Vincentian fashionistas taken on ‘The journey’

In the near future, the name of Vincentian designer Shernicia Mayers may be on the lips of persons all over the world.{{more}}

Last Saturday, Mayers treated patrons to a fashion fanfare that showcased not only a wide range of garments for almost every occasion, but the designer’s extraordinary talent as well.

Her fashion show, which was dubbed “The Journey,” had patrons giving Mayers their nod of approval on her designs for casual, couture, dinner formal, work wear, day-to-night, lingerie and even bridal wear.

“It’s about the everyday woman,” the designer told SEARCHLIGHT, in her description of the collection.

The Prospect resident, who has been featured in the Face of Shabeau and She Caribbean magazines, since her debut in 2002, indicated the importance of creating pieces that have impact and are different from the norm.

The attention paid to this detail was very evident in Mayers’ presentation of day-to-night looks, which was one of the major highlights of the fashion show.

“It’s like when you spend that money on an outfit, it’s not just that one outfit. You can wear it twice, looking as two different outfits; so for me, it’s about the young entrepreneur that needs to stand out, that young woman, that working mom,” she said about her “Optimus Prime of Fashion” looks.

Loud rounds of applause filled the Russell’s Shopping Centre, as models sashayed down the runway in one well-tailored outfit, only to be transformed at the end of the catwalk, in an outfit completely different the one in which they had entered.

“I like the collections, especially the Optimus Prime. It’s very creative,” one patron said.

Another individual, who noted that she would like to commission some dresses from the collection, declared that Mayers will hopefully be successful in the future.

“She kept her creativity level to the highest standards,” she said. “Once she keeps going like this, she will be very successful.”

Her creativity level is one to be admired, as the designer showcased her true talents on Saturday, when she sewed a dress in 30 seconds that was immediately ready for the runway.

“[I did that] to show that this is what I’ve been doing for the past three months, for them to get hands on feeling of what really goes down. I mean, some dresses take days, but some dresses can be 30 seconds,” Mayers, who represented St Vincent and the Grenadines on Mission Catwalk in 2013, said.

“I feel really good. After three months of working hard, its finally finished and hopefully I should get new customers and hope that everyone is pleased with what they have seen.”

Indeed, for Mayers, success may just be around the corner, as the designer proudly revealed to SEARCHLIGHT that she was presented with the opportunity to display at Paris Fashion week in the show “La Bo Ethnik,” from May 22 to May 25, 2014.

She explained that she was chosen by Paris based designer, Vincent McDoom, who is originally from St Lucia.

“I feel very good and happy. These opportunities, they don’t come all the time,” Mayers declared. “That’s the next step on the journey. It is to showcase my designs, but also to market myself out there…and to market St Vincent. There will be 80 other designers from around the world there and it’s always great to meet other creative persons.”

Having been offered this opportunity, Mayers hopes that she can be an inspiration to other young designers to follow their dreams, because “anything is possible.”

While she works on a completely new collection for Paris, Mayers is requesting assistance from anyone who would like to help her make her journey to the French fashion capital.

Additionally, she extended her sincere gratitude to all sponsors who made her show a success.

These sponsors include Digicel 4G, Flashers Bakery, Riks Niks Café, Eye Focus, Alliance Francaise, Vincy Ezine and SEARCHLIGHT.

In the past, Mayers has presented her designs at regional and international fashion shows that include Tobago Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week. She was also the winner of Young and Upcoming Designers in 2009 and has been featured in Vanity Fair and Tortola’s Women in Fashion.

The designer can be contacted at 433-1382, 528-7361 or ATELIER.SHERNICIA@gmail.com (BK)