THE hallway of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara was last Thursday transformed into a magnificent catwalk as both professional models and members of staff strutted designs from young and upcoming Guyanese designer Keisha Edwards of Sasha Designs.

Edwards launched her two new fashion lines at the event: Corporate Stepping and the 2012 Christmas Collection, which showcased a mixture of traditional rock meeting modern wear with a dash of Caribbean flavour.

The Mistress of Ceremonies (MC), Ms. Resel Melville, declared that Corporate Stepping was inspired by Shakespeare’s quote: “All the world’s a stage, and all men and women are mere actors, play us. You have the part, so look it.”

In Designer Keisha Edwards’s own words, Corporate Stepping is her interpretation of the corporate look. However, she said it is not about going to work and looking the traditional boring way, but more like going bold with colours and having fun. She advised that her designs in this collection are not just for work, but also for work functions, like staff parties and dinners.

For the Christmas Collection, Edwards used a lot of red, and patterns such as black and white and chequered. She opined that this would be the ‘in thing’ for 2013, and emphasized that she strives to create outstanding images with her work.

Ms. Anya Thomas, the Caricom staffer who organised the fashion extravaganza, noted that while the talents of “in-house” models were showcased at the event, the opportunity was also used to feature a major Guyanese designer. In previous years, other top local designers, such as Sonia Noel and Michelle Cole, were also featured.
Thomas highlighted that they take pride in being able to turn an average person into a runway quality model, and advised that, in past years, she has trained the models herself. However, this year, a professional trainer was hired in the person of Mr. Keith Allicock.

The fashion extravaganza was only one component of a week of activities for the secretariat’s annual Staff Talent Celebration, which commenced on Monday, November 26, and concluded on Friday, November 30.
The Staff Talent Celebration places emphasis on showcasing the skills and talents that reside within the walls of the Caricom secretariat, while promoting social cohesion among staff members. It is now in its tenth year.

“With a complement of staff from most of the 15 member states, it is not surprising that the CARICOM Secretariat would be a microcosm of the vibrant and colourful peoples of the Caribbean Region,” a press release from the secretariat stated.
Coordinator of this year’s event, Ms. Vanessa Stephney, stressed that it’s not always about work.

“We know that the staff members are talented, they have that other side to them; so we thought that we should find a way for them to celebrate that talent,” she stated.

The curtains came down on Friday with a packed day of events, starting with a culinary exhibition, followed by another segment of the fashion extravaganza, and then a games and karaoke night.

Ms. Resel Melville, who is in charge of the culinary exhibition, entitled ‘Mélange Caraibes’, explained that the French title means “Caribbean mix-up or melting pot”. She described the exhibition as “the ultimate Caribbean gourmet experience.”

Staff members, who represent almost all 15 member states of Caricom, brought different dishes from their homelands, which were put on display before their colleagues were allowed to sample them.

A recent addition to the Staff Talent Celebration is a “How To” show which started last year. In that show, staff members of the secretariat use this opportunity to teach their talents and skills to other staffers. Some of these were how to make rum punch, how to make green banana salad, how to get married in Botswana, and how to perform certain massage techniques.

“We thought that there are so many talented people working in the secretariat that it would be nice for them to share their talents with their colleagues in an informal environment. We also have a lot of different cultures, because all of us are from various members states of the Caribbean Community,” said Rhonda Wilson, organizer of that segment.

There were also other components of the week, such as a photography exhibition, and celebration of the spoken word in the form of poetry.
In addition, much of this year’s celebration was dedicated to Deputy Secretary General Lolita Applewhaite, who will be leaving the secretariat in the near future after completing her stint over nine years.

Applewhaite said she was quite surprised but thrilled that staffers had this year dedicated the celebrations in her honour.
“I’ve been here for nine of those ten years, and I’ve been fascinated by the multi-talented people we have working at the secretariat. I’ve watched this event grown and evolve over the years, and I’ve continued to be amazed at the talent that our staff  continue to display,” she commented.