there to show my support to the designer. The journey has not been easy. Just looking around the room  noticed how many other encouraging friends of hers were present. I'm not talking about friends she had in school, I'm talking about industry professionals who made the commitment to come down to 101 Art Gallery on a rainy evening in the middle of a super busy fashion calendar. Meiling Esau, Winsome Pommels, Babatu Sparrow, Simone Sant, Mel Gabriel, Gary Jordan, stylists, bloggers, makeup artists, managers, you name them! The room was packed with names, all there excited to share their admiration and support. This is something I have been noticing at these shows now. We, the new emerging fashion industry professionals, are forming a sort of kinship. Every event I attend I am greeted by the big smiles of my favourite team; Grant and Gajadhar (Shawna Danae Grant and Keifer Gajadhar.)  Not too long ago we didn't even know one another, but now I find myself looking forward to Crystal Ivy's bubbliness. People I never met before were coming up to me yesterday, telling me how much they enjoy my work and how they are happy to be meeting me! Everyone (contrary to how you may think of the fah-blous fashionistas) has been approachable, warm, open and eager to share their ideas or listen to yours. Just look at the co-operation that went into The Power of Beauty!

In the past we talked about how local Fashion Organisations failed because of too much segregation. I hope that this mutual respect and camaraderie that we have is providing sturdy building blocks to a future Group with a focused agenda in the common interest of growing and developing our passions into a tenacious industry.