The three newest faces of fashion

Garfene Grandison, Gleaner Writer

Women are the main targets when it comes to fashion and fashion designing. Yes, women love to have the best of all in whatever they wear from clothes, shoes, hats, jewellery and other accessories. Most fashion designers target women to a large extent but, of course, with men getting ahead in the fashion game, many female designers are venturing into menswear.

A number of leading designers here in Jamaica and in the Caribbean have had very successful debuts of their fashion lines. From the recently concluded Caribbbean Fashionweek, three female designers stood out on the runway. All three had varied looks and feels but one thing was common to them - they were all Jamaican.

Lisa Walton, a Jamaican native who resides in New York; Ashley Martin, the region's first singer/actress/fashion designer; and Keneea Linton, one of Jamaica's premier female fashion designers. The trio who are three of the most promising designers out of Jamaica, the Caribbean's fashion capital, spoke to The Gleaner about what was in store for the fashion industry in Jamaica and what they had to offer as three women in a harshly competitive industry.

Ashley Martin and Lisa Walton recently debuted their fashion lines, Attitude and L. Walton, respectively. Both felt humbled and honoured by the experience.

Martin said that she has always wanted to become the region's first singer/actress and fashion designer but did not have the time to do it because she was always too busy with Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires.

But, as the songstress puts it, "out of all the bad comes a good because after Byron passed I was able to fully embrace my craft".

Walton, who holds a bachelor of science degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Philadelphia, said the launch of her line was a dream come true, a dream she had dreamed since she was six.

The fashion industry's soon-to-be leading ladies all have different muses when it comes to the concepts behind their designs. Linton, who has five years more experience on the Jamaica fashion scene than the other two, said her most recent line was inspired by 'the classic leading ladies', Marilyn Munroe and Audrey Hepburn - a mixture of sophistication, class, glamour and elegance. Martin said her line was solely based on a woman's body.

"Every woman has an innate 'attitude' so I wanted to design a line that could bring that 'attitude' to the forefront," she explained.

Walton, on the other hand, is inspired by what surrounds her on a daily basis: the islands and the various colours of the spectrum as well as the luxurious fabrics.

According to Walton, "women want to feel sexy and beautiful and my line caters to those women. If you are a size two or a size 16, women can feel beautiful because no one is exempt from beauty."

Linton also agreed, saying women wanted to feel beautiful and desired through their clothing choices, and her line flatters women in ways that will allow them to feel beautiful.

Martin also shared the views of her fellow industry members but said she dares to be different as her tagline suggests.

"I cater to clothing that flows with each individual's body in every shape and size," said Linton.

Although the ladies are focused on building their brands as ladies wear designers, they are all optimistic about starting men's collections. According to Linton, "I want to start a men's line but I don't think I will do it for now. I was self-taught in fashion designing and I think that in order to do a men's line I would need formal training, so until then I won't try it."

Delegate responsibility

Linton also admits that it is hard for her to delegate responsibility when it comes to creativity, so she often builds her designs by herself. She cannot sew men's clothing herself, putting a spoke in her wheel - for now.

Walton said she hoped to release her men's line next year.

Martin has her eyes set on a male line a little sooner. She hopes to have the male line in time for the December showing of her all-white clothing line in aid of the Ashley Martin Foundation, a charity she is in the middle of setting up. The foundation will benefit street children.

All three are optimistic that the Jamaican fashion industry is going places.

In an effort to reach that status, Linton said Jamaica needed to have its own fashion academy.

She said Jamaicans possessed the drive, the talent and the resources to do well in the mainstream fashion industry.

Walton said designers should make long-term business plans that delve into producing and manufacturing, rather than just showcasing.

For these three leading design ladies, longevity is the name of the game. Walton and Martin are aiming to establish their brands on other fashion platforms like Miami International fashion week, charting their course towards the coveted New York Fashion Week. Linton, on the other hand has initiated her five-year plan, during which she hopes to get her design pieces into international stores, as well as to do more shows in Los Angeles and Europe while fine-tuning plans to open a boutique.