Mission Catwalk Finale

After weeks of sewing, hemming and careful criticism of interesting and intricate designs, all roads led to Devon House for the Mission Catwalk All Stars Finale and the teenAGE Lifestyle Team was live, direct and up front for the final fashion showdown last Sunday evening. 

After a short mingling and greeting period, the National Commercial Bank and Campari, sponsored event opened with the seating of the VIP guests and the introduction of the season five judges that included the likes of Senior Associate Editor at the Jamaica Observer, Novia McDonald-White, International Men’s Wear designer, Carlton Brown, Fashion Designer and Executive Producer and Host of Mission Catwalk, Keneea Linton-George as well as Mentor for this season, International Retail expert and President of Global Purchasing, Mercedes Gonzales and special guest judge American based jewellery designer, Matthew ‘Mateo’ Harris. 

After the Judges were seated the Fashion Show began with a showing of the ‘Mission’ winning looks from this season. Many were designed by the three designers that hoped to etch their name in fashion history as the ruler of the Catwalk. We of course are talking about Ryan Chan of Trinidad, David Rolle of The Bahamas and Renardo Loyd of Jamaica. Each designer throughout the season brought their own flair and left their mark on the Catwalk but it was clear from the get go that it was going to be a battle of drape work versus pattern manipulation versus tailoring and finish.

Ryan’s Collection, ROGUE, opened the show and displayed his soon to be iconic draping skills. The collection which was inspired by the designer himself, utilised mainly black with touches of nudes, blush pinks and sparkled sheer. The fabric choice gave off a sense sensuality and sophistication. He paired his collection with gold accent pieces and his collection definitely proved the one can be sexy and classy. Reflective metallic work and netting also played a major role in his designs. Ryan played well with the sheer fabric which created an illusion that emphasised the beauty of each model’s figure and with each look being fierce and sexy. The audience could not contain their applause as the young designer made his entrance on the runway: a sign of a job well done.

David Rolle was next to present and his collection, YUMA, was inspired by the Lucayan Native Indians of his home Island of The Bahamas. His collection opened with a blue Caribbean print that showcased David’s skill with prints and he used this to accentuate the flowing Gossamer nature of the designs. The Collection transitioned seamlessly and the accessories gave a sense of uniformity to the collection. The crowd roared as David’s Blue flower-print shirt dress made its way down the catwalk, showing that David was ready to give the other two designers a run for their money. The collection continued its colour evolution from blue print to a purple sequence and satin maxi skirt and crop top. The collection showed David’s versatility as a designer through his use of colour and textile which he is soon to become known for. He definitely deserved the thundering applause he received at the end of his segment.

27-year-old Renardo Loyd of Jamaica, was last to show, but by no means the least as his MODERN GODDESS collection stunned the audience with his immaculate tailoring skill and thorough attention that was paid proving that excellence is truly in the details. His first look was a cross of a golden lace dress draped with a purple Sari. The collection utilised gold sheer and deep purple fabric which added to the sense of luxury and class that he intended to create. The luxury collection comprised of several ready-to-wear pieces. His mastery with his tailoring craft was the highlight of the entire collection as no flaw could be found in the execution of his designs, ranging from structured jumpsuits to asymmetrical of the shoulder gowns which brought something new and fresh to the runway. The up and coming designer then shocked us all with one of his last looks transforming mid walk, much to the delight of the patrons and judges, receiving a subtle nod from judge Novia McDonald-White. The collection was very cohesive and emphasised Renardo’s attention to detail. Renardo, like the designers before him, was welcomed by applause for yet another job well done.

All the models then returned to the catwalk to allow the judges to take a final and closer look at the designs. It is safe to say that judges have a very hard decision to make as each collection was beautiful and showcased the strengths of each individual designer. The winner for this season of Mission Catwalk will announced this Saturday. Who will rule the catwalk?