TRIBE 2010 "The Secrets of Silk" - a Review

The section "Osage" designed by Gail Cabral.
A lovely section, but can you glean The Secret of Silk, from this?

The Secrets of Silk... Quite an alluring title for a Carnival presentation, right? Instantly, the mind conjures up images of sexy, lithe bodies, swathed in rich silken threads and glinting with bejeweled elements adorning their limbs... Bodies that dance sinuously and weave their magic and Asian mystique upon dazed onlookers...

So imagine my utter disappointment at seeing the 2010 launch presentation from TRIBE Carnival, and upon realizing that The Secrets of Silk had nothing to do with the luxurious textile, but was really just a case of death by feathers.

I had already gotten a taste of the designs through the leaked promotional booklet that I posted here, days before the actual launch. But I withheld my opinions until now, because I always prefer to see how a costume's presented and how it moves on the model, and also because TRIBE's launch efforts are always extravagant, lavish, and impressive.

But truth be told, TRIBE's 2010 presentation is simply a lackluster one. The costumes are very, very nice, but in the uber-competitive industry that is Trinidad Carnival, 'nice' is not enough. Nor is regurgitating old design concepts or costumes, and calling them new.

The Secrets of Silk as a theme has so many Asian/African elements and references that could have been exploited in the design process, but instead, TRIBE relied too heavily on adornment with those ubiquitous feathers to enliven their presentation.

There are other sites that go into great detail about which particular costume is better than another, so I don't need to say much on that. But I will say this: Maybe it is time for these contemporary costume designers to admit to themselves that there are other ways to create Carnival portrayals; ways that may not even need feathers, bikinis, waistbands, and such.

Maybe they also need to seriously consider treating costume design as an actual art form, not unlike fashion or costume design for the runway or the Theatre respectively; look into studying fashion/construction, visual art, 3-dimensional sculpture, or installation art.

Training in any of those disciplines will provide an inexhaustible reservoir of inspiration and technical skill, both elements that are sorely lacking from the Carnival costume industry these days. For the absolute least, a smidgen of artistic knowledge in any of those areas would all but guarantee original costume designs that show a bit of forethought and attention to form or concept.

Above all, costume designers need to remember that beyond Carnival being a money-making industry, the actual costumes are works of art that says a lot - or a little - about their talent and skill. It's very sad, actually. Folks like Ken Morris and Carlisle Chang would have died a second death, if they were alive to see the costumes that are created now...

LMN Harris.

Image courtesy Triniscene.