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They raced to beat the clock, putting
a collection of pieces together in just
a week. But Pt Fortin fashion team Zad and Eastman are
sure their nights of lost sleep are going to be compensated
for by their work's reception at this
year's Caribbean Fashion Week (CFW), which climaxes in
Kingston, Jamaica, today.
"I'm fully confident what I'm going
to show is going to create a stir," says Omzad Khan,
one half of the duo.
Khan describes the CFW
collection, made up of 25 pieces (20
female, five male), as reflecting the Caribbean's diverse
culture. It will feature the "lavish use of colour",
he says, the designers' "signature" earthy tones
and hand-painted and -beaded fabrics,
including silks, chiffons and linens.
Jeneile McCarthy-Sinanan designed the
jewellry for the
collection. Their showing at last year's
fashion week brought the
twosome a flood of international attention,
culminating in their clothes being worn by Michelle Williams
of Destiny's Child for a Twelve magazine photo shoot.
Zad and Eastman have participated in
the CFW, a congregation of designers, journalists and
buyers, since its inception five years ago.
For a while their weren't sure they would
take part this year because the registration fee was US$6,000,
double that of last year.
A subsidy from organisers Pulse Entertainment
and contributions from local businessmen facilitated their
participation.
"It's an indication that, look,
without the designers we don't have a
show," Khan says of Pulse's
accomodation.
As to what draws people to their clothing,
Khan says their clothes are "exotic but also functional".
Their work has personality, he says.
"You need to be different,"
says Khan. "Living in the Caribbean is a blessing
in itself. How many places in the world you see people
that look like us? It reflected in the clothing that we
do."
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