Xodus Carnival launches design and production house in Jamaica

Following its recent costume presentation, Xodus Carnival has launched a new subsidiary, MasCreate Studios. A concept-to-creation carnival costume design and production house, it provides a 360-degree production experience for carnival bands, including thematic ideations, costume design, photoshoots and costume production of body wear, accessories and feathered backpacks

MasCreate Studios comprises a team of notable designers who collaborated to produce more than half of the designs in the recently presented Mas Couture Xodus costume launch. For this Jamaica Carnival debut, JustJess (Jessica Campbell), Kris Jackson and Annaxie collaborated to conceptualise and design eight costumes, along with the team of seamstresses, gemmers and backpack architects.

The designs produced by the team are: Art Deco, Cyber Punk, Disco, Gothic, Hippie, Hollywood Glam, Regency, and Roaring ‘20s.

General Manager of MasCreate, Jessica Campbell, has been in the carnival space for approximately seven years, and has first-hand experience in design, production and project management. She noted that Xodus identified challenges facing the local industry, including the sourcing of material from wholesalers, creative direction and wearable designs for masqueraders, and this prompted the creation of the subsidiary.

“So, in order to combat these issues, MasCreate is focused on improving the growth, efficiency, and accessibility in the carnival design space,” Campbell said.

Although it is a subsidiary of Xodus Carnival, MasCreate’s services are not limited to designing solely for the Xodus team. The company has been engaged to work on collections for the Notting Hill, Barbados, Miami, Cayman, and Canadian carnivals. Additionally, local carnival bands can engage MasCreate to execute any stage of their costume process.

Pierre Goubault, CEO of Xodus Carnival, said that with the business of carnival being multifaceted, it takes great collaborative effort to create an excellent product.

“A big part of that experience is costume production and design, and as we continue to grow the carnival industry in Jamaica it is a logical move to also grow the local carnival design sector. MasCreate Studios will provide an opportunity to train, hire and empower more local designers to become involved in the carnival space, allowing Jamaica to become a more active participant in the regional and global carnival industries,” Goubault said.