CEO of GFW (Guyana Fashion Weekend), Sonia Noel, will again represent Guyana at the third annual Fashion Week Trinidad and Tobago (FWTT) this year. Noel said in a recent release that FWTT provides a strategic and essential platform for merchandising and branding for Caribbean designers living in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.

According to the designer, “This year’s event is even bigger than last year, which was incredible.”

FWTT was scheduled to kick off yesterday in Tobago with a gala networking party hosted by the Tobago House of Assembly and the Tourism Development Company Limited at Coco Reef Tobago.

Rosemary Stone, Public Representation Director of FWTT Tobago is excited about Mariska’s Designs (Noel’s line) participation in this year’s spectacular nine-day fashion festival. “This year, we are increasing our scope; six days in Trinidad and three days in Tobago,” she said.

This year, too, there are over fifty designers chockfull of fashion-forward options presented through seven identifiable Caribbean brands, namely: Tobago Style; Resort Caribbean, Cutting-edge Caribbean, Coquille Couture – Trini swimwear, Nouveau Caribbean, New World Style and  Haute Caribbean

Noel, who will be presenting on Resort Caribbean and New World style, expressed her elation at being one of the select designers to showcase in both Tobago and Trinidad.

Last year, her collection was called HYBRID and paid  homage to vegetation and forest undergrowth. The colours lilac, mauve, and purple represented the beautiful colours that are sometimes lost in the undergrowth.

The HYBRID Collection was impressively displayed by Meleesa Payne, who is herself launching a line of leather sandals under the Mariska Label tomorrow.

Her versatile wrap dresses, which can be worn more than six ways, will also be featured in this collection. The leather footwear line will feature slippers and sandals embellished with various types of stones.

Noel will showcase in Trinidad her new black-and-white collection, for which she is well known, but because for her concern for breast cancer, she will also be showing a collection of mainly pink ensembles.

The collection will showcase pieces in various shades of pink,  and embellished with zips and buttons to give it that creative edge.

Guyana Model Search winners, Jumain Victor and Yolanda Kerr will shortly be jetting off to the Trinidad shows scheduled for June 2 – 6.Michelle Gonsalves