Designed by Carlton Brown for Carlton Brown. -Winston Sill photoAyanna Kirton, Staff Reporter
LOCAL FASHION designers say private and public sector investment in the fashion industry has never been in vogue. Although fashion is an extremely lucrative industry, creating employment at all levels and yielding billions of dollars annually worldwide, many local designers agree that there has been consistent reluctance among government and non-governmental organisations to take the industry, its players, and the potential financial gains seriously.
House of Siim designer, Michelle Simone Clarke, one of many local fashion designers trying to change the perception that Jamaican fashion is only limited to Bob Marley T-shirts or daring dancehall outfits, said she has become very self-reliant because of the shortage of help available to local designers from lending institutions and government agencies. "Assistance is very haphazard," she said. "There is a lot of interest if you are featured in the media but after a while they forget about your needs because they themselves are overworked and understaffed."
A CHALLENGE
Financing her business is also a challenge for the young designer who has had to apply for a loan jointly (with a co-applicant) because financial institutions were not fully convinced of her ability to service the loan. Inspired by ethnic and modern geometric forms and made from pure fabrics, particularly silk and linen, Clarke's pieces are relatively high end and target foreign markets.
"They are ideally suited for the resort segment because I don't think many people in Jamaica are into convertible garments," she said, describing her creations. "You must have a distinct personal style to wear my creations and not everyone is confident enough to go there."
In the early 1990s, Earl 'Biggie' Turner became a household name because of the avant-garde outfits he created for dancehall deejay, Shabba Ranks. Today, ten years later, Turner still designs his signature dancehall pieces but focuses mainly on clothing for women. According to him, the main problem facing the fashion industry in Jamaica is the lack of proper equipment needed to make high quality products in large quantities. "We do not have the budget or the equipment to mass produce even though there is a demand for the clothes," he said.
THE DEMAND
Turner explained that he began a denim line a few years ago but was unable to meet the demand because of this. He said that there is little interest from investors in the Jamaican fashion industry, which now suffers from a lack of marketing and real financing. In the process of talks with investors, Turner said that he would not want to compromise his creativity to meet the requirements of an investor. "I am targeting the international market because I want to reach the big time but we (the investor and I) have to have the same vision," he said.
Carlton Brown, dubbed one of the brightest stars in local fashion, lamented the disinterest and lack of support in the local fashion industry. "Because fashion has always been a part of the Jamaican personality," he said, "there needs to be more focus on developing this less traditional industry."
Brown said that before the Saint Modelling Agency came into existence, local designers were rarely given the chance to present their collections at fashion shows.
"In the past I approached modelling agencies but they were not very receptive but Saint has opened doors for me," he said of the opportunities created for him by the agency owned by Dewight Peters.
Brown has not sought help from government organisations or any commercial lending institutions because of the problems designers say they are faced with when they go this route. His church financed his equipment and paid for his education. "I don't approach those agencies because it usually results in a lot of hassle and problems," he said. "My church, St. Andrew Scots Kirk, has played a huge role in helping my business."
A fashion designer for over 20 years, Les Campbell also lamented the state of the local fashion industry and the threat imported clothing poses to the industry. "Cheap imports kill small businesses in Jamaica," he said. "There is no way we can buy fabric and trimmings and sell our products below cost." He was also concerned about the unavailability of advice from government agencies on how to run small fashion houses. According to Campbell the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) had not responded to his requests for help to source financial assistance and to tap into local and international markets. "Many of us don't know where we are going," he said.
The JBDC was appointed by the then Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Technology three years ago to restructure the garment industry from a production-driven operation to a more market-driven one. Through its various initiatives such as workshops providing information, advice, and training in the field to fashion designers as well as preparing local designers for participation in Caribbean and international trade shows and assisting them in the development of all areas of their businesses, the JBDC is working to modernise the local apparel industry.
LOCAL FAIRS AND MARKETS
Some local designers have benefited from the centre's services, improving the quality of their products and successfully attracting foreign buyers after participating in trade shows overseas. Others say that there are hardly any advantages to participating in the local fairs and markets put on by the organisation. "The audience is very limited and very seldom do designers' revenues increase after participating in fashion week here," said a Kingston-based designer.
However, a representative from the JBDC said that many local designers are not receptive to the many marketing opportunities given to them. According to her, most of the participants in the fairs have been satisfied with the response they receive and in turn the centre receives positive feedback for their overall contribution to the industry. The representative said the JBDC was aware of the challenges facing designers and was doing a lot to help and planned to do more to effectively minimise those difficulties. The intention, she said, was to ensure that Jamaican fashion designers become more efficient in their operations.
