WELL over 10,000 Caribbean and international guests, as well as Jamaicans, packed seven days and nights of shows, an exhibition, a business forum, parties, buyers matchmaking, receptions and concerts, to celebrate the 10th renewal of Caribbean Fashionweek in Kingston Jamaica last week.

Arguably the biggest and best of the Pulse-produced series, CFW 2010 was marked by spectacular fashion, great performances, business development and entertainment, at a level that was truly remarkable, especially coming as it did, immediately after the recent disturbances that rocked Kingston and generated headlines around the world.

Not only did CFW bring life back to Kingston, it also created glam, pizzazz and a social frenzy that only an event of its style and impact can deliver. The Haiti Art & Fashion project, a new highlight this year, set the tone for the first night of shows, featuring, among others, Haitian pop star Katia Cadet, Haitian designers David Andre and Phelicia Dell, as well as Haiti’s world-renowned photographer, Marc Baptiste, who received the CFW special 10th Anniversary Award for Excellence. The Haiti Project aims to help in the reconstruction of Haiti’s creative business over the next five years.

Saturday, the biggest night of the event, once again featured great collections, as well as performances from TOK and R&B great Johnny Gill. Sandra Kennedy showed CFW’s first ever plus size fashion collection to critical acclaim. Sunday night’s shows continued the fashion feast, one highlight of which was Biggy’s amazing dancehall collection. Gramps and Una Morgan of Morgan’s Heritage delivered outstanding sets on CFW Sunday.

Other standouts were the collections of Trinidadian fashion design maven Meiling; Jamaica’s Mutamba, Uzuri, Minka, Julan, Keneea Linton, Designs by Marc, Ashley Martin and the Mushroom; Haiti’s Phelicia Dell and David Andre; Parisian Milkaya Laijah; Trinidad’s KAJ and Robert Young. These designers all screamed “brilliant”, as the shows emphasised the “best of” nature of CFW 10.

This year’s event was not only a showpiece for the region’s top-flight designers and hopefuls, it was also a magnet for fashionistas, stylists, the fashionable and the chic from all across the globe, drawn to Kingston, by the allure, charm and inspirational appeal of the collections and the international “of the moment” supermodels produced by Pulse. They also seized the opportunity to be witnesses to the Caribbean’s foremost fashion and style event, representing the people of the region, Diaspora and continents far beyond our shores, at their fashion- forward best!

The Caribbean Export Development Agency presented a CFW Business Forum which gave the industry professionals in attendance an opportunity to consider the issues affecting development of the regional fashion industry and to seek to forge solutions. Insiders attending the Forum noted that significant progress has been made in this regard.

The continued growth of the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association augurs well for the future, as this is one of the avenues available for collaboration, communication and solutions. An interesting aspect of the wider CFW 2010 was a workshop organised by Pulse and conducted by British award-winning designer Gavin Douglas for Caribbean designers.

Regularly featured in British and French Vogue, Douglas is the winner of the Prince’s Trust award as well as the coveted Fashion Fringe Award. As CFW looks to 2011, the organisers are committed to maintaining this focus on development. CFW must not only be fun, fashion and entertainment, but it must also continue to be a catalyst for business generation.