Why I don't Support Local

They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I believe something similar occurred with the ever popular SupportLocal hashtag within the fashion community of Trinidad and Tobago. In an attempt to bring attention to locally created fashion design, every post on social media bore #SupportLocal. It was catchy so it caught on, yet I can't help feeling that it has done more hurt to the industry.

Trinis have a problem with the idea of anything local. If it comes from Trinidad, we believe it is somehow inferior.This is because it is commonly found that Trinidadian people have a lack lustre work ethic, and this attitude must be reflected in the craftsmanship and quality of whatever they create. I am not going to say no.It is true. A lot of Trinidadian entrepreneurs do not have what it takes. I am not talking about talent, but drive and diligence. That said, a lot of them do have it. By attaching the word "local" to fashion produced here has done two things, it has attached the stereotype of poor quality, and it has imposed a fence around our fashion, guarding it from having international appeal.

The Support Local movement was created to stimulate economic activity here. We have the resources to provide attractive fashion right in our country, yet so much shopping is abroad through Online purchases or through travelling with the purpose of buying fashion. I much prefer to encourage local/ regional people to "ShopCaribbean" in order to develop our industry and have it seen as a valuable resource. The difference between "SupportLocal" and "ShopCaribbean/ShopLocal" is that the word "Support" is often attached to causes which need your patronage and charity. Frankly it means "Give us some money please. We really need it". People know what you mean even when you sugarcoat it with words like "Support" when you mean "Give", "Pay" and "buy". Fashion is a business! Be straightforward! We want you to shop and buy fashion made in your region! Most importantly, the difference between asking people to support and asking them to shop, is that lending support is done from an emotional place. I don't want people to buy Caribbean fashion because they feel they need to give something to these struggling designers. I want people to Shop Caribbean because there are amazing designers here who make fantastic clothing and accessories. I would never ask someone to "support local" and buy something that is irrelevant in the international fashion climate, nor things that are cheap and ugly. Lastly, we want to encourage people to build brand loyalties with Caribbean labels. Asking for their support is like asking them to throw a quarter in your cup; it doesn't imply an ongoing relationship, it feels like a one-time thing.

I want Caribbean labels to be on the tip of your tongue like international ones. I don't want them grouped as "local designers", but just designers in their own right! The regional market is too small to keep building this barrier and locking in fashion made in the Caribbean. For the industry to thrive we need to reach the world.

#ShopBeautifulPieces #UniquePieces #HandmadeWithLove #IknowWhoMadeMyClothes

CLD's Magic Formula to running a Fashion Business

When she crashed onto the scene with momentum that can only be compared to a snowball, the name which no one knew mere days before, was now the talk of the town; Charu Lochan Dass.

Her début RTW Collection shown at Aria in 2013 caught everyone by surprise, and we love surprises like these. Her high-end (in our domestic fashion market), cohesive and full-sized Collection was something that budding designers struggle to produce within the resources we have in the local industry. Apart from it's aesthetic appeal and impressive craftsmanship, her audience applauded her achievement in jumping this hurdle that many struggle to overcome. Mere months later, Charu opened her CLD boutique at 55 Gallus Street, Woodrook. the official launch attracted stylists, fellow designers, customers, friends and countless supporters. Since launching her brand less than a year ago she is designing the Miss T&T Universe contestants' gowns, and has even dressed the Prime Minister!

I visited the boutique recently, there to meet her and the wonderful clothes. I had to find out her secret recipe to this dream that she has now shown us is real and tangible.

I love Charu. I love her spirit. She is like your best girlfriend, telling you as it is, making jokes and having sudden short-lived burst of anxious thoughts which can best be cured with a drag. Asking her all her business after only meeting her twice was shockingly natural.

We both are quite to-the-point. I asked her,
                                "How does one go about getting all of this?"
I was referring to all her successes; the store, the racks filled with her own beautiful designs and the wonderful reputation that accompanies it all.

She asked if she could be frank. I would prefer her to respond no way else.
                                 "Money."

Yes! Of Course. Ha! That's the problem. We knew that. I wished that she had some magic trick she could offer me; some loophole, some connection in the business. Disappointed, it seemed to me that she was simply blessed to come from a wealthy family and like all other spoiled rich kids, could have the business of her dreams. That's when it got interesting.

The scenario was not how I pictured it. Daddy didn't hand her a silver spoon to go be Kim Kardashian. Charu delved into her story; the journey that has brought her to where she is now. She told me about taking risks and sacrificing to expand a Mehendi booth she ran at the Divali Nagar while working at a low paying job. She put literally all her money into it. RISK. She was not afraid to take risks. She really believed in herself. She went against the advice of others who showed her why things wouldn't work. The profit was rewarding.

It was not so simple though. As she grew and expanded with gruelling effort, the work and time invested in growing her booth into stores in different plazas seemed to be in vain with sudden major personal setbacks. She FOUGHT. When it was easy to give up and scale down, Charu found it appropriate to go after her dream, and signed up to London College of Fashion to study fashion design. It was something that she could not have done before due to certain obligations. Instead of focussing on what she lost, she saw that she had nothing more to lose. Life in London also threw it's challenges. Charu had to work to support herself there, switching roles with former employees of her own; doing jobs that had her question the path she had chosen for herself.

When she finally returned to Trinidad, she wasted no time getting her business together. This woman has a DRIVE like no other.

She told me that she never stopped because she knew this was for her. Though times were difficult, there were always doors opening and leading her in this direction. INTUITION and not fighting against what is natural helped her to take every step in the correct order which has brought her to where she is today.

So that's what I learned from Charu. To be successful you have to be realistic. It takes Money. To get that money you have to be willing to take Risks. You need to Fight through the hard times if your Intuition tells you that you are on the right path. You need to stay Driven and never tire.

*If there is one direct piece of advice she gave, it was that a fashion is 90% business and 10% design. Her experience in retail has helped her tremendously.

From the Stage to the Shop: Tobago Fashion Weekend Afterthoughts

I spent the week rummaging through Social Media, macoing hardcore to catch a glimpse of the Tobago Fashion Weekend happenings. I was quite saddened to see that I missed out on what appeared to be a fantastic platform for new and more well-known designers to show what they're made of. It was really a special moment to see UTT Students showing alongside veterans like Claudia Pegus, and standing their ground with work that was comparable in technique, quality and beauty. Congratulations to everyone who showed! Despite the rain and other hiccups, TFW definitely did not disappoint.

Sterling Nelson

Sonia Noel

I know everyone has been waiting to hear my commentary on which designs I loved and which ones in my opinion crashed like a 747 on a rainy day, but as I perused the hundreds of images posted to Facebook, I thought of a bigger matter than that of my taste and criticism. What is the purpose of all of this? Even more, do people get the whole purpose of it all?

I believe it was Anthony Rahael who said that Fashion Shows are not just a pretty display for people to ooh and aah at. (Paraphrasing of course.) They are a part of a business model. Fashion shows are an opportunity  for buyers, stylists and customers to see the fashion product, so as to make a decision regarding purchase.

Christian Boucaud Easter Collection

Very recently I see boutiques starting to incorporate Trinidad based designers' items in their stores and I must say I am thrilled at this progress! Rachel Ross and Meiling are now joined by Fete A.G.D. jewellery at the Gallery in Long Circular Mall. Vamp Boutique on Mucurapo Road houses Statements by Sarah Young as well as Hak Gwai Designs. Indulge on Tragarete Road started by carrying Christian Boucaud, and now have Whole Peace Swimwear. Afiya Bishop currently has made samples of her own label "Loud" available at her store, next to trendy imported garments, and I'm hearing talks of her soon to be including another Trinidad based Label (Not at liberty to disclose this yet, but it makes me pretty excited!!) These are just a small few, but I know of at least 2 more very popular shops that are scouting local designers to stock on their shelves! Let's not forget that some designers like Christian Boucaud and Rhion Romany, have opened up their own shops!

As an individual consumer, I urge you to take a look at the great stuff that you have available to you right here. Some of my favourite things I have ever worn have been designed and constructed right at home in Trinidad.

Designers are on a wave to have clothing Ready to wear. Van der Vlugt and Adrian Foster put out special designs this past month, available in select colour and sizes, ready for you after alterations. Our fashion industry is finally becoming a tangible resource as it is reaching our consumers more readily. I expect that soon we will be able to view and purchase pieces online!

I started NoMoreFashionVictims as a means to open up the eyes of my fellow Trinis to the fashion industry. The market will not exist nor grow if the potential consumers are not just uninterested, but unaware of what the industry is in the first place! I am happy to see people's eagerness about attending Fashion Socials like the Filtered Fashion schmooze Thursdays at Paprika, as well as Fashion Shows and Launches. (Heard that J. Angelique's launch is totally booked out already!) It is great to know that people are not only looking to see what is happening, but are coveting and purchasing fashion made in Trinidad!

Designer Christian Boucaud with Model Athaliah Samuels at TFW2013

I have been saying all along that 2013 is the year for our fashion. The steps have been small but steady and I am hopeful about the future. I now await an increase in school programmes, workshops and the availability of the human resource and machinery required to grow these small businesses. For now I will close my eyes now and dream of the the department store dressing room where I would hang up garments from Zadd and Eastman next to Michael Kors and Max Azria.

Zadd and Eastman TFW2013

Zadd and Eastman

Photo Credits: Inken Janning, Tobago Fashion Weekend, Christian Boucaud Designs, Adrian Foster

The Effective Simplicity of Adrian Foster

During my time at CAFD, I crossed paths with a charming fellow student, who was a year above me. Other students would talk about him and his work. It was clear that his potential was being marked by teachers and  closely observed by competitive colleagues. No one can deny that Adrian Foster has been blessed with  magical talent. By some work of the universe, he and I found ourselves in the same Contemporary Fashion History class. Naturally I gravitated towards him, and we sat together (also with seatmate Ricky B. Holla!), giving me the opportunity of getting to know more of him than just a fantastic illustrator and perceptive eye for design.

Adrian is like a cat. He is quiet and gentle. His delicate interaction with people make him like-able and easy to be around. Then there will be that moment where his company is caught off- guard by his passion, and his fierce love for fashion and art will arouse a startle. At only 23, Adrian has been recognised for so much. Aside from making waves at CAFD, he was awarded Designer of the Year by Enasha Photography, San Francisco in 2010.

I was able to ask Adrian some big questions, Naturally, he gave me even bigger answers!

How did you become involved in fashion?

Fashion for me started at a much younger age, unaware and uneducated about the industry or what I was doing. It was only then in my late teenage years I was introduced into fashion by a great mentor, now deceased. I remained with his teachings and experiences which help grew my interest even more. Now I’m studying fashion at the Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design at UTT. I am now living my dream. 

What is your design aesthetic and who is your client?

ADRIAN FOSTER embodies “Simplicity that is effective” with clean contemporary lines and silhouette that accentuates the curves and valuable asset of a woman’s body merely to highlight her natural beauty. A sexual sophistication and minimal colour and hints of texture all to depict the simplicity of the design but effective and appealing to the eye. My target customers are young successful professional women who have very active social lifestyles.

How do you plan to affect, change and contribute to fashion in Trinidad?

By introducing a fashion brand to the Caribbean Market, the goal is to stand distinctively as a fashion designer brand name “of the Caribbean, from the Caribbean” My company is working towards changing the way islanders see Caribbean Fashion by providing a product and service that is of great value and quality which infuses a stylized ethnical Caribbean flare which can be appreciated by the many niches of the industry. It is therefore my company’s way of contributing towards the development of the fashion sector in Trinidad and Tobago.

What is your vision for the fashion industry in Trinidad?

I believe Trinidad and Tobago is entitled for many improvements for it to be a fully successful fashion industry. However in all due time it will. With that said, what I personally will like to see in the future is –

1.      A Fashion Association – by no means I am not trying hamper those that currently exist but, in my honest opinion Trinidad and Tobago is one country and I am pretty sure that we conduct one fashion industry which host many entities. Therefore why is there a need to have three and four Fashion Associations and most of which are not serving a purpose to help the problems and the developments of this fashion industry.

Furthermore, there are many sides to a fashion industry – fashion is not only about an image, design, or brand - it is also most importantly a business industry where buying and selling of goods and services are conducted.

Trinidad and Tobago needs to understand first that this is a business before we can even think about entertaining. This is where I believe a stronger Fashion Association can be introduce to conduct this fashion business in Trinidad and Tobago. One of the main responsibilities of Fashion Association is to develop a yearly plan of a seasonal Designer buyer’s month or week where during that season all design houses of Trinidad and Tobago and buyers/retailers come together where designers showcase their products to these retailers so that it is sold on retail. This is merely for those houses who wish to go retail.

2.      A Fashion District – the fashion industry in Trinidad and Tobago needs to officially take it’s place! We need a location which can house most of the high business of fashion; Caribbean Designer Brands mainly! Not sure if I can say “high end’ but quality retail stores which support Caribbean designer labels and so on.

3.      Production houses – Not all Fashion houses will be vertically integrated, but for few who wish to outsource production, I will like to see more fashion production houses setup in Trinidad and Tobago. Also it is the only way a real fashion industry will exist in Trinidad and Tobago.

I have to agree with Adrian. The fashion industry is a business. It may be fuelled by creativity, but it has the potential to feed our nation economically and sustainably so. Adrian is just one of the future entrepeneurs to be graduating from CAFD. Hopefully his colleagues share this type of thinking, drive and commitment. I'm ready to witness the game-changing result!

Adrian's Work was featured in the most recent issue of 6Carlos magazine