AS the clock ticked on Guyana’s 49th republic anniversary, costume designers up to late last night were racing to prepare for today.

The Guyana Chronicle caught up with designers Olympia Small-Sonaram and Maxi K Williams, CEO of Maxi K Williams Designs to get a sneak peek into their preparations for the big day.

Designer Sonaram said the Ministry of Public infrastructure and the Ministry of Communities are under her care this year and she is excited about the concept in her designs. She said her quota comprises over 200 costumes and will cater for revellers in both ministries, which include a large band and a king and queen costume. A visit to some of the mash camps revealed workers putting their shoulders to the wheel, cutting, pasting, measuring and stitching all sorts of materials to create the floats and costumes.
Olympia explained that her queen float represents the newly renovated Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which is located at the centre of the float with the airport being the gateway to a modern Guyana and ‘green’ economy and the main contributor to Guyana’s development.

“With the emerging oil and gas sector and advancement of the ‘Green’ State Development Strategy, the queen portrays the expansion and extension of the runway to satisfy international requirements for larger aircraft landing and a modified airport terminal to accommodate the rising number of visitor arrivals,” she said.

Her male individual designs represent the many construction workers who represent the agency under the Ministry of Public infrastructure, responsible for creating the first-ever magnificent major round-a-bout situate at the Kitty Seawall; the female individual is decked out in a silver body suit representing electricity, since the Guyana Power and Light Inc has collaborated with the MoPI. The female revellers represent women in aviation and aims at transforming the country’s aviation sector as it relates to female involvement in becoming pilots. The male revellers are representations of construction workers, working vigorously on the construction of roads for better driving conditions and the construction of new roads.

Maxi K Williams , on the other hand, will be showcasing his works in a private capacity and will be bringing 30 revellers out on “Mash” Day. He explained that one of his costumes illustrates the strength, the culture, the customs and ability of the First Peoples. This costume, he said, is portrayed as a “Tribal Dream Catcher” and represents the circle of life. The feathers act as a fluffy, pillow-like ladder allowing good dreams to descend upon sleeping persons undisturbed, while the beads symbolise the spider, the web weaver, itself.
He described the concept behind another of his pieces as “The Bird of Paradise”, a costume he says, which is portrayed as a mighty Taiwanese Magpie which he explained is an endemic species living in the mountains of Taiwan at elevations of 300 feet. The colours represent wisdom and beauty, while the feathers present to you a spiritual being of power and honour. “Mashramani” is derived from the Amerindian language and means “celebration after hard work.”