Christmas '09 designs from: Claudia Pegus (Top); Meiling (Above)
I often wonder what happens after a beloved, independent designer like Poshe, Zadd & Eastman or Ecliff Elie shows their collections. Do the fashion masses rush to the designer's showrooms to cherry-pick their favourite pieces?
Do the fashion masses even know where the designer showrooms are?
According to the team at one popular Trinidadian designer's atelier, "The morning after we have our showings, there's always a bit of a crowd outside our place - people are ready to snap up our pieces and they email us with images of the ones they want, because they are serious about buying the collections!"
As refreshing as it is to hear, I doubt it's the case at most fashion designer studios in the Caribbean. Why? Because even though people oooh and aaaah at the mention of Claudia Pegus or KAJ, the only people who actually buy the pieces are their loyalists.
The rest of us are busy shopping in the malls, buying a $600.00 TTD dress from some supposedly 'fancy' boutique, never mind the dress actually cost no more than $10.00 USD retail (0r $63.00 TTD) in a boutique on Broadway, NYC...
Trust me when I tell you this; I've even seen some of these boutique owners negotiating their buys, right up the street from me....
Seems like people rather get ripped off, instead of just going ahead and booking an appointment with one of our top designers for a bespoke piece. For the love of God, I can't wrap my mind around why someone would pay that $600.00 TTD for a $63.00 dress, instead of getting an actual designer original for about the same price!
Anywhoo, most of the local fashion greats would have launched their S/S2010, or their Resort/Holiday collections: make the best of it, and go shopping at Meiling's Kapok store for instance, or just call her up for an appointment. She would never scoff at your interest; you don't have to be a society darling to get a piece from her.
In fact , I can bet my bottom dollar that any designer will open their studio and make a w.o.w Christmas Dinner frock for you - if you would only ask more often! And if, for some inexplicable reason (that's filled with high-nosed snobbery) a designer happens to refuse you, just let me know and I'll put them on blast.
LMN Harris.
NB Images courtesy Trinipulse.com & Meiling
All i can say....is.... so bloody!!!
So yesterday my girlfriend and I took up your challenge. We both are attending a wedding in a couple of weeks and normally we would have decided on a "$600 dress" but because of your article we decided to take a closer look at our local Trini designers.
We went to Mailing's store in Kapok and Peter Elias's store in Ellersie Plaza and Radical Design in West Mall.
THERE ARE NO DRESSES FOR $600 DOLLARS!!!
What is wrong with you?? All suitable dresses are $2700 and up and guess what? They are supposed to be!They were created by artisans. Plenty man power went into just one sleeve!
Local couture has its place. My pocket just can't afford it.
I tried to take your advice and choose a local designer inlieu of the $600 foreign dress and let me tell you, I don't think I belong to these designers' target market. $3000 for a dress ($2000 was the most affordable i found)? That's a stretch for me, unless of course I absolutely can't live without it. And I just didn't feel that way about any that i've seen.
@ Anonymous: Please be mindful of the tone of your comments on this blog. Au Courant is open to positive & negative comments on the TOPICS that are discussed here. Nothing is 'wrong with me,' to quote your comment. There is absolutely no need to make inflammatory remarks to that effect. In the future, If you disagree with the posts or features, feel free to voice your displeasure or opposing viewpoint as they relate to the actual content on Au Courant.
@ Fayola: I hear you. However, not all designer pieces are expensive and priced within the $2000.00 range. I ordered a bespoke gown from Meiling for my wedding and I'm not ashamed to say that it was much, much less $2000.00 TTD. And this was a pretty stylish - but simple - wedding gown I'm talking about... So you just have to do some searching, and probably check out younger designers, too.