Last year I was asked by
Discover Magazine to write an article for a fashion story for the
2013 issue. Though not much of a fashionista myself, working with
Turks and Caicos Productions for the last seven years has certainly given me a great deal of insight into the fashion world. I see potential talent here in the Turks & Caicos Islands on a weekly basis so I jumped at the opportunity to help showcase it. After attending the two assigned events,
infiniti-catwalk-event-at-somerset and the
TCI Top Model Contest, and interviewing organizer Courtney Robinson, winner
Washanda Registre and runner-up
Vielka Salvadore, I knew this story deserved a stunning series of photographs to illustrate it. After weeks of pushing the magazine and brainstorming concepts with
Tropical Imaging, we finally had approval to move forward. Last June I posted my inspiration boards, see them
here.
Washanda and Vielka did an incredible job, modeling is not easy! There is the bright sun/blinding lights you must ublinkingly bear, difficult poses to hold, lightning fast wardrobe changes in sometimes less than ideal locations, and very long work days! These two handled it like pros, despite their young ages and experience levels.
Is this gorgeous face beginning to look familiar? Washanda has been working often and is featured in several
local campaigns. She has the sweetest disposition, lovely looks, and is an all around wonderful young woman! She will go far with her unforgettable smile, her great ambition, and her
Wilhemina contract!
I am so very proud of Kazz and his
saintgeorgefashionhouse label. This is another young rising star to keep an eye on. Not only does his charm, talent, professionalism, and work ethic come across the moment you meet him, his attitude is top notch, a real leader who is always willing to lend a helping hand in the community.
Vielka slays the catwalk every time she steps on it, her strut is really something to see. When she steps out of the bright lights and sits down for conversation one may be surprised at her down to earth, nearly shy persona, her sense of humor. She has an incredibly versatile look and photographs beautifully, as you can see above. All three of these individuals have talent that I hope the wider world gets grasp of.
Please check out the article
online or pick up your own copy at local retailers. Or you may read the full article below:
The Turks and Caicos Islands have been a prized location for
fashion shoots for decades; cobalt blue skies, vivid turquoise seas, gently
rolling waves lapping onto white sand beaches stretching for miles. It’s the type of destination art directors
dream of, a stunning backdrop for which a fashion collection can instantly be
brought to radiant life. Courtney Robinson has viewed TCI as a backdrop to
fashion since his youth, literally. The
sole copies of Vogue and GQ which made their way to his native Grand Turk once
monthly were the teenager’s prized possessions, inspiring the young man’s
passion for fashion and love of drawing and textiles. Armed with the knowledge granted by being a photographer’s
son as well as an unforgettable face that embodied the “exotic” talent trend of
the time, this kid from the Caribbean had an upper edge once his feet hit the
streets of NY. By 2009, after stints
studying in the fine arts, modeling, and designing, Courtney thought it time to
give back to his community and give local aspiring models and designers an
opportunity to showcase their talents, and fashion fans an annual show they
wouldn’t forget.
The premier TCI Top Model contest spawned from
a simple desire to bring back the elegance and showmanship of pageantry past
and has now grown to the third installment
Carnivalé: Culture. Music.
Fashion! , a modern, multi-media production created to engage,
guaranteed to entertain, and ultimately expected to transport the audience to a
glamorous place far beyond the walls surrounding the crowd.
The show itself is an ambitious enough
project, but just as a model needs more than a pretty face or a knockout figure
to make a name, the show backs it’s single night grandeur by weeks of devoted
preparation spent on the contestants, encouraging them to shine their brightest
when they step into the lights of the big night and beyond.
This years contestants attended workshops on
etiquette, interview skills, spokes model proficiency, networking, fitness and health,
as well as fashion industry readiness, all instructed by diverse local experts.
The preparatory training was certainly
evident at the highly anticipated pre-event, “Infiniti Catwalk,” held on a
blazing sunlit afternoon at the Somerset Resort. Each contestant walked the
strikingly long loop around the sleek pool with poise, flair, and fierce
confidence. Each of the ten young women distinguished from her peers
thanks to uniquely shaped and tinted summer dresses, chosen to accentuate her
particular frame and personality.
After
the ten contestants made stylish exits, a second line up of long limbed
beauties showcased the spring/summer 2012 collection of Mongolian born,
Canadian based designer
Oyuna
Tuyssuzian. Her collection featured earthy, airy pieces inspired by the
diverse landscape of Turks and Caicos, many hand dyed “to achieve the right
color and pattern to resemble those found in rocks, stones, tree trunks, sea
foam, sunset, ripples on the water.”
The
audience was not alone in their applause; Mother Nature herself expressed
admiration with robust breezes which incited captivating performances by the
garments. The event clearly left the crowd wanting more, many lingered on in hopes
of getting closer looks at the contestants, analyzing which girl would win top
model.
The evening of
May 12th, the downtown auditorium venue had been transformed into an uptown,
urbane coliseum; media and behind the scenes bustling hurriedly about, music
pulsing, laser lights sprinting across the elevated front and center 60’ runway. As impressive as the scene was the poshly
dressed crowd; the usual Provo shorts and sandals superseded by lipstick
laughs, sparkling jewelry, and row after row of dapper dress shoes and striking
stilettos. The seat to seat mingling
halted the moment masquerade dancers leapt onto stage, throwing confetti into
the air, energizing the audience. After
an eyeful of sculpted, shiny bodies in festive carnival costumes, the contestants
appeared on the catwalk one by one, first in pretty party dresses and loose,
wild hair then transitioning, in true runway fast and furious form, to dark
denim skinny jeans and white-t’s paired with pumps and jet black pageboy wigs,
the perfect accessory to demonstrate the versatility of each girls look. Local designer Jermell Williams presented his
latest House of Jerritt collection. The
all white ensembles were inspired by Greece; slick satins with retro edge,
sheer peek-a-boo torsos, and opulent embellishments such as appliqués and ruffled
gathers. An energetic music performance
later and the contestants returned to the catwalk in Caribbean colorful
swimwear followed by the latest collection by St George Fashion House’s local
designer Kazz Forbes. From daringly slit
swimsuits and flirty tailored skirts with cropped jackets, to soft breezy floral
chiffons to raven hued decadent evening gowns, the collection offered variety
without losing sophistication. On the
final catwalk round, the contestants glowed in shimmering metallic asymmetrical
accordion gowns and chunky gold jewelry.
Though they all looked like goddesses standing side by side, 5’10”
almond eyed beauty Washanda Registre conquered the competition, winning the top
prize valued at over $12,000. She and runner
up, leggy and classicly alluring Vielka Salvadore, succeeded in catching the trained
eye of judges; top scouts from Wilhemina Models and Q Management from New
York. As the show was closing, the door
was opening for these young women.
The well spoken
Washanda, born in Grand Turk but raised in North Caicos, says it has been her
family and friends who have inspired and encouraged her interest in modeling. Her clear determination, positive attitude,
and graceful demeanor complete her charm.
She aspires that modeling will someday see her working in Italy and
gracing the pages of Vogue magazine but for now “my goals are just to put my
best foot forward and keep my head held high, not forgetting where I came
from.” Color loving Vielka, known
amongst her peers as “Blondie” spoke candidly about running and ducking from
the camera as a young girl. Born in the
Dominican Republic but raised in Providenciales since the age of three, her family
and friends have strived to push the once shy girl into the spotlight. When asked about her killer catwalk she muses
that it comes naturally; “it’s easy. Just stretch your legs!” She hopes to one day find herself in Paris,
walking the runway for Alexander McQueen.
Despite their differences, both young women agree that this experience
has been incredibly helpful in gaining confidence and insight, both into
themselves, and into the challenging and exciting wide world of fashion. Washanda
described one heartfelt moment before winning the title, “I could remember
backstage at the show, Courtney saying ‘you are goddesses now, and the cameras
are all on you so go out there and do your best and don’t forget that you can
never . . . . (emotional pause, deep breath) “sorry”, ‘don’t forget that you
can never fail.’ ”
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