Queen Latifah, Robbed in Tobago. Why?

Oh lordie. So superstar Actress/Singer/Model Queen Latifah went to the picturesque island of Tobago for a Christmas vacay - yes, I'm talking about Trinidad's sister isle, here - and was promptly robbed.

It seems like the Queen checked into the uber chic StoneHaven Villas under the alias Cynthia Hadden, and sometime during the course of her holiday on the isle, about $10,000 USD in Jewelery was purloined from her suite.

Apparently, the management of Stone Haven feted the star and an unidentified female friend/family member with a private barbecue, and upon return to the villa they noticed that their bejewled belongings were missing

This is unfortunate on so many levels. It's a sad bit of bad PR for the tiny island, which depends heavily on the tourism industry, and it's also sad because Tobago is truly the gem of the Caribbean; a rare natural and cultural beauty.

To have such an idylic image tarnished by the robbery of a Celeb? For shame. Chances are that it was an inside job, perpetrated by a sticky-fingered employee, but who knows? Yes, things are getting very tough financially, but we don't have to resort to robbery, now do we?

L.M.N. Harris.

Fashion Week T&T: The Post Mortem.

So, this page has been idle for a bit, due to some impromptu travel plans I've had within the past few months. But I'm fully back, and armed with the promised pics from the May 29th conclusion of Fashion Week Trinidad & Tobago!

Amongst the designers who showed their works were my always favourite Meiling, Millhouse, Claudia Pegus, Kaj Designs, Francis Hendy, Ecliff Elie, Zadd & Eastman (Fantastic Showing!!!) and others.

Unfortunately, I only attended the final night and expected a grand finale - a big Ta Da - but the night was poorly organizedand the fashions that were shown were not accompanied by some sort of tag or sign that indicated who designed what...

I mean, from my front row vantage point, I witnessed a flummoxed Peter Elias audibly shooing people/models/some folks across the front ramp area, whilst the actual show was going on! At the start of the showing, a jarring hip hop tune blasted out in the middle of the National Anthem, and the lights were dimmed at least twice on models as they walked the runway!

So beyond the fact that the colourful cotton dresses on Ms. T&T/Universe Anya Ayoung-Chee & Top model Raeanne Vialva were done by Meiling, the FANTASTIC and colourful strip-styled pieces were by Zadd & Eastman, and that the fierce animal printed pieces were by Kaj Designs, I can't say who did what! If by chance you know who the designers are, feel free to let me know, comment or drop me a line at aucourantinthecaribbean@gmail.com

Nonetheless, enjoy!

L.M.N. Harris

Anya Ayoung Chee - She's Off!

And I'm back! After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back in the blogosphere, bringing you the latest in Caribbean Fashion and Life/Style - a la 'Au Courant in the Caribbean' mode.

So we've been tracking Ms. T&T/Universe 2008/09 Anya Ayoung-Chee from her pageant selection earlier on this year, to her appearance on the ramp at the recently concluded Fashion Week T&T, (I'll have some belated pics of the finale for you by tomorrow) and now to her departure to Vietnam for the 57th Miss Universe Competition.

On a side note, every time I think about Ayoung-Chee being a 'Callalloo Trini' - as Fashion Scion Peter Elias recently described her - I can't help but think that the selection of an Asian looking Ms. T&T was a strategic choice, keeping in mind where the pageant is being held this year! All in all, she's proven to be quite the classy chick, in terms of her style and demeanor, and I give her hats off for proudly sporting that big ol' tattoo on her abdomen...

Looking absolutely fantastic as a jaunty modern-day sailor, here she is posing in a Newsday TT photo with her national costume designer, the ever talented, 'I'm not trying to be Minshall' carnival band leader, Brian MacFarlane. I'm crossing my fingers for her, hoping that her class extends far beyond her appearance and would give her the edge with those gnarly Q&A's.

On behalf of all the subscribers and readers here at AuC, I wish Anya all the best!

L.M.N. Harris.