Submissions are pouring in from established and new fashion designers alike for SAINT International’s Jamaica Avant Garde Designer of the Year competition. The social calendar event, slated for June 1 at the AC Kingston Hotel, has sparked major interest among local makers with distinct style perspectives, and SAINT CEO Dewight Peters is excited by the still incoming entries. “In terms of the profile of the designer entrants, it’s a wide range of age and experiential demographics,” Peters shared with The Gleaner .
Peters noted that the designing contest, which is celebrating its 20th iteration, is the longest-running of its kind in the Caribbean region. “We started in 2004 as a way of tapping into the design creative culture that we believed existed, but was never really applauded before. Designers like Carlton Brown, Neahlis, and the late Dexter Pottinger began on our platform, and we are proud to see how they evolved over the years,” he lauded.
Fashion designers entering this year’s competition are tasked with creating thematic garments centred around the guideline ‘Jamaica 62: Celebrating the resilience, strength and passion of our people’. The winner will walk away with a cash prize of $124,000. Coming onboard as sponsors are HEART/NSTA Trust and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
For HEART’s managing director, Taneisha Ingleton, the collaboration “offers a win-win situation for both organisations”. “By partnering with Saint International, the Tr.
