The international fashion markets are abuzz with excitement as Pulse’s Caribbean Fashionweek 2009 gets set to take off in Kingston Jamaica. An impressive synergy of fashion, business and entertainment, CFW brings together some of the world’s best designers along with music superstars and fashion professionals. This year, business delegations will come from Brussels, The City of Miami, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, The French islands of Guadeloupe & Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, South Africa and Grand Cayman. Understandably, the Caribbean especially, is brimming with anticipation of what is likely to be the biggest and best renewal of this flagship event. In the next two weeks, Jamaica will welcome a galaxy of star power, as scores of supermodels, international style mavericks, celebs and shutterbugs from across the globe confirm their attendance for the largest, most far reaching and strategically important fashion event in the region.
Set for the National Indoor Sports Centre and other venues, starting June, CFW 09 has all the elements. In addition to showcasing fashion collections from around the Caribbean and the wider world, the three-nights of shows will also include musical performances. Pulse believes it has found the perfect performers to compliment the style savvy extravaganza and have confirmed Destiny’s Child’s star Kelly Rowland as one of the inaugural headliners. Rowland, who is a founding member of DC, one the world's iconic all female super groups, is also a successful solo artiste selling more than four million albums worldwide. The singer is also making waves in reality television as she hosts a new series called ‘The Fashion Show’ alongside acclaimed fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi on the Bravo network. Miss Kelly, as she likes to be called, will take to the CFW stage for a live, high energy performance on Saturday June 13.
Come Sunday night, it will be rap superstar and fashion mogul Eve’s turn. Eve comes to CFW for the second straight year, not as a designer this time, but as a performer. Hollywood Actress Nia Long who was also in attendance in 2008, will return to CFW this year and will do duties as host. The international celebrity contingent has promised more than a few surprises during their special guest appearances and will be joined by a number of other local and international stars including the powerful sibling duo of Tessanne and Tami Chynn, Reggae Soulstress Cherine Anderson and Dancehall diva D’Angel.
With close to fifty designers on show at CFW 09, there will be surplus of collections to dazzle the fashion and style aficionados. The event will welcome several established international fashion designers from North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. Internationally acclaimed stylists Catalin Bothezatu from Romania, Deola Sagoe from Africa, Sushma Patel from India and Gavin Douglas from London will once again be on show and will be joined by other international standouts including Courtney Washington from New York as well as Ghanian celeb designer Nana Boateng who will debut his 2010 spring summer line at CFW 09. The Caribbean pioneers of fashion are also gearing up for the grand event and will see new collections from Jamaica’s urban maestro, Biggy, Trinidad’s grande dame of ultra minimalist sophisticated chic, Meiling, Jamaican Britisher Sandra Kennedy, Mutamba and Moncrieffe, among others. Also in the pipeline is a special guest presentation from Pulse’s Lois Samuels, the famous Vogue covergirl who will show her collection The Vessel for the first time.
Naturally the Pulse supermodels will make their way home to be featured in the collections. Major stars like Polo King Oraine Barrett, Vogue champ Jaunel McKenzie, Clinique’s Kimanee McDonald, Italian Vogue star and hot model of the moment Jeneil Williams, SI’s Carla Campbell, Rimmell’s Nell Robinson and M.A.C’s Gaye McDonald in addition to new faces including Rochelle Notice, Orinthia Russell, Crystal Patterson, Latesha Coleman and Racquel Smith will all be present and accounted for.
The world’s press have taken note of CFW and have watched during its evolution from fledgling event in 2001 to its current status as the premier event representing the convergence of myriad cultural and fashion influences. This year a large cadre of media from around the world is headed to CFW and they join an illustrious list of CFW reviewers over the years, including British Vogue, The New York Daily News, The Associated Press (AP), Black Entertainment Television (BET), Fashion Wire Daily (North America), The New York Times, Fashion TV Paris (Europe), Luire (Asia), British Broadcasting Commission (BBC), The Independent and i-D Magazine (London).
CFW is presented by Pulse, a 30 year old fashion and entertainment company, in association with Fashion TV Paris, Air Jamaica, Virgin Atlantic, Mercedes Benz, Viva Sparkling Water, The Jamaica Observer, Haagen Dazs, Nestle Fitness Cereal, The Jamaica Tourist Board, Skywritings, Eye Q Optical, The Hilton, Spanish Court, Strawberry Hill, Courtleigh and Knutsford Court hotels, The Jamaica Fashion Cluster, The PSDP, CVM TV, Ocean Style, She Caribbean, Jamrock magazine, Hype TV, Zip FM, Splash Jamaica and Intec Research.
