Model Carla Campbell
Alicia Roache, Staff Reporter
FASHION CRITICS and practitioners have a formidable problem.They must find a niche for Jamaican fashion in the wider and more competitive global market.
This issue was raised last Monday at a fashion forum put on by the Alliance Francaise as part of its 'Touch of France' 2005 programme.
The forum featured representatives from the French trade commission, JAMPRO and the local and regional fashion industries.
Chief Executive Office of Saint International modelling agency, Deiwight Peters, was a member of the panel set up to discuss the business of fashion in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
Along with Robert Hall from the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) and Karlene Lemaire, assistant to the Trade Commissioner in the French Embassy, he spoke on various aspects of the industry.
FIND A NICHE
In each case, however, what became clear was the need for a sustained, focused attempt for Caribbean designers and fashionistas to find a niche for the regional fashion on the global fashion landscape.
One of the main highlights of the presentation concerned knowledge of the industry.
According to Peters, who spoke at length about the various avenues for a career in the fashion industry, "fashion is a multifaceted industry", one that is not frivolous, as is widely thought.
Getting rid of the perception that fashion is just a well-styled stroll down the runway is key in advancing the business of fashion.
As Peters noted, "Image definition, for example, is a facet of fashion that is not limited to just the runway. The need for style extends to the wider field of public figures."
Image definition is not unique to fashion, as can be seen with the creation of particular looks for celebrities. This area is one that could be explored for a career in fashion and for the expansion of the present industry.
Other elements of the fashion industry that could attract a small discipline include show production (the elements that go into staging a collection are key considerations here).
Public relations, casting, graphic art, website design and management, make-up artistry, fashion lecturing, magazine editing, journalism and model management are a few other career choices in the field all areas which could be further developed to facilitate a formidable local and regional fashion industry.
"If we find our own niche and get the concept of what we are going, we will find that we have our presence felt," said Peters.
This was a sentiment that was echoed by Hall. In addition to a look at some of the global fashion trends, Hall pointed to the role of the JBDC in providing "technical support services for persons in the fashion industry". These services include advice and guidance, along with monetary support for those who are in need.
AUTHENTIC IMAGE
Hall also looked at texture and fibre arts. He drew briefly on the various styles and images that have been reflected over the years in the Jamaican entertainment industry.
His point was that by using the entertainment industry, with specific references to artistes such as Shabba Ranks, Derrick Morgan, and the Wailers, Jamaica can develop an image that is specific and market that image internationally.
"This is an area we can pull from in terms of developing a new image that is authentic to the country, an image that can stand up against a McQueen or any other French designer," he said.
The task of developing such an image was left up to the designers, most of whom were absent from the forum. In fact, no Jamaican designers were present, which made the next statement particularly ironic. "It is extremely important that as designers we interact in the industry," said Hall.
During the course of the forum, opinions about what it would take to make this a success flew thick and fast. Of course, interaction and exchange, along with research and networking, were a few of the more popular opinions.
However, education was pointed to as playing a vital role in this development. It was noted that many of the top international designers possess "training and education to a very sophisticated level", a quality that could not be substituted.
Guadeloupe was highlighted as being the only Caribbean country with a fashion institute which handles all the aspects of fashion designing. However, Mrs. Lemaire also pointed to education options outside of Guadeloupe, pointing to a wealth of information about schools online and at the French Embassy.
What also came out of the forum was that the fashion industries of Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean should not be looking into mass produced items.
The 'niche' is to be found in small boutiques around the world where products of high quality can fetch corresponding high prices.
"We should not limit ourselves to what we see around us," Hall suggested. "We need to define what it is that we do."
