SAINT’s Avant Garde Designer of the Year competition returns

Submissions are pouring in from established and new fashion designers alike for SAINT International’s Jamaica Avant Garde Designer of the Year competition.

The social calendar event, slated for June 1 at the AC Kingston Hotel, has sparked major interest among local makers with distinct style perspectives, and SAINT CEO Dewight Peters is excited by the still incoming entries.

“In terms of the profile of the designer entrants, it’s a wide range of age and experiential demographics,” Peters shared with The Gleaner.

Peters noted that the designing contest, which is celebrating its 20th iteration, is the longest-running of its kind in the Caribbean region.

“We started in 2004 as a way of tapping into the design creative culture that we believed existed, but was never really applauded before. Designers like Carlton Brown, Neahlis, and the late Dexter Pottinger began on our platform, and we are proud to see how they evolved over the years,” he lauded.

Fashion designers entering this year’s competition are tasked with creating thematic garments centred around the guideline ‘Jamaica 62: Celebrating the resilience, strength and passion of our people’. The winner will walk away with a cash prize of $124,000.

Coming onboard as sponsors are HEART/NSTA Trust and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

For HEART’s managing director, Taneisha Ingleton, the collaboration “offers a win-win situation for both organisations”.

“By partnering with Saint International, the Trust can provide valuable experiences in fashion hospitality, and beauty to under-served youths, particularly a large number of boys from disadvantaged communities,” she said.

HEART cosmetology trainees will utilise their newly acquired skillset with makeovers for select SAINT model aspirants in the Fashion Face competition, execute catering services for lead-up and show night events, and also serve as interns backstage and front of house for various SAINT events in the interim.

TEF executive director Carey Wallace, noted that “this sponsorship underscores our dedication to strengthening the tourist industry by supporting its essential supply sectors”.

Last year’s Avant Garde Designer winner Janseen Graham, shared that the last 12 months have been enriching and that he would “most definitely would like to re-enter” and defend his title.

“I remember wanting to get on the Canadian Women Club of Jamaica Spring in Fashion show last year, but they didn’t know who I was, so I told them that I was SAINT’s Avant Garde Designer of the Year. This allowed me to showcase one piece and I ended up dressing Miss Jamaica World Sanique Singh,” Graham said.

He also won the ‘Best Designer’ title in last year’s Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Festival Queen costume competition and was a contestant on Season 7 of TVJ’s fashion designer reality show, Mission Catwalk.

Currently at work on a new collection for the upcoming Sashi Experience Fashion Show, Graham disclosed that within the last year, he created all the wardrobe looks for reggae artiste Romain Virgo’s Gentleman tour alongside stylist Ayana Riviére, and also dressed Bob Marley: One Love actor Hector ‘Roots’ Lewis for the red-carpet première of the film.