Roxroy McLean, Gleaner Writer

Nelson

In the competitive world of entertainment, image is everything.

Some of the creators of this critical element share their thoughts.

Fashion designer Earl 'Biggy' Turner says artistes should not restrict themselves because image has no boundaries.

"Image is really important for artistes ... it reflects their music, what an artiste carries out is what people perceive," said Turner. Turner has dressed a number of entertainers including the 'Grammy Kid' Shabba Ranks, Wayne Marshall and Toots Hibbert.

Powerful fabrics

Turner, who has been shown at Caribbean Fashionweek (CFW), believes leather and jeans are two of the most powerful fabrics in the world. He said for artistes, image is what makes them valuable to the market and emphasis should be placed on that.

"The image is what sells the music ... it's not the music which sells the image," said Turner who has built a reputation that stretches across international borders.

He advised that it would not be wise for artistes to dress down on big events.

"It won't appeal to the audience," he said. "When they [artistes] approach the stage ... people don't only want to hear what they say, but also to look at what they wear."

What markets artistes

Image consultant Tamika Nelson agrees with Turner.

"Of course, image is important ... it makes no sense for an artiste to have the best song out there, and don't carry him/herself properly," said Neslon, who has been in the business for 10 years.

Nelson, a specialist in make-up, hair styling and nail care said image is what really markets the artistes.

"In fact, it is a great part of the industry, visibility is the key ... because a dancehall artiste won't dress like a soca/calypso artiste," she added.

Biggy