Culture Box

Another day, another fashion designer. Who knew that Guyana harboured so many of their ilk! Open a newspaper, watch television and there’s a designer parading his/her ‘line’. They’re everywhere…taking over Guyana it seems.

Personally, I’m surprised that between them all, they haven’t yet clothed the nation in their designer duds. Just imagine us wearing broken mirrors on our bodies and feathers in our hair.

I think it’s a plot. A plot to create some ‘celebrities’ and what’s not. Has it succeeded? Not a tough question for me to answer. If I happen to meet a designer, I’ll look them in the face, raise an eyebrow and give them a harsh stare. Move ten steps away and take a few deep breaths because I’ve had it with them filling up the pages of the newspapers week in and week out until, with 100% accuracy, I can predict what the entertainment pages will contain. For someone, whose job involves reading the newspapers inside and out, it’s like coffee without sugar. Refreshing to some, plain vile to the rest!
It is overkill. I’ve seen photos of a few of the clothes and personally I’d rather resort to wearing leaves. Someone please tell me that I haven’t given another ‘budding’ designer an idea.

They have their fans I’ll admit. But yet, how many of us purchase their clothes? The majority of people I’ve encountered on a daily basis are wearing ready-made store-brought clothes. And they are not exclusive and elegant and certainly do not incorporate the softness of Asia, the depth of Africa or the colours of the Caribbean. It’s mostly Chinese.

Fashion is supposed to be an art. But I’ll say I haven’t spotted a Picasso as yet. And another thing, why do they, well almost all of them, say it was all a part of their ‘dream’ or they never thought that they could’ve ‘made it’? That line is so worn (pun intended). And reality check; many of them have actually not ‘made it’ yet and never will.

My idea of fashion is clean clothes with buttons and zippers that work. Sequins, tucks, flounces, frills and what have you are… something that’s not politically correct for me to say here.

Meantime the season of fashion madness continues. Look out for the elegant, the bizarre and everything in-between at this month end’s Accolade Awards, which may turn out to be interesting after all. Permit me to add that if someone who’s idea of singing is shrill screeching can be nominated for ‘artist of the year’, then my good friend, who wails and croaks and calls it singing, is a genuine Grammy contender. If I can misquote Kevin Pietersen words at the end of the 20/20 for 20 finals. ‘There’s been a lot of nonsense…and you know what I’m talking about’.
(thescene@stabroeknews.com)