KINGSTON, Jamaica – In Trinidad 12 years ago for her very first carnival experience in that country, soca lover Dania Beckford was in for a rude awakening.

“I ordered a large panty for my costume and when I got it; I asked if this was the part to go over my eyes because it looked like an eye patch,” Beckford recalled.

Motivated by her personal experience, the St Ann native combined her efforts and passion into creating designs for full-figured women. In 2015, she founded Broadtail Design, a ‘Jamaican fashion label that caters to the curves of full-figured women.’

“This entity was geared to produce swimsuits, cover up (resort wear) and carnival costumes for plus size women. The core of the brand is empowering women to feel confident whether at the beach or at carnival,” Beckford said.

“I want women of any size to feel comfortable and confident at carnival. I wanted to design costumes for the same reason I design swimsuits [as] the option for a full-figured person was either non-existent or frumpy,” she added.

Beckford’s first carnival costume design was in 2017 for Xaymaca International.

“Andrew Bellamy approached me when he was leading the launch of that band. He wanted the band to be inclusive and to encompass all lovers of carnival and because my brand has confidence at the core; it was the perfect fit,” she said.

The only female director in the newly launched Yard Mas Carnival, Beckford remains an active advocate for plus-size women.

She has a podcast and YouTube series called ‘Being Broadtail’, which provides a space for women at different stages of their confidence journey to empower listeners/viewers.

A wearer of several hats, Beckford’s costume designing had to be put on the back burner amid the heights of the COVID -19 pandemic, but with restrictions lifted and the carnival season on the horizon, Beckford is back doing what she loves. She said anticipation is high for this season.

“For people who had ‘participating in carnival’ on their bucket list and didn’t do it pre-COVID, now is their chance because we witnessed in our lifetime that a global ‘lockdown’ and learned the importance of ‘living life’,” the director said.

For this year’s carnival, Beckford believes it will be nothing short of euphoric as she touts Yard Mas to ‘bring the vibes’.

“We have a new band on the road -Yard Mas Carnival- that is offering an unmatched vibe, premium services on the road, inclusive costumes,” she said.

As for her personal goals, Beckford has several.

“My goal is to own my own production house along with my Yard Mas Team, execute a positively memorable carnival experience and do more impactful work with young ladies to hone their confidence. My next step in accomplishing that is the Being Broadtail Confidence Conference and launch of the Broadtail Confidence Journal which will both happen this year,” Beckford said.