Vogue designer Gavin Douglas will adjudicate a CFW Young Designer Award for 2011 at Caribbean Fashionweek in June. Himself the winner of Britain’s Prince’s Trust Young Designer Award, Europe’s Fashion Fringe Award, The Avant garde Designer of the Year Award, as well as the Smirnoff Originator Award and the CFW Master Designer designation, Douglas has been a key young talent on the runways of Paris, London and Milan in recent years. Interestingly, he first showed a collection at Caribbean Fashionweek in the mid 2000s and continues to be inspired by the Caribbean. He has decided to give back to the region through the CFW Young Designer project, selecting a fresh new talent every year for mentorship and development. The award is open to designers across the wider Caribbean.

Pulse is pleased to facilitate this initiative at CFW and believes it has the potential to play a key role in talent discovery and development. Young designers between the ages of 18 and 28 years are encouraged to submit sketches of their designs to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Designers should have been designing for 5 years or less and should be able to produce 2 to 3 looks from their sketches. The competition is now open and the deadline for submission of sketches is June 3, 2011.

Says Douglas: “The Caribbean is an exciting new market for many of the world’s major brands and it is providing new opportunities for young creative design talent. It is now time to nurture this talent, help it to flourish and bring it to the forefront of the international fashion design market.” The CFW Young Designer award is a joint project of Pulse and Gavin Douglas.

PRESS RELEASE Monday March 14, 2011: Manhattan, New York

Jamaican-born Fashion Designer JOHNPAUL PIERRE showcased his Fall 2011 Collection to a packed Manhattan exclusive venue last night, rocking New York with "BOLD IN AFRICA".

After showing in Philadelphia and Los Angeles California, BRAATA PRODUCTIONS believed it was New York's turn to experience this undoubted young talent who proved to the packed venue that JOHNPAUL PIERRE is indeed "timeless, fresh and innovative".

Shades of Africa ignited the room with some of New York's elite models. The designer showcased 13 out of his possible 17 pieces, as 4 of his Fall creations are already booked for international recording artistes and New York business executives, thus could not be put on the run way.

When asked about the inspiration behind the collection, JOHNPAUL PIERRE said, "I am inspired by all women, and Africa being dubbed the "Motherland", I felt the need to zoom in on that aspect of my creativity, using African fabric and African inspired cuts; what has transpired here tonight is a manifestation of my hard work, the work of my entire production team, meetings and consultations across the United States and tapping into my global contacts".

This "Wine and Cheese" event brought AFRICA to the West in a very BOLD way, as JOHNPAUL PIERRE experimented with the use of elastic to ably hug every curve of each model, hence each creation was like gowns painted on a flawless frame – any frame.

The name Yahdie Conscious is becoming largely popular within the international fashion circles as well as a household name in Jamaica. The brand that is managed by Jaye-Ann Oconnor and James Black two 20+ year old women with a vision for international success and her eyes on all the major fashion catwalks from the Caribbean to Europe and back to her small island of Jamaica. Yahdie Conscious is a funky and edgy brand, and was originally only a t-shirt brand has evolved into so much more. YC does it all now, from t-shirts to dresses. Although managed by Miss Black the brand ‘YC’ emerged from the hearts of two young females and friends, James Black (JB) and Ms.Jaye, self taught designers from Kingston, Jamaica who share a genuine love for fashion and also their country. It is truly an innovative brand that manages to stay on top of the trends around the world while also blazing a trail of original and unique designs. The YC brand is a 100% female as they seek to capitalize on the fashionable woman of the modern, The line is influenced by their exciting and colourful culture as well as the relaxed atmosphere of their Caribbean home. The fashions of the Jamaican dancehall scene and outside influences such as; Japanese Street fashion and Punk Rock have all been blended in their designs.

With the brand under her belt this innovative designer has spread her wings with other business ventures still fashion related in creating her latest sensation HEADBANDS BY JB as well as become a part of the blog world in the creation of her popular blog (JBSTYLEZONE) which was nominated in the recent Jamaica Blog Awards in the fashion category, James Black (JB) is indeed a woman with a vision and is setting the trend for woman to come. With fashion as her passion she has also dipped her feet in the modeling world being a model for international designer Romero Bryan as well as been the lead girl in several music videos where she appeared alongside names like Shaggy, Konshens and others. She has no intention of stopping anytime soon with the recent launch of her new line under the YC brand “StarGyal” it only proves that this fashion princess will not allow her star to fade. As we continue to watch her progress we can only applaud her many strides she has made thus far and continue to wish her the many successes to come.

BLOG: http://jbstylezone.blogspot.com

Article by Kemar Daswell

The Jamaican society has grown and evolved over the years and so as the different characteristics that make us uniquely Jamaican. The Jamaican fashion industry is also not to be outdone in terms of dynamics as it has progressed and developed over the years in line with keeping a prevailing sense of style and customary mode of dress. Jamaicans are no doubt trend setters in any given field they are seen and with the strong influence of our Reggae music, and success in athleticism, we are definitely among the best in the world with our strong Jamaican fashion. We have had opportunities through our engagement in areas as the Ms. World and Ms. Universe Pageants for our designers to showcase just what they are capable of in producing evening gowns that are of the finest quality comparable to those of top designers worldwide. The Jamaican fashion industry is indeed very trendy and incorporates all modes of dress. As Jamaicans we not only consider clothing as fashion, instead we look further into the entire package hair, makeup, accessories and shoes. When you hear one speak of the Jamaican fashion Industry you should know they are speaking of a monument dedicated to achieving an overall unique classic style that is uniquely Jamaican.

The Jamaican society and by extension the Caribbean at large has been greatly influenced by our rich history of slavery and colonialism. One may consider our history to be one of great turmoil and despair but through our hardships we have developed as a people achieving independence through being able to have our own outlook as to what it is that we want for ourselves. We understand what success means to us as a result of what we have gone through to achieve it. As our motto states “Out of many one people” so it is with our cultural forms. Our fashion industry did not just occur; it developed over time and continues to do so based on a number of factors. The major ethnic composition of the Jamaican people is that of Africans. This is as a result of our fore fathers being brought here from the lands of the African Continent in shackles across the seas to be enslaved by their colonial captivators. Africans are by nature a happy people they enjoy their freedom and depend on the earth and its bearings for survival. The Africans influence to our fashion can be seen in the highly colored garments that we tend to see all over fusing together the most ludicrous colors in so many different ways that it is unbelievable the finished product, of beauty that is derived. African clothing was never constricting and remained free flowing engulfing and adapting to the curves of the body. Another strong influence of our African culture to our fashion Industry is the use of earth and its products precious stones, nuts and pieces of trees to accessorize their garments that is still quite evident and uniquely seen throughout many different pieces of fashion in present day society.

When the masses heard that fashion’s hot spot, Grandeur, was about to “lock shop” and move, there was hushed excitement as to where the new location would be, and what they will offer at the much-improved location. Opened for just under a year and already business has caused for a location change and increase in stock, the proprietors of Grandeur must be pleased with where business is going at this crucial economical time.

It was in March of this year that they first opened doors and exposed Jamaicans to great shopping deals and like consumer affairs capped their prices at no more than JMD$4,000 on any particular item. It was this ‘madness’ that got the attention of many of Kingston’s socialites and party goers to find just what was going on at the new store. With no strings attached and no flattery, these prices have been maintained since the start of business which could have been seen as a marketing ploy to trap buyers. However, trapping buyers they have done, but never increased their prices.