Designers Showcase Body Art and Paint Fashion in Exhibition
TEXTURED decorations made from gilded paper adorn the ergonomically designed cross-shaped catwalk. The pulsating sound of African drums hail the appearance of a lion. His realistically painted face is complemented by his wild mane of hair and snarling. The effect is unsettling and one terrified child starts to bawl.
You are at the Body Art and Paper exhibition that was recently hosted at the Herdmanston Lodge in Georgetown, where art and fashion combined in a beautiful marriage.  The exotic, elegant and intimate environ of the lodge, with its tropical Palm and coconut trees, is perfect for the combined events that will follow.
Design maverick Derek Moore mesmerized the gathering with a fantastic display of paper outfits. Who knew paper could be so sexy?
The exhibition was even more daring when it is taken into consideration that all that was protecting the modesty of the models, in many cases, was just a strategically placed piece of paper or ribbon. This was definitely not a show for prudes as paint became clothing in the body art display by airbrush master David Grant, where he used nude bodies as his canvass. Designers Jennifer Gibson’s collection ‘Moods and Options’ featured shorts and halters made from paper, artistically painted, and “dresses” made of paper including one piece that featured a matching clutch and foil accents.
At times, the exhibition seemed like an art project gone wild. Materials used in the presentation included tissue, foil, corrugated cardboard, crepe paper and gift wrapping paper. Zamina Hamid Pyle presented ‘Guyana Times’, a collection of pieces that were made from, you guessed it – the Guyana Times newspaper. This collection featuring a lot of bikinis and dickies (bibs designed to look like shirts under sweaters) made of paper was not as functional or wearable as its predecessors, but heck it was fun!
One of the most beautiful presentations of the evening was of two elegant pieces titled ‘Queen of Essequibo’ by Abiola Garraway. Her pieces were elegant, full of flowers, ruffles and with rich detailing. Feminine elegant and sexy, she proved a master at her craft.
Carol Fraser showcased Guyana’s rich diversity, in a display that shone a spotlight on Guyana’s flora and fauna. The design featured snakes, macaws, waterfalls, monkeys, lush greenery and fruit.
Some of the outfits were fully functional while some were purely for artistic value, like the model emerging with a scroll over her breasts.
One picture featured a photo of his Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo on the crown with the title “Champion of the Earth”.
More daring body painting designs followed, in wild designs that would make the uninitiated blush.
The show featured interesting side performances as well as those by local singer Lisa Punch, who was decked out in a hot pink wig, channelled Nicki Minaj to the delight of patrons, doing the chart topping ‘Your Love’.
Dancer Devone Sheers, wearing a mime getup, also gave a fantastic performance makeup where he amused the audience with a selection of dances from Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’, Spynks’ ‘Mr. Robot’, Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ and the dancehall number ‘Pun the Edge’ and other tunes.
Local singer Celeste David channelled Tina Turner as she did her own soft crooning rendition of  ‘Simply the Best’.
The second segment featured a performance of ‘Let’s get glam’ by the Classique dance troupe whose members wore paper accessories to complement their outfits. At the event, the patrons themselves displayed creative flair dressed in tie dyed fabric and crocheted garments.