Local fashion designer expresses gratitude to sponsors

Local fashion designer Kimon Baptiste expressed her gratitude to the sponsors of her upcoming fashion show, at a press conference held on Wednesday.{{more}}

The unique fashion show, dubbed Déjà Vu, will be held on March 2 and features season nine Project Runway finalist Viktor Luna.

Baptiste addressed her sponsors at the conference, saying that she wanted to thank them for aiding in making her dream a reality.

“I want to publicly say thank you to the persons that invested in an idea that I had and helped to bring it alive,” she said.

In an overview of the event, Baptiste explained that it is split into two parts; a fashion village and a runway show.

The designer described the fashion village, saying that it “has gone beyond just fashion”, as art and herbal health and beauty products will be displayed among local accessories and handbags.

“I really wanted to give local persons an opportunity to showcase what they can do,” she declared.

The runway show will also display an array of local designers alongside feature designer Viktor Luna, who will be showcasing his newest collection.

“I’m also happy to say that we are going to be the first people to see this collection on a runway,” Baptiste announced.

Glen Beache, Chief Executive Officer of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA), explained that the company became a sponsor partly because of the excellent presentation given to them.

Beache further stated that while drive and passion for the fashion industry is important, one must keep in mind the long term goal as it pertains to being a designer.

“While some do it as a hobby, if you’re not making any sales, then for us at a nationalistic point of view, it’s not quite what we want to see,” Beache said.

Senior marketing manager of Courts Alexis John expressed pride in being a sponsor, saying that Courts understands the many benefits attached to an event of this kind.

“This event is huge,” he said. “And can definitely put St Vincent and the Grenadines on the map”.

Sponsors present at the press conference also included Invest SVG, Digicel and Searchlight.

Other sponsors for the event are National Lotteries Authority, Awesome Vibes Entertainment, Altitude Sports Bar, Miners Construction and St Vincent Brewery Ltd.

The Déjà Vu fashion show is scheduled for Saturday, March 2 at the Balcombe’s, Indian Bay. In addition, a preview of the show will take place on Friday, March 1 at Courts.