That’s so TOTALLY my theme all of this weekend. Style week came and went and brought the fabulosity…however, I dunno, I just feel a slightly higher buzz when its fashionweek time. I mean they both have their setbacks mind you, horrible delays between shows and what-not, but CFW is just always more grandiose and more fabulous!

Style week brought Ed Hardy. Caribbean Fashion Week ups the ante, promising to bring us Apple Bottoms by Nelly, Fetish by EVE (and yes they say she’ll be here) Catalin Botezatu from Romania (who brought all sorts of FABULOUSNESS last year and Deola Sagoe from Nigeria. All of that with local and regional favorites Biggy, Bill Edwards, Lubica, Poshe and Keneea (FOS royalties) Mushroom, Mynka, Moncriefe, Mutamba, Meiling, Bridget Sandals and Luna Accessories and expected stars like Vanessa Williams, Eve, Nia Long and Mashonda (should I ask her about Alicia Keys taking her man ?) populating the front row….jah know the fabulosity is overwhelming! Not to mention Pulse’s star top models and performances each night from either Cezar, Tami Chin and other local faves? Put a fork in me, I’m DONE!

Its time ladies and gents, tonight the catwalk comes alive! I’m there front and centre in full paparazzi…er….I meant journalistic mode…LOL stay tuned for all the fabulous updates.

Model Jade in [Jamaican Designer] Mushroom at CFW 07

Amidst all of the fashionweek recap, I pause to bring to you a lil of my own press. FOS yahdie Mikelah writes for Jamrock Magazine online and was gracious enough to give yah girl some shine. Check out the article here , thanks again Mikelah

So, remember how I told you [first] that Indashio was coming to show his line in Jamaica? Well that he did…twice. Indashio is quite a spirited character, i.e. a spunky lil dude, energetic and full o’ vibe. You can see he’d be great to party with and in fact, the after party was off the chain! Shout outs to Darren and the Sky Dock lounge.

However, I have a gripe with Mr. Indashio. I’m not sure who convinced you to show the ENTIRE line at Fashionblock, a free style week event, only to charge JA$2500 (about US$35) +drinks for me to watch the line all over again with no additives. How about next time at a pre -event you do a lil pre view…a lil teaser to plug your show? Cus if I’ve seen it all before, why’d I pay good money to go see it again? Thanks to your sponsor Uni-lever for the complimentary Ponds and Dove products though, those face-wipes are great for night time make-up removal!

Anyhoo…on to the line. It certainly reflects your personality: funky, spirited, colourful…FUN!

This was my favorite piece. The Zebra print over the turqoise was gorgeous…a refreshing change from the normal animal print matched with red…oh…you had a few of those two huh…

MMMMMhhhmmmm

Flip flops huh….only you Indashio… and maybe Dexter…

Work it out then… full gallery available here .

Pics courtesy of Brass.Angel.Photography

Wanna see what $80,000 US dollars looks like? Model Canise shows off this b Michael creation shown at International Mecca of Style.

Go ahead, click the thumbnails and take it aaaallllll in. The full b. Michael gallery is available here along with Jamaican designers Bunmi, 3D, Yola Grey, Mdiz and Dominique Acevedo here .

All pics were courtesy of our very own make-up guru and photographer Brass.Angel.Photography

I took a vid clip of the Ed Hardy line rocking the 150ft long catwalk in the middle of New Kingston’s Knutsford Boulevard. Ed Hardy done brung it y’all…check it out.

Barbie from Alexxya (the store Tifa and I did our shopping feature ) was spotted at Style Week’s Friday event rocking a hot pair of white wide-legged pants, so on point. You know white pants are all the rage, a trend that really evolves only in style from skinny to wide-legged to boot cut to straight and will always be a closet staple. [click for larger images]

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Styleweek Jamaica is well under way and will culminate tonight with it’s history making catwalk in the middle of Kingston’s busy busy business district (well on a Sunday night there’s not much business eh) and I can’t wait to be front and centre. The shows have been great thus far, with the normal setbacks such as HUMONGOUS delays between collections (man, we need to get over this ish!) but its all fab none-the-less.

Here’s your favorite fashionista snapping a shot with hottie model Tafari Hinds of GQ and French Connection fame. He’s such a gracious soul.

I also spotted Saint Top model Canise mingling in the crowd in a FABULOUS pair of black mary-janes with a red heel. She rocked it well in all black including the full length black leggings you all know I adore. Hot eh?

Of course I’m not about to leave you all out of the scene. I got a few clips of the final walks especially the fabulous Les Campbell, noted Jamaican menswear designer, Rojoe from Barbados and the dynamic Dexter Pottinger closing the show with the 3D 08 line. Check the vid for the fabulosity below.

Rojoe

Les Campbell

Dexter

Mynka is a fashion designer from rural Jamaica who is really a free spirit at heart. She chants nam-myoho-renge-kyo and practices Nichirin Daishonin’s Buddhism to keep her grounded and attract her good fortune and needed support. She’s got many ventures under her belt and the drive to succeed at them all. I spoke to Mynka recently about her roots and her latest efforts:

The Beginning

I started designing at about ten, cutting up my jeans and other clothes and sewing sequins on everything I wore including my shoes. My aunt and my stepmother taught me to crochet around the same age but I really started designing seriously at around age 21. I actually moved to Kingston [Jamaica] to pursue a musical career and [while] hanging out at the studios people would always love my clothes. I started out as a personal shopper at first and then people started ordering hats and then I would make clothes. I really dont know when the transition happened, I just know that Buju Banton was one of the first people to start buying my hats and he said to me one day “you know everybody a go want dem hat ya now, you a go crochet ’til you hand dem bun you” and it has been like that ever since: me crocheting ’til my hands burn me, lol. I used to write for the Teenage Observer and one day they did a feature on me and as they say the rest is history. Shortly after that I was introduced to Dewight Peters [of Saint International fame] who put me on my first fashion show.

Challenges

Lack of raw materials like fashion yarns, buckles and other trimmings.

Alot of [Jamaicans] will spend a fortune on foreign name brands but try to negotiate my price.

There really isn’t a supportive body to help us designers. Other Caribbean countries, I know their government sends the designers to school, give them buildings to sell their stuff or sponsor them to travel and go to different fashion shows. Our government does nothing for us. I am not saying I need a hand out, but even the business development center , that claim they are there to develop businesses, will order things from you, bawl down [i.e. negotiate] your price to little and nothing and then still take a month to pay you after the goods are delivered. The hotels are the same.

I am on a fashion committee right now and I am pushing to change that and trying to work with the government to improve the situations. Everybody keeps telling me I need to be a politician. I am so about fighting for justice which is the meaning of my name.

Who and where:

I’ve worked with Buju Banton, Cecile, Truth Hurts, Roberta Flack, Gyptian, Deon Silvera, Audrey Reid, Pam Hall, Nadine Willis, Arturo Tapping, Faye Alibocus, D’angel

My pieces are available at the CFW boutique in the Pulse Complex, Shades of Africa and la Pluma Negra [all in Kgn, Jamaica] for now. I am building a boutque in Grange Hill [Westmoreland, Jamaica] and thats where my base will be. That hopefully will be opened before the end of the year.

So Mynka, what else is new?

I will be opening a restaurant as well, been writing recipes for that. It is going to be all vegetarian and [located at the] same place in Grange Hill. [I'm] also writing lots of songs and planning to go into the studio real soon to start some recording. I have a cosmetic line to be launched, just have to get the products approved now. These natural cosmetics will be homemade and free from chemicals of all kind. Most of the herbs used will be from my mother’s garden and there will be something for everyone [from] baby diaper creams to wrinkle removers to formulas for naturally enlarging or decreasing your breast size. I am also wrting several books, the first out will ofcourse be about fashion. It will have original crochet patterns from me and fashion tips. My next book will be a cook book with all my favourite vegan recipes and the other books will be on stories of my life portraying mostly my spiritual side and how I’ve used my practices to attain success. I’ve also started an organization called The Love for Life Foundation, which is focused on getting people, especially teenage girls, to love themselves for who they are and also to help pregnant teens financially. What I do is go into the girls homes, teach them how to crochet or whatever else I can teach them. I also counsel them and help them to educate themselves. My intention is to have other people come in and teach them other skills.

I have a show in Harlem [NY] on the 18th of [May], then there is Caribbean Fashion Week and then I was invited to take part in the Islands of the World Fashion Week in Bahamas in November, so I’ll be pretty busy. A boutique here in Harlem wants to carry my line so we are planning a party to launch here in the states. I also plan on opening a school as I have a few students that I am teaching designing to.

As you can see, Mynka is a pretty busy woman with a tun-load of titles attached to her name!  The challenges she faces have been echoed by so many of our local designers , I wish Mynka nothing but luck on her efforts to enlighten the government on the need for investment and aid in our booming fashion industry. Come out and see her new line at this year’s Caribbean Fashion Week and stay tuned to FOS for more designer profiles. The pictures are from Mynka’s showings at CFW 2007, more on her myspace page .

Are you a fan of SWJ or CFW? If you’re a true fashionista then you’ll be like me and make sure you’re at both! And if you just saw those letters and went "huh???" then get a clue! For this tiny lil island of ours, we are privileged to host not one but two esteemed fashionweeks each year showcasing the absolute best in fashion from this region and around the world. How we hot soh? Paris, Milan, New York, London, Kingston! A fashion force to be reckoned with. Style Week Jamaica (SWJ) is from May 22-25 and Caribbean Fashion Week (CFW) is June 11-15. Check out the different websites for all the intricate details.

Of course, I’ll be bringing features on some of the designers, personalities and models participating in this year’s events and I’ll capture as much of each week as I can. Guest authors and contributors are very welcomed during this time, if you’re attending any of the events and would like to publish a story/pictorial about it, FOS is your place to do just that. Holla at your girl and lets get it done.

SWJ promises to bring Ed Hardy and lets not forget that Indashio is showing in Ocho Rios on May 31st. Are you guys excited? Where will you be? Which do you regard as the better show?

Myspace is a great tool for networking, can I tell you?! I got a friend request from a site RepJa.com and a message to be featured. Its one of many that I receive from myspace, but you wouldn’t believe how pleasantly surprised I was when I clicked through to the site! RepJa is an exciting brand of vibrant, youthful and representational pieces that surrounds the popular dancing culture that has exploded in Jamaica in the last few years. I was so pleased to find a line that didn’t give me a full out red, green, gold and black line simply because it’s Jamaican. Let me put on my accent and simply say “the line sell off” “it a occur” “RepJa to di worl’!!! LOL You’d have to be Jamaican (and current) to get it folks…but don’t worry ‘bout that just cop you a few and be down with the in crowd. Let’s hear from the innovative designers themselves, shall we:

The Beginning

RepJa started at the end of 2006 out of a thought, which led to an idea, then a vision, that manifested itself into a fashion icon. The path of Repja chose us, we are all artists, graphic and web designers by trade. We simply applied the same talent and science of designing to the fashion industry. We are currently based in Atlanta GA

Sales

Sales have been great; every month there is an increase in sales and traffic to our site. We are getting orders daily from the Caribbean community nationally and also a lot of international orders. It has been extremely encouraging to see orders coming in from (Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, and many more).That love and support only shows us that our unique product is needed in the industry. The best part of our sales is the request from stores to carry the line, so far we are currently in (Vinnies Styles (Brooklyn, NY), DSK (Brooklyn, NY), Reggae Wear (Miami, FL), Leigui (JAPAN),4Seasons (Stone Mountain, GA), Reggae Unplugged (Maryland, DC).

Challenges

One of the hardest things for us is getting our name recognized. Letting everyone know exactly who we are and what we are here to offer the industry. The marketing is very important for any company and it is also the most challenging. There is also the financial aspect which every small company struggles with.

Growth

RepJA will be the face for our culture our lifestyle and our people. We have too much style and charisma as a people to put us in red, gold and green only. We are bursting out of the traditional and the expected we are totally catching people off guard with the concepts and the ideas that our designers have been delivering. We will expand our line to offer jeans and cut and sew products. We are also gearing RepJA to launch a few spin offs for our diverse culture, meaning we will have a couture line. We want the company to be recognized not only for its style but also for the first clothing company that bridges the gap between dancers, DJ, singers and fashion and show you how they work hand and hand.

Check out www.RepJA.com for more pics and of course to shop! Thanks Omar for reaching out to FashionOverStyle.NET, we love you right back! Now follow the riddim and tek weh yuself!

Images from site

NEW YORK, NY – April 10, 2008 – celebrity adored designer INDASHIO is pleased to announce that he will bring his NY FASHION WEEK Show to Ocho Rios, Jamaica on May 31, 2008 at the Coyaba Gardens & Mahoe Falls Shaw Park Estate. The collection inspired by Vegas made its debut at NY FASHION WEEK, appeared on MTV’s MADE and also traveled to Honolulu this is an exclusive opportunity to take a look at one time designer collection appearance.

"I am so excited to bring my newest Viva Las Vegas Spring 2008 Collection to Jamaica! The island is a place I always wanted to visit and I am so inspired by Jamaican style, music and culture. I think Jamaican fashion and cultures has influenced so many internationally I am thrilled to be making my caribbean debut there."

Only FashionOverStyle.NET brings you exclusive insider info right? And of course we’ll be on hand to bring you the fabulous juice on this Las Vegas inspired line and more from the designer himself. Here’s a lil’ preview of two pieces from the line:

Check out Indashio at his myspace and stay tuned to FOS for your up to the time fashion info. Will you be joining me at Coyaba in May? The after party’s gonna be hot!