Sonia Noel is not easily surprised and there are very few things that she fears, which is why she has taken on Guyana Fashion Weekend (GFW) and has run it with from the day she got the go ahead; she is about to be tested.
The designer, who took up Bajan status a few years ago, but insists that her roots are still very Guyanese opened up to The Scene in a candid interview earlier this week that she might be in for a surprise this weekend if the second GFW failed to impress.
And she only had one fear; that the public might be so in awe of everything that she might be asked to pull off another fashion weekend sooner that expected.
Sonia laughed as she said this and her voice remained calm as she recounted how hard she had worked and what it meant to have reached where she was — planning Guyana’s premier fashion event for the second year.
But according to her, the work she had done but more so the quality of work could not have been possible had she not surrounded herself with people who, “mean business and who are passionate about the growth of fashion here”. She was referring to Guyana and where the local industry currently is.
At a press briefing earlier this week she was bluntly asked about a rift in the industry and about the fact that there were some designers who have simply not worked with her. Her response was that the only rift existing was in the minds of those who felt that way.
“This is not about competition and about who wants to grab what glory. This is about strengthening and building up what we have in Guyana and we all know that it will certainly take more than my efforts,” she stated frankly.
Sonia is of the opinion that local fashion designers can work together and boost fashion weekend and ultimately, the local fashion industry. She admitted that there were a few accomplished names in the business that have not been on board Guyana Fashion Weekend for its inaugural year, and also this year.
This, she said, was by their choice.
Sonia explained that when the event was launched calls were sounded for designers to come onboard and press releases were disseminated. She said those who were part of fashion weekend were the ones who answered the call.
“I am willing to work with anyone who is willing to work with me this has always been public knowledge, it is no secret,” she said. “I can work with anyone. Perhaps the question is whether some people are willing to work with me.”
Over the past year, Sonia had been in talks with designers locally and overseas and had spent a considerable amount of time planning the second fashion weekend. She said the behind-the-scenes work was more than people imagined it to be, adding that the countless phone calls and the conversations back and forth were among the most demanding tasks.
But there was an incredible team of individuals working to make GFW happen, according to Sonia. She said that there were so many people sweating day in and day out to make it a success, and that they rarely complained. She added that many of those persons wanted the same things that she did; to see Guyana go places.
Sonia said government has been tremendous in its support for GFW and despite the fact that Carifesta had a huge budget, the administration still managed to give financial backing to the event, though not as heavily as it did last year.
She pointed out that the local crop of designers currently in Guyana was just amazing, and they were creating work that was as good as others in the region. But there was still so much work to be done. She noted that the fashion weekend was more about exposure and about providing local designers with a stage for them to use and “use well”.
For the first time in the country’s history 26 of its fashion designers will showcase during one event. Sonia expressed pride at this saying that she has had nothing but the support of the local industry and that it was ready to deliver.
During the press briefing earlier this week a question was posed to Sonia about models grousing over payment for appearances during the last GFW. She said the models were told from the inception they would receive a stipend not a salary, adding that if the organizers were to pay every model professional wages then they would be unable to have a good turnout on the catwalk.
“The models understand what we are doing and it is also about providing them with exposure. We did not promise them salaries and we simply can’t,” she added.
Though she felt a certain satisfaction when the curtains went down on GFW last year and people left feeling that it had delivered, Sonia admitted that she sometimes felt as if more could have been done. She said that planning for the second fashion weekend was more difficult than the first.
Sonia said she was so busy preparing that very little time has been spent on her collection. However, she promises that it comes packed with exciting new cuts, pieces, styles and a whole lot of attitude. In addition, she said some of the pieces were elegant and simply gorgeous.
This year the fashion weekend has been bumped up from two nights last year to three. And there is the prospect of it going to the full five days in the future and becoming Guyana Fashion Week. Sonia acknowledges there was a tremendous amount of work still to be done before they got there but was optimistic that they would.
As for those who are sceptical, she had these words, “It is going to be unforgettable and to miss it will be truly your loss.”
Sonia said GFW was not just about the staging; a certain amount of support must be there for it to work and work well.
(ianaseales@yahoo.com)
