Saints shoot for Teen Vogue
Tami Williams and Kai Newman, the current ‘it’ girls from local modelling agency, Saint International, have scored another career-defining move.
On Sunday, the two shot an editorial for Teen Vogue, a follow-up to their appearance in American Vogue early this year.
Chief Executive Officer of Saint, Deiwght Peters, explained to the Jamaica Observer that the international success of his two models prompted Teen Vogue to come to Jamaica and shoot Williams and Newman in their homeland.
“They wanted to capture Kai and Tami as friends in their own country. They paid their own way and came here to shoot them. I am very happy that this has taken place during Styleweek Jamaica as it presents an incredible opportunity for us to showcase not only our models but our island as well,” said Peters.
He also disclosed that another fashion institution, models.com, conducted a shoot with 13 of Saint’s models at Hellshire Beach in St Catherine.
Peters was speaking at the end of Fashionblock, final event of Styleweek Jamaica, which unfolded on Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston on Sunday.
Peters described the three-day event as a success, noting that local designers were finally getting what it meant to showcase their collections on a first-class stage.
“The designers are now bringing their A-game to the stage as they now recognise the opportunities that can come from showing at an event such as Styleweek Jamaica. On our part, I was really inspired by a comment from one of the agents here from overseas, when he said this set-up does not exist in Milan. It really shows that we are putting Jamaica into the big picture in the international fashion industry,” he stated.
However, Peters was disappointed with the non-appearance of leading model Rob Evans who was scheduled to walk the runway for Styleweek. He said the popular model could not get a flight, having taken an assignment in London and there were no flights available to get him to Jamaica on time.
“We are really disappointed but with a number of events coming up this year we are making arrangements to have him come in for this… it’s not a question of if Rob will be here but when. We have a good relationship with his agency, Storm, which also represents some of our models so we are working on it,” explained Peters.
Meanwhile, 13 designers sent collections down the giant runway in the middle of the arterial road of Kingston’s business district in what has become a signature event for Styleweek.
Despite its late start — more than one hour after the advertised kickoff time — patrons waited patiently for the design showcase.
Among the collections which made an impact was TNT by designer Tasha Gordon. Her bold prints and striking solids complemented her clean lines and flowing shapes. Neah Lis showcased trendy pieces while menswear designer Dexter Pottinger pushed the envelope with his Spring/Summer collection.
www.jamaica-observer.com
