Donovan DePass: Edgy, contemporary, colourful

Dave Rodney, Contributor

New York:Donovan DePass is a Jamaica-born designer who is making an impact on the New York Tri-state fashion scene with his edgy, contemporary, colourful, ready-to-wear designs.

DePass is from Waterhouse in Kingston and was a visual artist who had the opportunity to work with a number of big name fashion houses like Donna Karan, Vera Wang and Victoria's Secret. With a special eye for colours, fabrics and geometric, he felt it was a natural thing for him to transition into the world he loves - the world of designing.

He's been designing women's dresses, eveningwear and men's swimwear for almost seven years and he still looks forward to each new creation. "My clients range in age from early 20s to mid 40s and I work hard not only at creating visually exciting and comfortable clothing for a wide range of tastes, but I also want to keep my clothing affordable."

DePass is currently enjoying a growing fan base, and in an industry where connections and contacts are important, it is indeed helpful that he also works at NBC in New York as an asset tracker, where he meets some very interesting personalities. Jamaica, too, is an important part of his world. He has been a featured designer on Style Week in Kingston for the last three years and he reckons that his creative energies flow more abundantly with a periodic boost from visiting his island home.

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, for now he stays busy designing and building his unique brand with the hope that new trendsetting devotees will come on board every day. Ultimately, his long-term dream is getting his designs in national department stores.

Here is a look at his 2013 Spring/Summer collections.