Herb & Spices plus fashion

IMAGINE while having a sumptuous lunch, models wearing fashions by top local designers strut their stuff before your eyes.

Well for the next month, patrons can experience Fashion Lunch at Herb & Spices, the remodelled restaurant at Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, St Ann’s, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, leading up to Styleweek Port of Spain scheduled for October 12-14.

The new initiative by the hotel began last Wednesday with a menu that tantalised foodies and with styles which brought out the fashionista in guests and patrons.

The opening show featured a wide variety of dishes in a lunch buffett that was specially crafted by executive chef Jose Gutierrez and his culinary team, and which pretty much matched the styles of top designer Claudia Pegus.

After starting with a Trini corn soup guests and patrons were asked to select their own ingredients for their Caesar salad, choosing from romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, parmesan cheese, assorted croutons, grilled chicken and ham.

They also had an option for beef and chicken burgers with flavour fries or the main comprising grilled king fish in tomato sauce, short ribs in peppercorn sauce, coconut rice, potato pie and green peas, as well as items from the vegetable and cheese bar.

For dessert, options were mixed berry rifle, chocolate pod de crème, fruit tarts, cheese cake and fruit salad.

And while guests got down to lunch, they got a preview of designs from Pegus that will be part of her collection for Styleweek.

The Fashion Lunch event is the brainchild of Hilton’s general manager Olivier Maumaire who had a dream to see local fashion designers and lunch collide under one roof.

Maumaire was present and took delight in seeing his dream come to fruition.

The event is being held in collaboration with Coco Velvet International led by Christopher Nathan and will bring other well-known local designers to the restaurant to feature their work.

On Wednesday, fashions from Heather Jones International will be featured, then on Friday, the designs of Neha Karina.

September 26 will see Shaun Griffith Perez Design and September 28 will be Linkage by Dayle Angus. Sew Lisa by Lisa Gittens is on September 29 and October 5 will see Nieuw Look by Jaselle Henry; October 6 – Keri Bazzey Couture; and on October 10, Kiran K Clothing will wrap up the series.

Hilton is also partnering with Coco Velvet International for Styleweek Port of Spain which takes place at UTT’s APA on Frederick Street, Port of Spain and at the Hilton, with the hotel hosting one fashion show and after parties.