PARALLAX

KIERAN ANDREW KHAN

In it’s tenth year of pioneering fashion and education, The Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design (CAFD) at the University of Trinidad and Tobago hosted Parallax at its John Donaldson, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain campus last Sunday. Representing the paradigm shift of fashion, the show examined the vision of fashion through different global perspectives, while reintroducing classic techniques with fresh faces to the Caribbean fashion industry. As a culmination to a week of activity, including art, design and designer space exhibitions, the show was attended by parents, family members and a number of keen supporters of the industry. Here we take a look at the Senior Thesis Collections.

Ethereal

Chynelle St George

A physical manifestation of the collection’s name, St George’s work is the embodiment of other-world with just the right addition of accessories and fit to transcend from day to evening. Woven elements with exaggerated sleeves and loosely tied shoulders and back pieces offer just the right amount of unique flair to the selection of colours and materials too. It’s cute, chic and effortless.

Java Odyssey

Tonielle Williams

A mix of bold and demure colours blend together with light patterns and lots of movement in high-waisted pants and tasselled sleeves. There’s a men’s jacket with enough flair to stand out from the crowd, but the female collection offered the right balance to stand out without being too out there. An intricate gold-tied back is one such example, where the wearer will make as much an impact walking into a room as well as leaving it.

Journey to the Crown

Scharron Bain

With bold collars, neck pieces and strong lines and colour choices, Bain’s collection, aimed at the plus-size market, isn’t attempting to hide the curves or highlight them either. This is aimed at making you not even think about the woman body – but instead the presence she brings in with this power-themed collection.

Kalahari Breeze

Stacy Riley

Red and gold feature prominently, balanced with intricate patterns on accessories and skirt pieces. Riley uses patterns to carry trends throughout her presentation, offering smart colour choices and varying the look widely from piece to piece. There is a loose coherence to it all – but it’s not stifling.

Whiskey.Alpha.Romeo

Renee Philo-Wilson

Smartly spelling "war" by acronym of the collection’s name, Philo-Wilson offered us shoulder capes, beautiful A-line pants and voluminous shoulder and waist accents that popped against modern greens, golds and mauve browns – subtly applying tribute to the military theme. She ended with an all out salute to W.A.R. with a very feminine and leggy fitted dress, complete with military tassels.

Free Bound

Trisha Leander

There’s what appears to be fleece paired with chunky earrings. Square and diamond patterned elements layered over well constructed sleeveless skirts offer the hint of freedom but suggests a level of captivity. As the collection moves along, the pieces take on a winter feel with furry Russian-esque hats and sleeves to balance and carry well together in whites and silvers.

Midnight

Carrie Ann Kistow

A straight-forward collection, well constructed with enough shimmer and clean lines carried simply in lots of black and white. Then there’s a leg-revealing, one shouldered robe-dress that silenced the audience with its bold cuts and the model’s powerful stride. The beauty of this collection was it’s simple elegance – pieces that can be worn in different ways and accessorised for maximum effect.

Mangrove Tangle

Samantha Squires

Perhaps inspired by mangrove roots but demonstrated more with stronger lines, the patterns repeat in fabric and in leather cut-outs layered on to blue skirts to balance it at the top. The signature sleeveless dress stands out from the others of the evening as do the high-waist blue pants bunched at the mid-lined and secured with a bold black belt.

Prospect

Chioke Herbert, winner of the Creativity Award

The only designer to noticeably include his brand and logo elements, Herbert seems to have the right idea, particularly with a daring long jacket and pants for men in the right colour to balance the design. The rest of the collection has an urban edge to it, with literal statement pieces including words and evokes a UK-urban teenager feel with a suggestion of fitness in there as well.

Deep Forest

Marcia Joseph, winner of the Most Promising Student Award

Well fitted pink shorts popped against subtler earth tones, in pieces that set their sights on sharp design in lieu of the all-too-common loose fit seen for most of the evening. Green, draped dresses with one-sleeved chiffon boded well as did the fabrics, patterns, colours and material choices.

Apathy

Daniel Clarke, CAFD Student of the Year 2018

Clarke’s incorporation of silver curtain loops as places to thread pops of colour through really set the collection apart. This collection demonstrated a sound knowledge and application of what it takes to push the envelope in a smart, measured way.

Champagne

Maurica Rosvall

Light, bubbly and champagne colours options abound with smart lines where needed, and enough letting for where flow and movement was required. The whimsical wedding dress with a plunging neckline was immaculate, revealing upper arms pared down my buttoned-up lower arms to the wrist. We’re sure to see this one again in wedding season.