Islands of the World Fashion Week in Nassau, Bahamas

We’ve recently returned from Nassau, Bahamas where we indulged in year two of Islands of the World Fashion Week from November 4-8th.

This year, the 3-day event was held at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort featuring thirteen runway shows and designers from the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Grenada, Haiti, Madagascar and even guest designers from the U.S – including Leanne Marshall of Project Runway. “I just really strongly feel that what they are doing here is such a great opportunity for some people that have some real talent. With Islands of the World Fashion Week, it’s really getting out there by using technology and having things online. The designers can then now start branching out and actually become international, instead of being just local,” said Louis Sarmiento, one of the IWFW judges and publisher of The Daily, The Fashion Mini and FashionWeekDaily.com. Guest judge, Fashion Editor Susan Stein of Palm Springs Life Magazine added, “I think it’s wonderful to have fashion week here. The original concept of bringing in designers from all over to an island or that are from an island made a lot of sense and who doesn’t want to come here for a beautiful fashion week.”

"The Muse” Model Search Competition kicked off day one, which started in September with a casting call and ended as finalists strutted down the IWFW runway in front of judges, media and VIP’s. The winners were Curaçao native Giovara Geertriuda and Bahamian Kendrick Kemp, both receiving grand prizes of $10,000. The NextGen Designers gave up-and-coming fashion designers a chance to receive international recognition including Andrew Harris of Barbados, Darcel de Vlugt of Trinidad (the winner who stole the show not only with her collection, but with the creative struts of the models), Phylicia Ellis, Sabrina Strirrup and Kevin Evans of the Bahamas. Project Runway star Leanne Marshall closed the opening night show with stunning graphic prints, a homage to her past work as a graphic designer. “I was mostly inspired by a font I had found and I took the letter forms, and cut out each shape and used that form to drape and sculpt,” she said. After the shows, VIP’s headed to an invite-only soirée at the Balmoral Estate enjoying fine wine and food while taking in entertainment such as fire dancers.

Left to Right: K-Bobby, Henry N. Jackson for HNJ and Hesani Kay Designs. Top photo: Patrick Lafrontiere, "The Muse" winners Giovara Geertriuda and Kendrick Kemp and Project Runways' Leanne Marshall. Photos by Factio Media.

All designers who showcased at Islands of the World Fashion Week impressed us, and day two brought even more talent. Patrick Lafrontiere showed the audience how one can create designs completely out of eco-friendly materials. Hesani Kay Designs by trio Hasna Mettar, Kya Nguyen and Stephanie Gonzalez brought a high-end sailor collection to the runway featuring nautical looks in red, blue, beige and gold. The spice was brought in with fashion line Spice Box by Jessie-Ann Jessamy from Grenada who showed a modern twist on local design with bright color and floral, perfect for the Caribbean. K-Bobby Couture from Jamaica showed off looks for both men (we loved the colorful lace button-down tops that actually looked tough) and women. Favorites from the women’s collection included a bright pink cocktail dress with a ruffled train and a sea green gown featuring a sparkly corset. Guest designer Henry N. Jackson for HNJ closed the night in style. We learned that First Lady Michelle Obama picked up a few of his pieces – quite possibly the patterned dress and jacket combo, as it was gorgeous. We love how he embraces women of all sizes and he was the only designer that flew in a gorgeous plus sized model for the show!

Left to Right: b michael, Spice Box, Eric Raisina and icandy swimwear. Photos by Factio Media.

On the final day of Islands of the World Fashion Week, we were sad that the shows were coming to a close, yet excited for some talent we know (Harl Taylor Bag from the first year and b Michael, whose shows we’ve seen during New York Fashion Week). Murielle Leconte from Haiti showed stunning clutches and handbags, jewelry including earrings, necklaces and bracelets, as well as a colorful assortment of cocktail dresses. Harl Taylor Bag is always one of our favorites, as the handbags are created with exquisite attention to detail with their baby totes, evening and beach bags. It was Polish-born, Nassau-based designer Margo Ga’s first IWFW runway show for icandy, but you would have never known it. High-end swimwear with fabrics from Italy caught our attention, with our favorite being the blue and yellow suit resembling the Bahamian flag. Eric Raisina of Madagascar was the star of this fashion week by taking home two awards - he won both the Sustainable Eco-Fashion Award and one of the four Seals of Excellence Awards. His stunning women’s collection included notables like dresses, tops and skirts in “silk fur” fabrics and “African lace”, making his coveted line worthy of his awards. “My country Madagascar inspires me. Growing up there, I still have memories of colors and textures. I’m trying to have a very contemporary shape, a very wearable shape, for many women around the world,” he told us after his show. b michael closed the show with timeless classics, elegant cowl neckline dresses in luxurious fabrics for women, and men with unique blazers with 18th century patterns.

Islands of the World Fashion Week continue to showcase amazing talent both from the islands and with their guest designers. The week ended with a bang as revelers headed poolside at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort for an amazing fireworks presentation following the shows. We know where we’ll be next season, do you?