THE fashion segment of Guyana’s Republic Jubilee to be hosted in February will be launched well before the end of this month, and convener Carol Fraser says she is looking to promote a green economy through fashion.

Fraser, a fashion designer for 35 years, who is overlooking the fashion segment with direction from the Ministry of Culture, will also be serving in an advisory capacity.

Speaking with the Peppperpot Magazine on Friday, she said the five–day event will be on at the D’Urban Park and will commence on February 14, 2020.
While an exhibition will be held during the day, along with food and drink, the team is looking to do two fashion shows in the afternoon each day.

They want to cater to the working class of people who can attend the event right after work without having to first go home and change. A later fashion show would cater to those who wish to come out in the evening.

“This is an opportunity not only for the seasoned designers but for those who are not well known. They have a chance to come out and show Guyana and the international market what is going on,” Fraser expressed.

In her bid to use the occasion as an avenue to promote a green economy, Fraser will be using environmentally friendly materials such as beads, seeds, leather, straw, leaves, grass, coconut shells, etc. These inexpensive materials can be used on garments, bags, and everything that will be modelled.

While persons will also be using synthetic materials, they will be doing so in a way that will still promote eco-friendly styles and fashion. “When persons look at our fashion lines, they can see where Guyana is headed, and we can promote our cultural identity through fashion,” Fraser said.

In this petroleum era where people from all walks of life will come to Guyana, Fraser said the country’s culture can fade away and become history if Guyanese do not stand firm with it. “Fashion and the arts solve cultural conflicts and record history,” she noted.

She said if persons would like to participate in the fashion display, they can contact telephone numbers 658 1155, or 670 6233.

Meanwhile, this year, Guyana will celebrate being a Republic nation under the theme, “Guyana Together; Reflect, Celebrate and Transform.”
The Government of Guyana through the Department of Culture, the 50th Republic Jubilee Inter-Ministerial and Central Mashramani Committee has since launched a calendar to observe the occasion with events to entertain and educate the Guyanese people.
Pop-up concerts featuring Guyana’s local talent will be held in each administrative region throughout the festival period which commenced last October with the official launch held in Linden, said to be the birthplace of Mashramani.

In preparation for the event, the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport had partnered with the Guyana Cultural Association of New York to host a Costume Designers’ Workshop.

The five-day activity was aimed at enhancing the Mashramani Costume and Float Parade, and it examined several areas like the history of the festival, mobility of floats and costumes, using recycled materials, using lights, animation through various means, including STEM and robotics; and performance and display.

Furthermore, Minister of Social Cohesion George Norton and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana K. J. Srinivasa recently discussed the hosting of Guyana’s 50th Golden Republic Jubilee, and the possibility of an all-Indian team participating in the festivities.

The team would include a cultural troupe for performances throughout Guyana; a few tech whizzes for the hosting of an Information Technology Symposium, as well as an Indian cricket team for an exciting Jubilee tournament.