MEILING’S magic will light up the runways of Caribbean Fashionweek on Saturday June 19. A master of clean, crisp lines and understated elegance, the Meiling tradition is renowned around the region for its minimalist mastery of style. Her collection this year will focus squarely on all things black and beautiful.

Widely acknowledged as the doyenne of Caribbean fashion, Meiling will lead a strong eight-member contingent to CFW, the region’s leading fashion and lifestyle event. Other members of the Trinidadian design contingent include Anthony Reid, Robert Young, KAJ, Gladys Louis, Anya Ayoung Chee, Shawn Griffith Perez and US based, Sharon Cole.

So potent is her work, that only Meiling could invoke the idea of using black to ‘light’ up a space.

“The collection will be a lot of black organdy,” says the designer, speaking from her atelier in Trinidad & Tobago. With black being her personal colour of choice over the years, she wanted to “explore the possibilities and the immense freedom of using only one colour”. Going by her posture for the collection, fashion devotees will no doubt have ample opportunity to make a selection from a true Caribbean master.

Inspired by Japanese art and culture, Meiling notes that the collection will be rich in sculptural silhouettes topped with knife edged pleats and tucks. The designer assures too, that although her minimalist trademark is pervasive throughout the line, close attention is paid to detail and the garments are sure to have more depth than meets the naked eye.

Meiling began her career back in the late 60s and wearers are sure to find something from the region present in Meiling’s line. With a solid commitment to individuality and expert craftsmanship, Meiling’s clients usually remain for life. Throughout her career, Meiling has been commissioned to produce special lines be it for Carnival in her native land or high fashion gear for the uber chic Aboslut brand of Sweden.

A true collaborator, Meiling has teamed up with Emmy award wining carnival costumier, Peter Minshall. She has also been working with a local retail brand which produced ready-to-wear garments with her signature style, made accessible and affordable for all. On account of her brilliant work as a pioneer in the regional fashion design industry, Meiling was presented with a Caribbean Master award at Caribbean Fashionweek in 2008. She also won the Caribbean designer of the year award at the Jamaica Observer Limited’s Style Award.

CFW celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and the event, which has revolutionised regional fashion is covered by such international media as Fashion TV Paris, which beams programming to 300 million plus viewers in over 200 countries, part of a group of over 250 local, regional and international media houses which cover the event each year. These include such publications as Vogue, Marie Claire, The NY Times, The New York Daily News, the Associated Press, The Independent, The BBC and many others. British Vogue has described CFW as an important new event in world fashion.