Live from T&T: A Chat with Peter @ Peter Elias

Trinidadian Designer Peter Elias
at his West Mall Boutique

"It's actually kinda shameful that I only have one rack with my own designs hanging in my boutique..." Peter Elias took the words right out of my mouth; I was about to ask him why his original designs were chucked away in the farthest corner of his popular West Mall boutique, when Vogue-approved designers like Marchesa (see the image with red gown on mannequin) are being displayed front and center in the store.

If you don't know who Peter Elias is - shame on you - let me elucidate a bit. Elias, he of the beauty-queen selecting; fashion model grooming; fine-fabric purveying; women's fashion-selling; resort-wear designing ilk has been a main figure in the Trinidadian fashion and style scene for much longer than a hot minute. Elias once owned the hottest fine fabric store in Port-of-Spain, and has a well-respected eye for fashion, style & beauty.

Of late, he's been known for the oft pricey contemporary/evening wear selections at his boutiques, but it's his private, in-house label, Peter Elias, that resonates deeply with me. He generally shows about 28 looks from his seasonal collections at Fashion Week Trinidad & Tobago, or at Caribbean Fashion Week, in Jamaica. The flowy, floaty dresses are goddess worthy designs; think of an evening at a jet-setting party on glitzy Ibiza or St. Barts, and you'll get the general idea. Mostly featuring a diaphanous shape and bold, saturated colours in dyed materials, his gowns do not skimp on the flair - the pieces often require well over 8 yards - providing that extra jolt of drama and flash that only an undulating hemline can provide.

"These gowns are cut on the bias, they're hand dyed, and made with fine silks and stretch materials," Elias shared, as he walked me through his West Mall boutique recently, pulling out a draped gown here, and a paneled skirt there. Distributing through an L.A.based showroom, the designs are mostly produced locally, with materials sourced in China. "To me, this is Caribbean fashion. Some people may think it's played out, you know, the whole airy, resort thing. But this is who we are, this look just works here! I cannot make European designs better than a European. But this, this is my thing."

Beyond his eye for selecting a mean glamour gown - see the Chanel number he recently pulled for Wendy Fitzwilliam - I don't care much for the other independent pieces he sells. And ironically enough, it's because of same reasoning that Elias gives above - it's nice, but it doesn't reflect Caribbean style. His counter? "Well, I have to appeal to a cross-section of shoppers. I need to appeal to women from all sectors of society, and the reality is that not everyone is going to buy a locally designed dress at $1500.00. Some people prefer items that are more accessible, more mainstream and comparable to a GAP piece, and as a retailer, I have to give shoppers an array of options"

As true as that may be, I'd still love to see more of Elias' original designs interspersed throughout the entire store, and not just on that one, lonely rack to the back of the boutique. His designs are actually well made and boast easy details like raw edges and hand-braided straps; some pieces even had built in bustiers and support systems. His knack as a fashion buyer allows him to select standout, wearable pieces - once again, have you looked at that red Marchesa dress? - but I firmly believe the Aces in his hand are those originals, designed by the man himself.

LMN Harris

NB. All images are copyright LMN Harris/Au Courant Magazine