Follow Fashion: CIFW final runway

Hundreds attended the 6th annual Cayman Islands Fashion Week (CIFW) final runway show, themed “Follow Fashion”, which saw over a dozen designers and clothing stores feature their latest collections.

Chicago native Corr Kendricks and Jamaican beauty Kaci Fennell both hosted the event.

Kendricks has been writing poetry and rapping since the age of 11. He was casted in a reoccurring role on Fox’s breakout award winning TV show Empire as ‘Black Rambo’. Kendricks is also completing his upcoming mixtape set to release summer 2016.

Fennell, the stunning Caribbean beauty, was Miss Universe Jamaica 2014, placed in the top 5 at the Miss Universe 2014 competition, is an international brand ambassador for TING, a model and TV host.

Both kept the entertainment going from selecting people from the front row to model for the audience to showing off some modeling skills of their own.

The show kicked off with a dance and acrobatic performance before heading into the main event – the modeling.

The event featured the amusing children’s segment which saw several child models strut their stuff in a range of clothing from animal printed onesies to tie-dye formal dresses and army pants to preppy vests. The children clothing collections included Kids Rock Fashion Showcase by Atlantic Kids, Dot Japal and Annette Scott, and designs by 11-year-old Caymanian Rochelle Ebanks, the youngest designer to ever be featured at CIFW.

Rochelle is also the daughter of Norma Ebanks, who is a veteran designer of CIFW and whose pieces were also showcased at the 2016 show.

Sheer, lace and the colour nude were common trends seen throughout the show, particularly in lines such as Irina Shabayeva’s Bridal Collection, K.Rose by Kenzie Rose and LM Fashion by Lloyd Maxwell.

Other designers caught the attention of the crowd for their uniquely patterned ensembles. Among these were Isy Obi, designer and creative director of ‘Isy B’, whose 2016 collection featured water wave patterned bridesmaid dresses, Akeel O’Connor, New York’s designer Ocie Collins of KNA, Kenzie Rose, Carlton Peart of G’s & Gents, Olivia B and Irina Shabayeva.

Carlton Peart with his G’s & Gents store collection of urban menswear even impressed Kendricks who said he spotted a few things on the runway that he would wear from collection.

Lloyd Maxwell of LM Fashion, Norma Ebanks, Chicago native designer Michael Alan Stein, Raecine Williams designer of Wildfree Forever swimwear for women and designer Roger Gary with his men’s swimwear collection, all dazzled the crowd with their colourful, eye-catching pieces.

Modeling Coach Alva Page said, “I think it was a fabulous fashion show and the reason why is because of the brand new talent of models, new girls that I had to train plus the seasoned girls that I worked with prior to that – last year and the year before. It was a beautiful show and this year the girls really did an awesome job, plus the guys. I had younger guys this year; they were in the age category of 14, 15 and I’m going to tell you, they pulled it off! I’m very proud of all of them. The show was fabulous!”

Page has been involved in CIFW since its inception, however due to new management and a new opportunity to do a television reality show for plus-sized women he is unsure if he will be back for another year. “If my schedule permits, I will definitely be back,” he said. “I love the models; they are like my babies.”

Kendricks said he also enjoyed the show and his first time experience in the Cayman Islands. “It’s amazing. Beautiful oceans, views, everything! So I just had a ball. It’s my first time here so I’m very blessed,” he said, adding that he intends to visit again.

“I think it was a fabulous event. I think we had a wide range of designers…their designs were beautiful. We had no repetitions. It was all fresh and innovative designs so I really loved it,” said Fennell.