“SHE circumvents, she transposes, she is an artist…

In the light of the moon, our black brownness takes on wonderful hues.
When the moonlight hits the trees, figures and cultures begin to merge; haunting, lustrous, dressed in dew, they whisper to us…
‘…Tell your story; tell our story’
In the hazy glow of the moonlight, let the richness of the culture unfurl…
Moonlight stories are our stories”
– Andrew Kendall

These words are snippets of a longer performance piece that ushered in the opening of the extravagant production that was “Moonlight Stories”, Guyana’s First Gala and Runway Show. The brainchild of Guyanese designer Keisha Edwards, Moonlight Stories was a milieu of fashion, art, poetry and music, all culminating to portray the magic and magnificence of Guyanese Folklore. The highly anticipated event brought out Guyanese fashion and art enthusiasts in their numbers. With over 200 persons in attendance, patrons spared no expense, donning pieces from local and international designers alike. It was a scene never before seen in the fashion industry. Think Guyana’s Met Gala: Pomp, ceremony and class at its best as Edwards showcased two never-before-seen collections, Moonlight and Pigment, from her brand, Shasha Designs. The designer also made the stage available for 11 other local designers through a third collection entitled, Voices, where each designer showcased a look inspired by Guyanese Folklore. To top it off, the production featured a gallery from the same lineup of designers who displayed a second piece under the same theme.
The production featured a seamless run-of-show thanks to backstage direction by Tivia Collins. Edwards and all the designers embodied the moon and the local stories we have so lovingly told and been told beneath her light. It was an evening where Guyanese talent shone like the effervescent moon herself, regal in their designs, majestic in their thought process, and luminescent in their variety and innovation. It cannot be overstated the attention to detail that was given to each piece. Each designer clearly took their project very seriously, and brought their best, especially after more than two years of creative silence and drought they had suffered as a result of the pandemic.

A SUCCESS
If you missed it, hopefully you get a chance to see it next year, as, given the success of Moonlight Stories, it is likely to be an annual event from hereon after. In an exclusive interview with The Pepperpot Magazine, Edwards herself is still taking it all in. Still, one thing is for sure: She believes that she achieved exactly what she envisioned. “For me, [the show] was successful, because I set a goal for myself, and I accomplished it,” Edwards explained. “I really wanted to marry culture and fashion together because people sometimes think the two are separate, and they also think that fashion is not a viable artform; they think it’s just entertainment. I wanted to show people the light in which I see fashion. Through my lenses, the artistic form, and not only marrying the two, but I wanted to bring together different genres of the creative industry, and have us work together to put on a fashion production, and I think I was extremely successful at doing that.” Apart from the designers, Edwards collaborated with other artists in the local industry, including writers, makeup artists, fashion stylists, jewellery designers, musicians, production designers and other creatives with various levels of expertise that helped bring her vision to life. “I wanted people to be a part of the story, because a story was being told. I wanted to take them along this journey of my childhood and imagination… It was a lot of work, and a lot of different people, but I was able to have them all collectively come together so people could see what a night of culture, fashion and art looks like,” Edwards explained.

CONCEPTUALISATION
After completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design at the Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design in Trinidad and Tobago, Edwards returned to Guyana at the end of 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was an inopportune time for most, she believes that it was the right time to reset, recoup and focus on her next move. “[The pandemic] really allowed me to sit down and think about what it was that I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to come back home and collaborate and work with the creatives,” she explained. At the same time, Edwards admitted that she also looked to shift her business model, given that the fashion industry was struggling under the current circumstances. Edwards noticed that weddings were still an area where she could earn, so, while thinking of a bigger project, on the one hand, she focused on the practical aspect of business, and threw her efforts into selling wedding dresses.
On the social side, the designer stated that it took some time to readjust to Guyana’s pace. “I was a little bit nervous returning home to Guyana, because there aren’t a lot of activities for the youths here. Really and truly, it’s the same thing that you do over and over, and there are not a lot of activities for the arts. In Trinidad, they have spoken word competitions, workshops on branding, workshops on finishing, on fashion business…There was always something to do, even something outside of your area of specialty,” she explained. Seeing an opportunity, Edwards decided to use that experience and bring it home with her. All the while, Moonlight Stories had been brewing in her mind.

‘MOONLIGHT STORIES’
Storytelling has been a hobby of hers since Edwards was a child, so the concept of Moonlight Stories has been close to her heart long before this year’s iteration. “I remember growing up, my parents would always have some story to share with us, and I carry these memories with me,” the designer fondly recalled. This dear pastime was first expressed as part of her work in 2016 when she launched her collection, “Moonlight Stories”, for the first time, which paid homage to Guyanese Folklore. That collection was displayed at a fashion showcase in St. Vincent, at the 50th Anniversary Jubilee Fashion Extravaganza in Guyana, and at the Caribbean Style and Culture Fashion Showcase in Maryland, in the USA, where she was presented with the Caribbean Style and Fashion ‘Award of Excellence – Fashion Innovation’.
Last Saturday’s Gala allowed Edwards to continue that legacy in a bigger way, and that all started during those quiet moments in the pandemic, when she spent some time connecting more with herself and other like-minded creatives. “When I had conversations with creatives, they shared that they were depressed; they were yearning for something different. They were not making stuff for people, and if they were, it was at a very minimal cost. I know persons had to let people go… people were going through things, and I was like, you know what, this is the time for Moonlight Stories,” she recalled.
As fate would have it, it was then that Edwards stumbled across the Cultural Creatives Grant from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. “A friend sent me the flyer, and I sat down over two days and put together my proposal. It was very detailed. And when I submitted, I said, ‘God, if this is for me, if I am really supposed to be in Guyana and work on the creative industry and unite the creatives so we could get this thing done, then let it be’,” Edwards explained. And so it was: About one month later, the designer was informed that her proposal was successful, giving her the million-dollar opportunity to tell “Moonlight Stories”.
“I feel like with all the development that’s taking place in Guyana, it’s important for people to never forget the arts and the creative industry and fashion industry. It’s a viable career,” Edwards continued. “People are skilled, and people continue to improve their skills, and this must be supported by the private sector and the government. Events like this should be supported, and I was fortunate to have my sponsors and the Ministry of Culture on board.”

LOOKING AHEAD
Now with the stage she has set, Edwards has many plans in store for Shasha Designs and the fashion industry as a whole. This includes a list of planned fashion activities for the rest of the year. While this may not include anything as big as her most recent showcase, these activities will put the skills she has garnered over the years to use through training and developing opportunities for creatives.
Admittedly, however, Guyana’s fashion industry has ‘a ways to go’ as they say, when it comes to the type of development that Edwards and her fellow designers would like to see, and much of it, she believes, will require major support from both the government and the private sector. “What is needed is workshops on business management, because, at the end of the day, every decision that you make for your business, that is a major role in the advancement of the fashion industry,” she explained. “I think that government needs to play a major role, so this creative grant is a really good initiative… It can allow for people to expand their business; it allows them to make more inventory, invest in classes, hire more people, get the best equipment… So, more grants and more business education that looks at skills such as money management and similar initiatives.”
Edwards is now energised more than ever after the response from her show which, among its sold-out audience, included attendance from members of the Government and the Diplomatic Corps. Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Charles Ramson; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues; and British High Commissioner, Her Excellency Jane Miller and her husband, Dr. Rob Miller all sat front-row of the production, and were visibly impressed throughout the show. Moreover, Moonlight Stories proved to Edwards that Guyana has undeniable talent waiting to be harnessed.

“Moonlight Stories are our stories. This themed fashion show was inspired by Guyanese stories, all our stories. It doesn’t matter your race, creed, or religious background… everybody would have heard some form of Folklore growing up, and I felt that could be something that could unite us, bring people together and get the conversation going… I wanted to do something that would fill people with pride.”
And it is safe to say that this was achieved: from the replica of the Silk Cotton Tree atop the runway, to the intricate details of the spider, the Moongazer, Ol Higue, the Kanaima; from each designer’s modern take and inspiration stitched, drawn and pressed onto their garments, to Keisha’s own Matrix-esque ensemble of recycled plastic that paid tribute to the Water Mama; to the fairytale-like faces of the models, beat by Renee Chester of Bromeliad.rnc and team; every detail of “Moonlight Stories” filled everyone there with pride; pride that, indeed, Guyanese are talented. Edwards delivered, and so did her team. Now, thanks to “Moonlight Stories”, Guyanese stories and Guyanese fashion are immortal.
Next week, we will continue with interviews with the talented designers who showcased their work at the event.