Region’s premier fashion event opens in Jamaica on Thursday

Grammy award-winner Estelle and platinum recording star Brian McKnight add glitz to the mix.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Wednesday June 06, 2012 – An explosion of colour, sound and style is forecast when the 12th annual Caribbean Fashionweek (CFW), the region’s premier fashion event, opens tomorrow, Thursday, at the National Indoor Sports Centre, Kingston.

Grammy award-winning UK songstress Estelle and platinum recording artist Brian McKnight will add glitz to the June 7-11 mix which brings together top regional designers and models and their counterparts from around the world.

Designers from the Caribbean include Cedella Marley, daughter of the legendary Bob Marley, who has been busy designing a collection of Jamaica Olympic team gear for Puma and will debut her new swimwear collection “High Tide” at the show. Designer Tigerlily, whose celebrity fans include Keira Knightly, will also showcase her latest collection to an audience of the Caribbean fashion industry’s Who’s Who.
  
Other highlights of Caribbean Fashionweek 2012 include supermodel and Karl Lagerfeld muse Jeneil Williams and face of Ralph Lauren Oraine Barrett who recently appeared with Rihanna in her “Man Down” video.

Industry heavyweights such as Federico Poletti of Vogue Italia, David Pun, buying director of Harvey Nichols, and Toccara Jones, winner of America’s Next Top Model, are expected to attend, while confirmed UK designers include emerging designer Jhaniel Smith and Vogue designer Gavin Douglas.

The fashion gala takes another step forward in 2012 as Pulse, who produces Caribbean Fashionweek, redoubles its efforts to take Caribbean fashion to a place of enhanced respect, recognition and profit at the centre of world fashion.

This initiative continues to be executed in partnership with Caribbean stakeholders, including the Caribbean Export Development Agency, the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association, the Jamaica Tourist Board, various related governmental and non-governmental agencies, as well as other regional stakeholders and industry professionals.
 
CFW is the largest, most important fashion event in the region. Pulse has developed an event of a high international standard to showcase the best of the Caribbean’s designers, as well as other world regarded stylists from various parts of the globe. About 50 designers from 20 countries participate each year.

The CFW business forum, exhibition, superstar concert performances, supermodels, after parties, tours and more will all continue in 2012.

Since its inception in 2001, Caribbean Fashionweek has been the main catalyst for Caribbean fashion industry development. In the process CFW designers have been featured in Vogue, The Associated Press, The Independent, The Sunday Times, Fashion TV Paris, Italian Vogue, The Guardian, The New York Times, i-D, The BBC and a host of other media around the world. The event has received a number of awards and has been recognized by British Vogue as an important new development in world fashion. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)