The Caribbean Collections exhibition at London Fashion Week was deemed a huge success,with press and buyers alike visiting the designers to offer feedback on the collections.
The two-day event held at the Charing Cross hotel in London showcased the creations of 10 esteemed and exciting designers from the Caribbean including Jamaican London-based designer Gavin Douglas who dressed Kelly Rowland for her last album cover and Phelicia Dell of Haiti, whose range of handbags were chosen by Diane Von Furstenberg to sell in her chain of stores. A private dinner following the exhibitions hosted by Jamaican supermodels Jaunel Mckenzie and Nell Robinson was held at the sumptuous Corinthia Hotel. Guests included America’s next top model star and Italian Vogue cover girl Toccara Jones, Harvey Nichols buying Director David Pun, Vogue Italia’s Federico and media maven Jasmine Dotiwala. American star Bruno Mars’ band also made a surprise appearance with their stylist to sample the Caribbean’s fashion offering.
While Grace Jones was unable to attend due to dental surgery, the icon, who was honoured by the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association, offered her full support of the Caribbean Collections exhibition, and the Caribbean Export Development Agency and Jamaican promotion’s mission to put Caribbean fashion on the global map, and said;
“It is an honour to accept the first ever Caribbean International Fashion Icon Award, presented by the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association. In all my years of travelling the globe I have never forgotten my Jamaican roots and it is a distinct pleasure to have my work recognized by the Caribbean, in London, my home away from home. In receiving this award, I hope that I am also contributing in some small way to the further development of the Caribbean’s growing fashion industry, which has definitely come of age.”
Chairman of the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association, Kingsley Cooper said, “This is just the beginning. We have forged some exciting working relationships through the Caribbean Collections exhibition which we will be building on to capitalize and ensure the Caribbean has a presence consistently at London Fashion Week moving forward and ultimately, secures a place on the global high-street.”
