King and Queen maker

Imagine nine-year-old Follette Eustace jumping up in a Carnival section which he designed and made on the streets of Tunapuna 40 years ago. He would go to the fabric stores in his hometown and purchase corduroy, feathers and other decorations for the traditional Red Indian costumes popular at the time. That was for Kiddies Carnival. To his delight, he walked away with a few first prizes. The prizes ranged from torchlights to “icy-hots”. That was the beginning of his road to success.

When we sat down for an interview at his camp in Trincity, he found some difficulty in recalling the dates of his previous wins. The year 2003, however, will forever remain etched in his memory. No costume designer has ever pulled off wins in both North and South zones King and Queen of the Bands. Add to that male and female Individual of the Year titles. His North zone Queen, played by Alana Ward, copped a hat-trick winning in 2001 with the portrayal “It’s All In The Game”, 2002 with “Dance De Butterfly” and 2003 “Fire In D’ Sky”. It was also the first time that a mother and son, Wendy and Aaron Kalicharan, won South King and Queen of the Bands in the same year. They portrayed “Native Warrior” and “Native Dancer”, respectively. “Ah have to feel good. I’m excited,” he said. He’s taking a rest now because “I’ve been thinking mas, up and down everyday. Later on I might have a celebration party, a drink up.” He neither drinks nor smokes, by the way. Already, he’s sketched out designs for Carnival in the Cayman Islands. Later this month he’ll tackle designs for Antigua followed by designs for Nottinghill Carnival in August. Follette got roped into the mas- making business from boyhood. His mind wandered back to the early 50s when all he could remember as he walked around the family home were Carnival costumes strewn everywhere.

His eldest brother Norris was responsible for that. He designed costumes for masmen Harold Saldenha, George Bailey and Steven Lee Heung and it was practically a family affair as Norris got all seven boys, including Tedder, involved. At age 15, his mother died and a few years later so did his father. So his sisters, all five of them shared in the responsibilities of raising a household. Follette worked with Norris on individual costumes, cutting and sticking, applying decorations until he graduated to King of Carnival. “Cock Fight”, played by Tedder, was their first win in 1975. “It was the first time anyone ever saw movement in a costume” with the motion of two cocks as though literally engaged in a fight, he said. When Norris passed away in 1981, the two brothers took over the reins. In 1985, Follette attained his first victory with “The Big Fisherman”, again played by Tedder. “Victory was good. During this time I also designed for bandleaders Irvin Mc Williams and Neville Aming,” Follette said. He also produced bands for St Maarten Carnivals numbering 200-300 masqueraders. In 1989, his King and Queen of Carnival won in St Maarten. He also had wins at Crop Over in Barbados, Labour Day in New York and in the Cayman Islands.

At home, he garnered wins with Queen Tessa John’s “Light of the World” of 1993, as well as King titles “The Matador” of 1997, “This is We Carnival” of 1998, “The Rough Rider” of 2000, “Jab Molassie” of 2002 and “D Sky is D Limit” of 2003 all portrayed by nephew Curtis Eustace. The titles for the costumes, he said, are developed around the main theme of the bands. With “D Rough Rider”, he said, “I tried to depict the power of a lion, to give a masculine kind of finish.” But his smile gave it away. He added: “I was also thinking about the condom too.” But the designs were the tricky part. “A costume design don’t come just so. Sometimes you’re sleeping in your bed and 2 o’clock in the morning, you jump out with an idea.”

Without hesitation he picks up his pen and paper, or brush marker, and starts to draw. “Some might take hours, some weeks to design. You make a lot of changes before you put down a final drawing,” he said. “This year Alana wanted to play in red and there was a section called fireworks so I worked with that theme.” After preliminary sketches and application of colour his team of ten goes to work. His wife, Raina, (which means queen, so named by her brothers after a queen from a literature book) also gets involved. “She’s the cook in the camp. She would cook for everybody and for those coming in late in the night she would prepare sandwiches for them.” The two have been married for 22 years, with no children — no heir to his dynasty. He described Raina as “my main support. She’s the first one to see the sketches and would give her suggestions.” Most of which he takes heed. Then he goes in search of material, which was sourced in the US and Canada. “Prices here are expensive,” he said regrettably. However, he opted to “moving about in the cold (winter)” to beat costs.

Designing for each costume, he said, is done with impartiality. “I try to put out my best. I don’t hold out for any particular masquerader.” Of course, he designs with the judges in mind. He must conform to regulations such as colour and impact, mobility—the costume must be easy to carry, design, and two wheels. For Dimanche Gras, Follette had to hold back on the pyrotechnics for both the King and Queen since NCC chairman Kenny De Silva, a week earlier, ruled it out of Carnival events. “For the King we were going to use green fireworks. But pyros are just a few seconds and yuh $30,000 gone and sometimes you use it and it doesn’t even relate to the costume. It’s something, though, that I never liked. I find that that money you spend should be used towards better enhancing your costume,” said Follette.

He shrugged off criticisms that the portrayal “D Sky is D Limit” was common to that of others in years gone by. He said: “Everybody has their style and design of costumes. You’ll always get criticisms. I doh take them on because I understand why they do it.” However, he expressed “his” grouse. He said there was a need for assisting Kings and Queens over the ramp and onto the stage at Dimanche Gras. “NCC needs to brief the police and security properly so that they could provide us with proper identity and wouldn’t have to stop bandleaders, costume designers and masqueraders — the helpers when they offer assistance. The wrist band alone wouldn’t work.”