Last Friday the "Winter Sun" rose high with the BIDC's "Barbados Fashion Portfolio" at The Barbados "Concorde Experience" flight museum.

Not just "another fashion show," the programme has been conceived by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Mia Mottley as a way to unite this country's creativity and manufacturing skills in the fashion industry.

Facilitated by Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC) and Invest Barbados, six top fashion and design specialists were flown in by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC) to help the nine designers improve their product and find their market.

BIDC also flew in Barbados' own top fashion model and CiRCUIT cover model Tennille Stoute from New York for the glittering event.

The show featured nine top Barbadian designers and was centred on an aeronautical theme, with the runway running right underneath the Concorde and the lights imaginatively bounced off the bottom of the famous jet.

Twenty year old Avant-garde designer Antonio Cumberbatch, opened the show with his new "Posh Punk" collection that boasts of a unique bondage/Punk meets "Cruella deVille" styling that was well received.

Focusing more on their strong prints rather than one distinct silhouette Simon/Peter designs were well put together and presented with beautiful floral and animal prints as well as bird inspired dresses with plunging backlines.

For the hot, summer style there was Catherine Balgobin's sexy Ashakai swimwear in cream, cocoa and aqua spandex, lace and organdy.

The show also featured the designs of Pauline Bellamy, Pat Brathwaite, Roland "Rojoe" Bascombe, Rosca McDonald, Mark and Ava Daniel of Avark and Cindy Mayers with "Genesis Designs."

Produced by Carol Cadogan-Fox with choreography by Mary Rose, the producers obviously went for the top professionals in the local industry. The hairstyling by Carlos Eversley was masterful and the make-up glamorous solidifying the professionalism of the show.

The presence of many young local models also helped to elevate the event. Along with the feline Stoute, was reigning Miss Barbados Universe Jewel Garner, Miss Barbados Universe 2005 Nada Yearwood, Ellezar Jeremie and Victoria Monerville who shared the stage with new faces Roberta Dowell, Gina Parravicino and Sasha Cumberbatch.

Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley stated that the programme will be the annual showcase of the designers chosen by Government to get that extra Governmental support to place their designs in the international market.

Article by Khalil Goodman