“I feel like this is a rebirth,” shared fashion designer Courtney Washington as he walked AW Fashion around his new, light, breezy and spacious 4,000-sq ft atelier located inside the Orchid Village Plaza at 20 Barbican Road, Kingston. No stranger to fashion merchadising and retail and, indeed, the fickle nature of the industry, the designer who moved back to Jamaica from New York six years ago, has, in his own words, “stayed relevant by filling a need; created what’s needed”. He has retained his South Avenue location but has opened a new location ostensibly for upscale clientele in search of “bespoke wearable art created with the most luxurious of fabrics“.

“I will be working with silks, Egyptian cotton, organza and knits. I have in fact a line of knits slated for the end of April,” he shared with

AW Fashion.

Make no mistake about it, the Washington woman (sizes 2-24) knows what she wants, and fortunately for the elegant designer “understands and is willing to pay for haute couture”.

The desire for exclusivity forced Washington to work non-stop for 48 hours prior to Le Dîner en Blanc, which was held on Saturday, March 25. “I kept my move very quiet and was still working through the kinks when word got out,” he said. What ensued is described by the always discreet designer as “an uproar of accolades”. In street parlance, ladies descended upon him in search of that one outfit — albeit in white — that would stand out in the sea of white. His entire collection was sold out within minutes!

The look and feel of the Barbican atelier, modern and sophisticated, are geared towards Washington’s ‘discerning set’ and are the inspiration for the rebirth — the desire to create once more, to inject a joie de vivre into fashion.

A consultation with the designer is guaranteed, regardless of your budget, to leave you with a unique design. The more is: your personal investment in yourself and Brand Jamaica.