New event kicks off Styleweek

• Organisers welcome CityStyle

Downtown Kingston seems to be well on its way to some sort of revival, and today, the fashion industry, led by Saints International, is doing its part to hasten that revival.

Styleweek Jamaica begins today, but it begins with a difference. CityStyle, the opening event of Styleweek, is brand new and will be held in downtown Kingston at the UDC Southern Car Park on Ocean Boulevard.

Showtime is 8:30 p.m., with activities set to end at approximately midnight. While the show is set to begin at 8:30, invited guests should try to make it downtown early, as red carpet arrivals take place from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The event isn't just a party, though. Serious fashion will be considered tonight, as Saint International will be presenting The Spring/Summer 2012 Accessories Collection, which is expected to provide some amount of exposure for Jamaican designers. According to Deiwght Peters, Saint International CEO and executive producer of Styleweek, some of those designers need no exposure and are already stars in their own right. The designers featured will include Bianca, Reve, Feri and Christina Broderick.

The dress code on the invitations read pure-white tropical elegance, which is also of interest. It will be, at the very least, interesting to see who wears what on the red carpet!

The revival of downtown is something that Peters has said his organisation is very interested in and while there is progress, he had hoped to push things along with his event.

"It's an inspiration. For a long time, the authorities have been piping about the renaissance of downtown, but for you to understand it, you have to understand the space that is downtown," said Peters.

"I was inspired to find a space downtown because all the major cities in the world take care of their spaces in the capital. When UDC came onboard, they didn't understand the space they had until they saw the layout and what it could be like," Peters explained, pointing out that the event will provide a "downtown Miami meets South Beach right here in Jamaica".

"I want to transport our people to show them what this city (downtown Kingston) can be," Peters said.

The turnout for CityStyle is expected to be significant, Peters explaining that 1,500 invitations disappeared in a jiffy.

The expected success of the event, Peters went on to say, has been achieved because of Styleweek's strong supporting cast.

The event is sponsored by The Jamaica Tourist Board, Carreras Limited, Ocean Spray, Jampro, The Gleaner Company Ltd, Appleton, TVJ, Fame 95 FM, Nationwide 90 FM, The Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, Wyndham Kingston Hotel, American Airlines, Kool 97 FM, ValuCar Rental, Heart Trust/NTA, The Urban Development Corporation and Luxury Limos.

Luxury Limos will provide limousine service for invited guests from The Conference Centre to the event.

The new event, Peters says, was inevitable, as Styleweek is "an evolving product and we want to give Jamaicans different ways of enjoying fashion".