Virgin Island Fashion Week Blog
by Leticia Reyes
“Welcome, Virgin Islands Fashion Week Media!!”, read the sign held by Campbell Rey as I excitedly stepped off the plane into the airport resonating with tropical music. Campbell was our personal escort throughout our stay in sunny St. Thomas the week of October 5th to the 10th. His beaming smile and warm disposition was every indication of the great time that lay ahead!
The beauty of St. Thomas is immediately obvious as we make our way up the winding roads along the many mountains adorning the island. Spectacular views of pristine aqua blue water and lush greenery take our breath away as we point our fingers to the sights, in awe of the island’s magnificence. Living the constant hustle and bustle of New York City, the clean ocean air invigorated my senses and shot those feel good endorphins throughout my being. As we continued our ride towards the hotel, we searched for what was familiar. Although part of the US, St. Thomas’s infrastructure and general appearance is starkly different from any other US city I’ve visited. What did ring familiar was the presence of certain stores and fast food chains as well as the whopping prices of gas at over $4.50 a gallon. Before long, we left the downtown area and trekked across the country side of the 36 square mile island to Sugar Bay Resort.
Sugar Bay Resort boasts a 3 ½ star rating and is one of the top places to lodge. Keryn and Jude provided us with great hospitality and checked us into our room located on the top, or seventh, floor with a stunning balcony view of the ocean and the neighboring island of St. John, which is only a 10 minute ferry ride away. The grounds are kept clean and manicured and there are many activities planned throughout the day to keep things interesting. Perhaps most unique to the hotel are the presence of iguanas meandering the wet areas. As they stroll around the pool occasionally stopping to munch on some leaves, they blend into the scenery and spend their time as we do, basking in the hot sun. You can find your fair share of animals, not only on the grounds of Sugar Bay Resort, but additionally within its clear, blue beach water. The resort lends you free snorkel equipment for your underwater viewing pleasure. I spent many a late afternoon swimming through reef after reef spotting some of the most unique and colorful fish I’ve seen in quite some time. There's something very soothing about under water voyeurism and I was particularly happy with this hotel amenity. The temperature remained steady in the high 80’s to low 90’s with little to no trade winds making a trip to the pool’s waterfalls, and swim up bar, mandatory. With everything the resort had to offer, it was easy to work up a fierce appetite.
Dining options in St. Thomas are plentiful and delightful! Most notable among them were two restaurants with amazing sunset views. Banana Tree Grille is located on the grounds of the historic Bluebeard Castle which sits up on a mountainside as you overlook the Charlotte Amalie Harbor from your candlelit table. On par with the view, the pasta is handmade and delicious and the gorgonzola loaf is to die for! Grande Cru is another upscale restaurant that sits alongside the water of Charlotte Amalie Harbor, located in the charming Yacht Haven Grande area in downtown St. Thomas. Its evident Executive Chef, Patricia LaCorte, takes great pride in her culinary creations and the service is top notch. Adding to the experience is their award winning list of cocktails and uniquely crafted martinis. For a more casual experience, venture to the main town and take a break from the many duty free jewelry shops by lunching at Gladys’ Café. Gladys will be there tending bar while you are served fresh food native to the island. If its drinks you are into, you must stop by local tourist spot, Mountain Top at the Highline, to sip on their fresh and best banana daiquiris while overlooking a most precious view of the islands and sea.
After taking in the many sights and delights of the island, it became very clear that it was the perfect location for a week of beauty and high end fashion! As for the main event, Virgin Islands Fashion Week, or VIFW, kicked off at the newly renovated Marriott Frenchman resort with a fashion showcase honoring the who’s who of the Caribbean fashion scene. Designers and fashionistas alike travelled from all over the world to get a fresh feel of Caribbean style and flair. VIFW Coordinator, Henry Marsham, made sure to represent a wide array of designers hailing from different tropical locales as well as bringing in the not so subtle influence of Africa. The event was abuzz with excitement and anticipation of the fashion shows and the models who would grace the runway. Mr. Marsham also took the time to announce a special Eco-challenge to the designers, in which they compete to see who could come up with the most eco-friendly, fashion forward design. Environmental consciousness, as well as body consciousness, seemed to be high on the list of priority for many in attendance and certainly for those responsible for and participating in the event.
Various media, fashion lovers and powerful politicians were just a few spotted in the audience when it was time for lights, camera and action! White, flowing long curtains adorned the runway's backdrop as loud, colorful beats pulsated in the space. It was perfect for the likes of stand out 11 year old super model, Diva Divana to grace the cat walk. Having been trained by Miss Jay of Tyra Banks', America's Next Top Model, the young protégé added an element of elegance and grace. Another stand out to walk the runway was model search winner, Yulanda Gentle, who rocked every outfit with fierce attitude and incredible poise. The show was complete in its representation and celebration of the female form, as models of all shapes and body sizes took to the catwalk. Two noteworthy designers were Marcy De Santos, hailing from Guyana and Edna, a designer from Africa. Both designers delivered strongly in concept, but each added a little something to set them apart from the rest. Marcy's designs used materials that were all hand painted and boasted a beautiful earthy color palette. Her designs were not only well constructed but also extremely figure conscious. Edna showed incredible creativity in her safari inspired line and was most closely associated with couture wear. Her lavish creativity also awarded her first place in the eco-challenge. VIFW displayed the hottest in everything from bathing suits to casual beach wear to beautiful dresses and accessories to match. Vocalist Yewande provided the entertainment for the event as she sang in conjunction with some of the designers’ shows.
In conclusion, VIFW did not disappoint! The energy in the air, after the event, remained high as politicians and decision makers discussed ideas on how to make next year's event bigger and better than the last! I certainly enjoyed my time and look forward to watching its progress. A special thank you goes out to Henry Marsham and the Virgin Island Department of Tourism for inviting En La Escena to the show while showing us what a spectacular time could be had in gorgeous St. Thomas - a small island that left this reporter with a BIG impression! :o)
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Leticia M. Reyes
Television Reporter, Singer, Voice Over
Website: http://www.leticiareyesonline.com
Facebook: facebook/leticia.m.reyes
Twitter: @leticiamreyes
