A few months ago I wrote to you telling you about my trip to Trinidad and Tobago for the purpose of reviewing a fashion retail market entitled Racked TT. As promised I decided to finally share one of the things I bought at the market.
Today I am wearing Adrian Foster’s Luxe Sport Set. Ever since the first of batch of students graduated from the Fashion Design programme at Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design in the University of Trinidad and Tobago, I was very anxious to see a different breed of qualified designers in the Caribbean Region and the difference in skill and quality.
Adrian’s aesthetic is one which is very clean and contemporary. I got an Alexander Wang vibe when I saw his garments hanging beautifully from his display rack at The Verandah. Like most new designers the collection was very utilitarian. It was very satisfying and interesting to see him as a Caribbean designer move away from working with traditional materials and techniques. Only the Almighty knows how fed up every Caribbean person is of tie-dye and paint work. Or maybe it’s just me. Adrian’s brand tapped into the modern, youthful Caribbean woman who is influenced by pop culture very sparingly but is however still drawn to the innocence and purity of living in the Caribbean.
Adrian is famous in Trinidad for his well fitted wrap garments. He transformed the traditionally worn ‘market skirt/ big skirt’ into elegant, 5th Avenue-like maxis. The simplicity of his brand is cushioned with excellent tailoring which makes his work easily identified among a group of garments. What I admire mostly about the brand however, is the fact that with the exception of a few seasoned Caribbean designers, Adrian is the only other one who has paid consistent attention to branding across the board for the brand. Though his work may seem repetitive it is utilitarian with an excellent fit. You never want an Adrian piece you always need it because of his tailoring skill. It is one that not only the end user would enjoy but boutique buyers as well because of the image management and consumer satisfaction; at least on my part. I would assume that he is making large profits from selling to retail shops like Runway Accents because of this.
Adrian just showed his last collection in New York City during the course of all the New York Fashion Week event. He is definitely one to watch and one whose clothes you should at least try to get a fitting for to discover the true essence of what I am talking about.
When I purchased the Luxe sport set he said it is not necessarily for an athletic girl but it is made with comfort and practicality in mind. Caribbean women don’t need too much cloth because of the heat and permanent summer season. We need comfortable and livable clothes. It is really for the woman who is dressing for her environment and her daily routine. It was made from a light stripe denim material and carries an elastic waist line. I am also wearing size small. To view more of Adrian’s work visit his website at http://www.afadrianfoster.com/.
Oh by the way, the set costs US$70. I believe this is a tad bit too much for the regional market but perfect for the international one.
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