JAMAICA - The Bahamas is a stitch above the rest claiming the
top two spots of the first challenge on the design reality show, Mission
Catwalk, season 3. The Caribbean based fashion reality show is dedicated
to finding the best designers from the Caribbean and is currently being
filmed in Kingston, Jamaica. Theodore Elyett of Nassau, Bahamas won
first place in this season's opening challenge and David Rolle, also
of Nassau, Bahamas came in second place.
The initial design challenge was to create a piece
of clothing inspired by the Caribbean, which could be taken anywhere
in the world and recognized as a uniquely Caribbean piece emitting the
beautiful essence of the Caribbean. This was the competitor’s first
chance to introduce viewers to their personal aesthetic and style. There
were no strict stipulations on the item to be created, fabric to be
used or the silhouette to be used. Competitors were encouraged to be
free and creative with their designs, while keeping the notion that
the winning garment would be reproduced and sold in retail stores.
Elyett's winning design was a functional, and easy to
travel with, statement piece that would surely elicit fond memories for
the client of her vacation in the islands anytime she wore it. The designer
said he used “the most unique tourist experiences while on a Caribbean
getaway as [his] inspiration. The warm, unmatched beauty of a Caribbean
sunset, which features beautiful radiant hues of tangerine, burnt orange
and warm golden yellow”. He also drew inspiration from the rich African
heritage of the Caribbean people by using African printed material and
intricate detailing in the bodice of the garment which mimicked patchwork
often seen in Junkanoo parades. The fabric used in the winning design
was comprised of waxed cotton for its beautiful sheen, natural airy
quality and soft feeling on the skin.
Theodore Elyett and one of his creations
This season of Mission Catwalk is unlike the previous
two as its main theme is ‘Runway to Retail’. The series is focusing
on mentoring the blossoming designers to become big name retail designers
with the expert guidance of veteran fashion quality control specialist Kay Devitian, who has worked
with multiple international fashion brands, such as Jones & Co. New
York and Ralph Lauren.
The designer said he was excited for his win, as it
was his "first chance to get the Theodore Elyett brand into a retail
space”. He launched his brand in 1998 and has since gathered quite
a following of fashionistas as his style continues to evolve and mature.
He has collected a wealth of knowledge over the last few years in particular
and the fashion world has taken notice bestowing numerous fashion awards
upon him, and even giving him the chance to study at Parsons for an intensive
program on scholarship.
After the first challenge of Mission Catwalk,
Elyett expressed his national pride by stating “this was a win for
my country and my brand. In my mind I consider Mission Catwalk to be
the "Olympics" for young fashion talents in the region; so
when I won the first challenge I felt extremely proud, not only for
my brand, but also for The Bahamas crossing the 'fashion finish line'
in first place”
After the first challenge was completed the designers
didn’t take a moment to kick back, but rather stayed sharp on their
feet by scouting out the local fabric store in preparation for the next
challenge, which will give the young designers a taste of their
competiton, and the chance to realize their own strengths and weaknesses.
Elyett said he “was able to size up [his] own skills and realize [his]
shortcomings on this challenge in an attempt to learn from them and
improve them for future challenges”.
Even though this group of designers are all from
the Caribbean, their styles and talents are very diverse, which is a
great representation of just how culturally rich the Caribbean truly
is. The competition intensity is sure to increase with every episode
as the designers get closer and closer to the grand prize, which consists
of showing a collection at London Fashion week, a large cash prize, a
fleet of industrial sewing machines, and the chance to take courses at
London College of Fashion and dual courses in Paris.
Even in this early
stage it is apparent that The Bahamas is represented well in this competition,
and these designers will surely be the ones to beat.
Mission Catwalk Seaon 3 Episode 1 challenge winning design by Theodore Elyett, Currently for sale at Lee's Fifth Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica.
ABOUT MISSION CATWALK
Mission Catwalk is an exciting reality TV series aimed at discovering
and developing talented fashion designers. The show features designers
in fierce competition for top prizes that will help to launch their
fashion career. Mission Catwalk tests and nurtures the talents of the
contestants through numerous challenges and exercises geared at
identifying and honing a range of creative skills and abilities. The
series is set in Kingston, Jamaica and each hour-long episode comprises
of four segments: the challenge, the design production, the runway show,
and the elimination of a designer. The series lasts eleven weeks and
culminates with three designers at a live showdown in Kingston. One
designer will win the ultimate prize– to show their collection at London
Fashion Week among other prizes. On Facebook
A winning design by Theodore Elyett of The Bahamas
Theodore Elyett design in window of Lee's Fifth Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica after Mission Catwalk Season 3 Episode 1 challenge win
