A Journey to ‘ The Lost City’ through fashion, art and ambience
By Shaniya Harding

The music, the wine, the poetry, dance, and fashion pieces at Moonlight Stories all came together on June 3 at the Marriott Hotel to transport guests to a time long ago, before oil wells and drilling. This event symbolically showcased Guyana’s true wealth, talent and creativity while taking us on a journey to the famed ‘Lost City’, otherwise known as El Dorado.

The second Moonlight Stories gala and runway show kicked off with Guyana’s finest creatives of all forms. Seeking to be more than just a fashion show, the event was a gathering of our country’s most brilliant designers, artists and musicians.

Moonlight Stories was started by Keisha Edwards and her brand Shasha Designs and is among the biggest events of its kind in Guyana and the Caribbean. With a combination of notable experienced designers like Derek Moore and excited newcomers like Carl Peterkin, it was a showcase of talent from the widest reaches of Guyana.

Guests entering the second floor of the Marriott Hotel were met with the creative installations of a line-up of local designers, all of which were branded with hues of gold and yellow and held true to the theme of ‘The Lost City’. As visitors arrived, they had the opportunity to have interviews and their pictures taken by professional photographers. The atmosphere of the sights and interactions between guests and designers added to the divine ambience of being among Guyanese creativity.

The show
At around 21:00hrs guests were ready to truly undertake the immersive journey to ‘The Lost City’ through fashion, music and models to highlight the garments made by each designer. The runway aspect was hosted by Nuriyyih Gerrard and opened with an interpretive dance coupled with the spoken word poem, ‘Lost’ by local writer Jasmaine Payne. True to its brand, the opening of Moonlight Stories also featured live music, in the form of Abel Stokes, with his amazing rendition of ‘We will never break’.

The atmosphere of the event was created by attention to detail. Shasha Designs opened with the launch of a new collection The Lost City: Old El Dorado, comprising a variety of male and female streetwear with a casual and stylish look to them. The collection effortlessly portrayed the image of what people walking through El Dorado would have worn some years ago.

In the show’s second segment, the designers opened with their pieces, beginning with Bloom, done by duo Isaiah Luther of Bucked Beaded and Phelicia Adams of Flawless Crochet. Their piece was a crocheted and sustainable male piece and modelled by Jeron Scotland. The intricately made gold garment is said to represent the wealth stolen from the first people. When talking to Isaiah about how he felt, he said, “ I feel happy and grateful to be a part of Moonlight Stories for the second time.” On his and Phelicia’s creation, he said, “ It was very organic this time around. I didn’t get to do exactly what I wanted, but I’m still happy.” Speaking on behalf of his brand, Isaiah said he wanted his brand to be “Very chic, Caribbean, and simple.”

Hitting the runway next was a newcomer with a new perspective, Carl Peterkin, with his piece titled, ‘In the streets of El Dorado’. This piece sought to show what a man walking on the gold-paved streets of El Dorado would look like. The golden runway accentuated Carl’s gold and black streetwear design, immersing guests just a bit further into El Dorado. When asked about how he felt standing with his design among others, he said, “I know the ability of the other designers and artists. So I know they will bring something to the table while I bring something different to the table.” In showing his gratitude, Carl described Moonlight Stories as, “More than extraordinary.”

Also making a mark was Esther Samuels’piece, ‘Immersed In Wealth’. With a hint of African inspiration, this design paired the gold of The Lost City with African heritage. A design by Roberto Teekah of Rio De Roberto was up next, with ‘Insect Inspiration’ which, as its name suggests, showcased his creative interpretation of the theme from the invertebrate perspective.

Up next was Dexter Gardener’s ‘Napa Empress of Jewels.’ Dexter described Napa as being born of the blood and tears shed in the pursuit of the lost City; and is the protector of resources. All these designs succeeded in achieving elegance, beauty, engenuity and a true representation of The Lost City.

As the evening went on, designing couple, Hashim Alli and Melicia Partab-Alli showcased their brand ‘Nachle Designs’. Their piece was golden and regal and stood out with its unique blend of Indian wear with a flair of Western design. It’s traditional Indian jewellery and Nachle’s unique golden umbrella, made the outfit memorable. On the topic of what the piece means and to them, they said, “It represents the trials of the people and how they brought El Dorado to life. You’ll see the illumination. And the fun colours with the Indian textiles we added to give you that masterpiece.”

As this aspect of the event winded down, guests were stunned by the creation of Randy Madray, titled, ‘The deity of El Dorado’. A stunning creation, Randy’s piece embodied royalty, with the entire piece being made of gold fabric. A head piece beautifully accompanied the complex outfit and was just one of the many examples of Guyanese creativity.

One notable and more highly anticipated design was that of Derek Moore, one of Guyana’s more known designers. Moore’s piece titled, ‘It Deh Deh’, was of a golden woman adorned with dream catchers and a fabric reminiscent of waves. To Derek, his piece sought to show that Guyana has talent, which can be seen right at events such as Moonlight Stories. Talking about what he wanted his designs to represent, Derek said, “I wanted to capture our culture – the minerals in our soil and water compared to everywhere else. And our culture is rich and diverse. And I just want everyone to know that Guyana is El Dorado.”

Closing the second half of the gala were more designs from the brilliant Keisha Edwards, with Shasha Designs’ second new collection: The Lost City: New El Dorado. The collection did not only have the widest range of outfits, but also one of the most diverse, with ready-to-wear evening and corporate wear with a modern, golden twist. With their kaleidoscope of colours and style, the designs showcased that evening exhibited true diversity and creativity . Moonlight Stories was more than just a gala, or runway show; it was an artist’s journey and phenomenal experience through the City of Gold.

Review from the founder
Sharing her comments about the show with the Pepperpot Magazine, Keisha Edwards couldn’t help but feel proud about what she and the team behind the Moonlight Stories brand were able to accomplish for the second year running. “We were able to put on another successful event that highlighted the creative industry and our culture in a large way. The direction that a lot of creatives took to create their pieces came from a deep place,” she shared.

Though the show’s highlights were many, having Derek Moore as part of the esteemed line-up, was high on the list. Referring to Moore as Guyana’s “Father of Fashion”, Edwards said it was remarkable to see his passion and excitement for fashion still alive, adding that his growth over the years was also amazing to see.

She thanked her sponsors Glo Aesthetic, Bromeliad.rnc, Reminisce Soaps, Shaw’s Media and DeSinco Trading for their support of the show, adding that seeing greater support from both private and public sectors is always welcome.
“I look forward to the growth of Moonlight Stories and I look forward to the growth of persons in the creative industry. Just seeing the calibre of work putout inspired me, so I know it inspired other people who are thinking [they] want to be in the creative industry… The designers put on a great show,” Edwards added.

And while plans for Moonlight Stories are already in gear for 2024, Edwards is still hopeful that more platforms will be made for Guyanese creatives to showcase their talent. “Our culture is retold through creativity and in order for our cultural identity and our traditions and cultures to be preserved, we must support these industries, so I am very proud of myself and my team who came out and did their thing.”