Two years are certainly not enough to call twin brothers Sean and Sherlon James seasoned designers, but they are certainly designing like veterans. This year the brothers copped the ‘most promising designer’ title at Guyana Fashion Weekend (GFW) 2009.
“We are excited and humbled at the same time, but we feel great about it and also know that we have to keep at it to put out good clothes,” Sean said earlier this week.
Their collection, ‘Inevitably Green’ offered real promise this year according to GFW Chief Executive Officer, Sonia Noel. The brothers’ use of natural fabric and their attention to detail, particularly for their male line, were among the things celebrated at fashion weekend. Sonia said also that it was encouraging to see a stronger line from the twins following their debut at GFW in 2008, adding that they have matured.
Sean agreed that their fashion has matured into something more focused. He said they decided to sit down this year and work on a theme and decided on the environment.
“Everyone is going green so we thought why not and we got involved with it. The decision was to focus on natural fabrics and use colours that celebrate the environment,” Sean said. He added that from the very first piece they put together the feeling was there that they were onto something.
At age fifteen the brothers are babies in the designing business here, but they are building a clientele which increased a bit after the last fashion weekend. They are not obsessed with sales saying that the focus is on promoting their clothing. In fact, they are just grateful for the opportunity to be included in fashion weekend.
Both brothers are students at St John’s College and they are preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certifi-cate (CSEC) examinations next year. Time out for fashion is only possible with the assistance of their mother and sister, Sean disclosed. He said the help allows them to keep their studies on the front burner.
Touching a bit on their collection this year Sean said they mixed things up with swimsuits, dresses, pantsuits and blouses. The majority of feedback they received was in relation to the male line of clothing, mostly cotton shirts and a few pantsuits.
“We intend to stay in fashion and work on getting better by the next fashion weekend so that people can look at the clothes and realize that we are exploring the ideas we have and taking a few risks,” Sean said further.
He believes they are at a good place right now where fashion and school exist in harmony, but with school being the priority and fashion the fun thing they are committed to.
