A steering committee for a proposed Fashion Association of Grenadian Designers, has been created to develop structures to govern such a body and to plan for Grenada’s first ever Fashion Week, tentatively carded to occur in the upcoming year.
The committee, which was created on Saturday, September 19, at a meeting of fashion designers commissioned by Sen. Hon. Arley Gill, consists of six of Grenada’s designers, including Tricia and Sandra Grant, Kim Francis, Jessie-Ann Jessamy, Simone Lorainey and Leisha Williamson. Well known fashion enthusiasts and media personality, Lexan Fletcher will also sit on the committee as its chair.
The Saturday meeting, which was commissioned by Gill to ascertain ways in which the Government could assist local designers in bringing their designs mainstream and in developing a more structured industry, deliberated over a slew of ideas that all present, hoped could lay the foundation to a roadmap for sustainable growth.
Most important of these, was the need for the development of a Fashion Association or umbrella body in Grenada that could provide representation for designers and have greater lobbying power in approaching Government, private sector and international donor bodies for assistance.
According to Gill, “fashion is a part of our (Grenada’s) culture that has been ignored for too long.” However, with the Government and the Grenada Cultural Foundation on board, he believes that the industry could be made “more economically feasible and regionally and internationally recognized.”
Echoing the sentiments of those present, designer Kim Francis expressed sincere appreciation to the government for taking interest in an industry she states “has been at a standstill locally, despite being at the forefront globally.”
Amongst the other issues discussed were the difficulties and ways of remedying the problems faced by designers in attaining concessions, small business loans and in protecting their intellectual property.
The first meeting of the steering committee will take place on Saturday, September 26 at the Grenada Cultural Foundation’s conference room.
D. Mitchell
M.I.G