Fresh off the runway high, The Collection MoDA set-up team immediately swung into action, breaking down the fashionable stage setting to make way for the marketplace which started on Friday evening. A super-cute illustration by Alia Orane Pitter greeted BUZZ at the entrance, marking the shift into the artisanal hub which features work from creatives islandwide, as well as across the region and the United States. Here’s the walkthrough:

In this

section there was vibrant Mia Kalani swimwear; crochet and illustrated products

by Lisa Davis of The Crafted Ppl – we loved her crocheted dolls; EcoSmart Sip

reusable and sustainable drinking products, aptly positioned beside the

much-loved Likkle Tea brand; Beenybud local social enterprise headed by Asley

Rousseau, which features hand-woven beaded and thatch products; well-made

Bresheh bags, flanked by the elegant and stylish Fortyfour Miles jewellery line;

and Grace & Eden with purses, bags and stuffed animals.

Right next

to their cart was Stush in the Bush which was always buzzing. Their branded

condiments and granola piqued much interest, and their pizza was touted by many

patrons as the thing to try for the evening.

On the other

side, we saw visual artist and entrepreneur A Marie Art showcasing varying

kinds of merchandise, from snapback caps to paperweights, keychains, large

canvas paintings and more; The Artisan Village – coming soon to Falmouth – with

Pure Jamaican Chocolate; beautifully painted clay votives of varying sizes;

visual artist Lennox Coke; Wright Life Healing Meals from the Second City with

their plant-based live food, and a number of established brands, namely

Hamilton Smoke House, Select Brands, Caribbean Dreams teas, Tortuga Rum Cake

and Rainforest Seafoods.

A stone’s

throw away there was the lovely Grey Goose Bar, Deaf Can Cold Brew and the New

Wave stage getting ready for performances.

Adjacent to this was a display of children’s clothing lines — Zaid; Blessed by Mamayashi and featuring the Kingston Lights & Space Adventures collections; Henry’s Girl with snazzy rosette detailing in classic black and white; Inaugural Mission Catwalk season winner Shenna Carby’s chic brocade and tiered dresses; Zilac; and Beach 9 swimwear.

Inside,

there was much to see — captivating Marina Burnel rustic photography, some

printed on wood and zinc; Portrait Design Co; Momo Penelli’s Afrocentric

fashion and more; colourful Bella’s Beautique nail polishes; resort wear boss

Janel Jolly; crafty crochet jewellery by Thread Queens and more.

In Caribbean Export’s Caribbean Creative section we saw ZJ Bambino’s Do it For The Culture clothing; contemporary artist Lattecha Willocks’ very engaging, self-titled Dameminism-themed artwork, which was about encouraging women [dames] to create sacred intimate spaces within which to affirm themselves and prioritise self-care. There was also People’s Barbados sunglasses; Choiselle Organic Skincare; Sea, Sex, Sun resort wear by David André and Merry Marjan. There was, too, Immortelle Beauty skincare out of Trinidad; Shop Shari African-print clothing; Jamaica Nice merchandise, complete with soundbox décor; TCP [Those Creative People] with one bag ah Jamaican Tings; and accessory designers Inzpire 365; Happibeads & Linx; Aviola and Melissa Preddie.

See more images from MoDA Market in the gallery below.

[naviga:ul]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[naviga:li][/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ul]

Also in this space was the well-appointed Runway to Retail section, where people could browse and shop the looks from the MoDA runway show. While there, we gabbed a bit with artist/designer Lisu Vega. The Venezuelan-American shared that she was happy to show another collection at MoDA and participate in the marketplace for the first time with her hand-made, poly silk rope adornments, as it afforded her the opportunity to interact with more people. She also happily declared: “It seems Kingston is now my city. I love the energy here.”

In this area

we had sponsors, Black Radiance and Blow by Blow; Hema K and JosanMark with

stunning natural jewellery; Chrissy’s Coils’ lovely wire pieces; Kabreco

Designs with terrariums, succulents, candles and tea lights bearing words of

affirmation and more.

Beside them,

the always amazing Baughaus’ hand-crafted home accents; The Gilded Stone with

two interesting jewellery collections fusing natural and ethnic inspirations;

comfy chic T & T Fashions; the ever-ingenious Reve jewellery team; florists

and event designers, Tai Flora Luxe; and Art Smart with lots of cute wooden

accents to shop for the home.

We also

feasted our eyes on Girl & The Magpie’s fantastic designs; Dretals pearls

and more; various leather accessories by Devine Treasures; Leann Designs and,

of course, ASD by Ayanna Dixon, who always has a myriad artful ways of

utilising her illustrations, from calendars to make-up bags.

MoDA market continues this weekend and opens from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Be sure to visit, grab some unique pieces, try new foods and enjoy the vibe.