WESTERN BUREAU:
From the icy landscapes of Iceland to the sun-drenched shores of Ocho Rios, a Jamaican woman is preparing to bring two worlds together in a spectacular celebration of fashion, culture and tourism.
On November 19, Island Village in St Ann will be transformed into an international fashion destination as designers from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and North America converge for the inaugural Jamaica International Fashion Week (JIFW).
Behind the ambitious undertaking is St Ann-born health psychologist and entrepreneur Carlotta Tate Olason, who has spent years building fashion connections in Iceland and is now bringing that experience home.
Under the theme ‘When Worlds Collide – Fashion, Tourism, Culture’, the four-day event promises more than beautiful garments and glamorous runway presentations. For Olason, whose journey has taken her from Jamaica to London and Iceland, the initiative is deeply personal. “My journey into fashion has always been about much more than clothing,” she told The Sunday Gleaner. “I have always believed in the power of platforms to connect people, cultures and communities.”
That belief led her and her daughter, Bianca Hallveig Sigurðardóttir, who studied art and design in London, to establish Erlendur Magazine, Erlendur Agency and Erlendur Fashion Week Iceland.
Their Icelandic fashion platform, launched in Reykjavík in partnership with the Whales of Iceland Museum, was built around an unconventional idea: fashion could become an attraction in its own right, drawing visitors who would also explore the destination’s culture, landscape and hospitality. “We wanted to create a reason for people to travel to Iceland for fashion, but also to stay, explore and experience the country’s extraordinary culture, landscape and identity,” Olason explained. “We wanted the destination itself to become part of the fashion story.”
Now she is applying that philosophy to Jamaica. The decision to establish Jamaica International Fashion Week emerged through her collaboration with Jamaican designer Latoya McLeary, founder of the luxury eyewear brand Hautelife World Eyewear. McLeary joined the Iceland fashion team as creative director, and the two women quickly recognised an opportunity to introduce the fashion tourism concept to Jamaica.
Shared heritage
Their shared Jamaican heritage became the foundation for a partnership that would eventually bring the international initiative to Ocho Rios. “Latoya and I, as Jamaicans, quickly saw the potential for fashion tourism in Jamaica and how fashion could be used as a catalyst to attract international visitors while creating opportunities for Jamaican designers, creatives, tourism businesses and the wider creative economy,” Olason said. Rather than selecting a conventional ballroom or exhibition centre, the organisers chose Island Village, the entertainment and shopping complex associated with Jamaican music entrepreneur Chris Blackwell.
The location carries particular significance for Olason, who was born in St Ann, the birthplace of reggae legend Bob Marley. The venue, with its combination of retail, restaurants, entertainment and proximity to Ocho Rios’ tourism attractions, is intended to become part of the fashion experience. “Why bring people into a fashion venue when fashion can bring people into a destination?” she asked. It is a question that captures the essence of her vision. Instead of guests simply arriving for a runway show and departing afterwards, the organisers want them to shop, dine, explore attractions and experience the wider destination.
The event’s international appeal will be reflected in its designer line-up, which brings together established names and emerging creative talent from several countries. Among the anticipated highlights is Dutch couture designer Addy van den Krommenacker, who has been named Royal Guest Designer. Known for his couture, bridal and ready-to-wear creations, the Netherlands-based designer will headline the final runway showcase on November 22.
The international contingent also includes Nigerian designer Ade Bakare, Iceland’s Jóhannes Óðinsson and Victoria Rachel Zamora, Ghana’s Made in Ghana, and Ismaila Jallow from The Gambia.
Trinidad and Tobago will be represented by designers including Renikka Ellis, Toni-Ann Prince, Richard Noel and Vanessa Alexander, while Norma Ebanks will represent the Cayman Islands.
The United States contingent includes Emma Okyere, Lola Lugo-Gomez, Dovile Riebschlager and Reuel Matthew.
Jamaican designers Rochelle Kinney, Lucien Harrison, Carmichael Byfield and McLeary are also among those expected to showcase their work, joining an international gathering that will bring different fashion traditions, aesthetics and cultural influences to the same stage.
For Olason, the value of the gathering extends beyond what audiences will see on the runway. “These international relationships create opportunities for designers to enter new markets while allowing audiences to experience different cultures, perspectives and approaches to fashion,” she explained. “The result is a platform that is international in reach but deeply connected to the identity of the destination in which it takes place.”
Adding to the Jamaican star power will be legendary model Althea Laing, whose pioneering career helped open international doors for generations of Jamaican models. Laing, who celebrated her 70th birthday earlier this year, broke barriers in 1985 when she captured the Miss Jamaica Fashion Model title. She subsequently became one of the first Jamaican models to grace the cover of Essence magazine, appearing twice, in 1986 and 1990. Her career challenged conventional beauty standards and helped establish Jamaica’s reputation for producing world-class modelling talent.
While international fashion will take centre stage, the organisers are ensuring that Jamaica’s cultural identity remains central to the experience. The festivities will open on November 19 with a VIP reception, designers’ gathering, and press event. On November 20, the programme will feature a Jamaica Timeline of Fashion presentation, offering an opportunity to explore the evolution of Jamaican style, followed by the public opening evening. The first major runway presentation, featuring Jamaican and international designers, is scheduled for November 21. The curtain will come down on November 22 with the final runway show and the Royal Guest Designer showcase.
Cultural assets
The combination of music and fashion is deliberate, reflecting the organisers’ belief that Jamaica’s strongest cultural assets can work together to create compelling visitor experiences. Olason is equally enthusiastic about the opportunities that could emerge for the businesses and creative professionals who operate beyond the runway. She envisions photographers, models, make-up artists, stylists, event producers and entrepreneurs benefiting from the international exposure, while hotels, restaurants, retailers and attractions could gain from visitors travelling specifically for the event.
The organisers are also working towards fashion-led travel packages combining runway presentations with accommodation, shopping, cultural experiences and visits to attractions. The objective is to encourage international visitors not only to attend the event but also to extend their stays and explore more of Jamaica.
However, Olason recognises that translating the vision into measurable economic benefits will depend on visitor participation, commercial partnerships and spending. For now, she is focused on establishing a platform capable of growing into a lasting international fixture. “For me, the future of fashion is not simply about producing bigger shows,” she said. “It is about building ecosystems.”
She believes that fashion can create opportunities across multiple sectors while introducing Jamaican talent to international markets and connecting overseas designers with the island’s distinctive cultural identity. It is an ambitious proposition, but one rooted in her experience of developing an international fashion platform in a country thousands of miles from the Caribbean.
And, as she prepares to welcome designers from several continents to the parish of her birth, Olason sees Jamaica International Fashion Week as more than a homecoming. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that Jamaica’s international appeal need not be confined to its beaches, resorts, reggae and cuisine.
Fashion, she believes, can become another compelling reason to visit. “Fashion can be a reason to travel. Fashion can introduce people to a culture. Fashion can create new markets for designers. Fashion can support tourism and hospitality. And fashion can bring international communities together,” she said.
For four days in November, Ocho Rios will provide the stage on which that vision begins to unfold.
janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com
