By Akola Thompson
In December of 2012, fine arts artist and acclaimed designer, Nadia Thomas along with her niece, Natalya Thomas, launched their new clothing line, Duo Collection at the Princess hotel.This year, the Duo is back again and is set to launch their new clothing collection titled “United and Free” on the May 21, at the 50th anniversary fashion show.
The collection, they said, will be based on the monuments, beauties of Guyana and the celebration of its 50th independence. They hope that through their work, they can showcase the hope of “togetherness and freedom which will help us overcome our struggles and regain our strength.”
The theme ‘United and Free’, said Nadia, was chosen to celebrate Guyana as an independent nation for 50 years. Guyana experienced a dark past where our first people were displaced from the land they found, slavery was a way of life, many suffered through the system of indentureship and we endured colonial rule.

“Yet, we have surpassed those years to now being a united, free and developing nation. The clothing line highlights many aspects of our history: The 1763 monument is a constant reminder of the shackles that were broken so that the children of this soil can now live happy and free lives. The strength and resilience we inherited empowered us to fight to become a free nation in 1966. The St George’s Cathedral, being a major landmark in Guyana shows how as a nation we have grown to even making history through our infrastructure by having the tallest wooden building in the world. Also, our rich flora and fauna are depicted, highlighting our natural beauty and resources. As designers, we are proud to portray various aspects of Guyana and its culture through fashion. It is within this dear land that we were molded into becoming who we are today.”
With their creative original prints showcasing Guyana’s heritage, the duo hopes to have the line sold in both local and foreign stores as well as online.
Currently, they are working on a website from which they will be showcasing and selling their designs. It is hoped that it will be up and running by the end of April.

They had in their last fashion show donated some of the proceeds earned to the Cancer Institute in hopes of raising awareness and educating women on the dangers of cancer and the need for early screening.
This is something they hope to continue throughout the years as they have had family members who have passed away to the disease. They are hoping to hold a fashion show this coming December and plan to contribute part proceeds to the Cancer Institute.
While Nadia has been in the designing world since 2000, Natalya started in 2014, showcasing her love for sequins, vibrant colors and unique, yet “wearable” fashion for the everyday woman.
Natalya explained that while she has always had an interest in fashion, it was only in the recent years that she realized it was something she was truly interested in doing. By 2013, she was experimenting with different designs and textures and when her aunt noticed her deep interest, they decided to work together and create the fashion line, Duo Collection, successfully launching it one year later at the Princess Hotel, where artwork by Nadia and other Guyanese artists were also displayed.
While they have chosen to work together, the duo still retains their own creative flairs in the interest of always remaining original and true to their own expressions but which will reflect their similar cultural backgrounds.
Heavily influenced by the elegance and detail of the 60s and 70s style, Nadia states that her hope is not to be a designer who caters for only one specific crowd, but rather hopes to create a line which clothes women in all shapes and sizes and which flatters and empowers the wearers.
Meanwhile, Natalya who also has a love for the look of elegance states that what she wants to create is a mixture between current trends and eccentric clothing, which will be heavily influenced by various cultures.