Jamaican designer Sandra Kennedy has broken into the Japanese market. Kennedy, whose West Indian Sea Island cotton (WISIC) resort line was recently shown in Brussels as part of the Jamaica Fashion Collections presented there, has been asked by Jean Paul Knott to retail her line in his high end boutiques in Tokyo, Japan. Kennedy, who started designing in Jamaica in the mid 1980s, as a young adult, is highly regarded for her classic, elegant designs, her exquisite finish and her very marketable collections. Discussions with Knott took place during the post show business segment, convened at the L’Arsenal venue, immediately after the fashion presentation.

The presentation of the Jamaica Fashion Collections in Brussels was a collaborative effort of Jamaica Trade and Invest, The JBDC and the Jamaica Fashion Cluster. Managed and produced by Pulse under contract with JTI, the “Market Penetration” initiative was funded by the European Union’s PSDP programme and is seen as an important step for Jamaica, given the key role our Creative Industries must play, if the EPA between Europe and the Caribbean is to be successful.

Made from 100% West Indies Sea Island Cotton fabric, Kennedy’s collection was a talking point and one of the highlights of the Brussels shows, attended by hundreds of knowledgeable, appreciative and sophisticated European fashion industry experts and consumers. Kennedy received several offers to sell her line on the spot, but kept it intact for upcoming buying initiatives, including the launch of the CFW WISIC pilot project scheduled for Caribbean Fashionweek in June.

West Indies Sea Island Cotton is the finest in the world, highly demanded by royalty and other high end clients in Europe and Japan, especially. The lint is sold on the international market for US$10 per pound. The next best cotton (Egyptian) sells for US$2 per pound, in comparison.  Grown exclusively in the Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Barbados, Nevis and Antigua, WISIC is converted into fabric in Europe and Japan, where it is sold to the top end of the market. It has the luster, feel and quality of silk and is a big favourite of the sophisticated luxury market.

The strategic value of West Indies Sea Island Cotton for the Caribbean fashion industry has been recognized by the producers of WISIC in Jamaica and Pulse, who have long formed a partnership for its use by Caribbean designers. This collaboration, is enshrined in the Declaration of Kingston, passed at CFW last June as a strategic objective for Caribbean fashion. It is seen as providing an opportunity for the region’s designers to effectively reach the high end niche, while giving those with the talent and capacity to service this market, a definite edge. The fabric used by Kennedy for her sample collection was jointly sponsored by JADF (Jamaica Agricultural Development Foundation) and ECCI (Exclusive Cottons of the Caribbean International), at Pulse’s request. JADF and ECCI produce WISIC in Jamaica and Barbados respectively.

The Declaration of Kingston is the basis for the formation of the Caribbean Fashion Industry Forum, a region wide fashion industry association, dedicated to the development of Caribbean fashion.  The Declaration mandates the pursuit of a set of strategic solutions aimed at moving the regional fashion industry forward, given the challenges to the industry, which it also identifies.

Although it is early days yet, Kennedy is naturally elated at this exciting development. Highly talented and very well trained, Sandra Kennedy was born in England of a Jamaican mother, Yvonne Hayles, herself a fashion industry professional and a key component of Kennedy’s production process. After the North East Mid Essex College and School of Art, where she studied in England, Kennedy worked for such well known British brands as the French Connection and Wallace Fashion Group, before migrating to Jamaica in her early twenties. Her CHAD and Sandra Kennedy lines became very successful in the 1980s, before she married and moved out of the fashion industry. Kennedy returned to fashion at CFW last year. She has been supportive of the Jamaica Fashion Cluster, of which she is a member, and coordinated a special Island Collective line consisting of the work of several designers. This line was also shown in Belgium as part of the Jamaica Fashion Collections.