The apprentices show with Meiling

T hat led to being invited to her shows. One of his brutally honest critiques of a Meiling show made its way to her ears. Meiling responded by asking Reid to “come see the next collection before it’s shown and offer ideas”. Soon he was styling for Meiling. Reid, who has been a flight attendant since 1991, says he was “humbled and magnified” by Meiling’s gesture.

A decade later, the designer apprentice and his mentor are one of the most unique design pairings from the Caribbean.

“Four years ago she encouraged me to come onto the ramp and say this is who you are,” says Reid, who is originally from Carenage. Their process: Reid distills his collection from the essence of Meiling’s women’s line, and they always show back-to-back.

From tonight through Sunday at The Carlton Savannah Hotel, Meiling and Antilia Entertainment present be., an ultra-stylish weekend experience. Reid is among the select designers in this swank event that will be hosted by reality TV show host and former Ralph Lauren campaign model Tyson Beckford.

Meiling, who received press accolades at Dominicana MODA held in Santo Domingo last October, recently pulled-out of Fashion Week TT (FWTT) due to aesthetic differences, according to a source. Anthony Reid’s collection was also withdrawn from FWTT.

“Everything happens for a reason, it’s a little bittersweet,” says Reid.

In this collection, Meiling is inspired by origami (the Japanese art of folding paper) and is focused on black with minute intervals of claret (wine red).

“I decided to use a lot more claret,” reveals Reid, who defines his brand with great tailoring and select fabrics. Clean and minimalist are the style cues he adheres to, his embellishments are confined to the use of ribbon, various styles of stitching or layering fabric.

“Meiling and I are in love with organdy (a cotton organza), it’s almost transparent it can be smooth, wrinkled, crushed, pleated...it’s pliable in many ways,” offers Reid who was “astonished” by the media’s impression of his showing at Dominicana MODA.

“After Fashion Week TT 2009 there was no rush from the public,” admits Reid, “but tremendous potential and interest were generated from Dominicana MODA (which is) very, very, very well-organised. Journalists (dissected) the collection and recognised things I thought nobody would recognise. They loved how I told a story together with Meiling, and at the same time kept my voice and evolved without spoiling her fun.

“I would love everybody to have the same opportunity Meiling has afforded me,” shares Reid, “open up your workroom, your heart, your head to any young person you see promise in and give them without holding back. It will come back to you in blessings and business, and more ideas. I think that’s how Meiling keeps reinventing, she is so open to new ideas, that rejuvenates her creativity.”

The other stylish act featured in the be. fashion weekend event is the beauty queen with boundless potential, Anya Ayoungs-Chee. She launched her Pilar label last year with a youthful, vibrant and afrocentric collection influenced by the Bobo Shanti. For her sophomore year, Anya’s trained her eye on uniformity. Her aim with the collection being unveiled tomorrow night at The Carlton-Savannah Hotel is to meld the functionality and notions attached to conventional, rigid and loose-fit uniforms to “make a subtle statement about uniformity,” explains Anya.

“It may stand out specifically because it’s a hybridization of an aesthetic that is Caribbean without it being overtly Caribbean.

“I grew up with this idea that you must wear jeans and a tank-top to go to the mall,” shares Anya, a native of New York now based in Cascade. Her mission as a designer is to challenge the encoded dress code.

“I am committed to informing Caribbean women that there is no need to dress by occasion.”

She designs clothes that are separates with multiple applications, “it’s so much of the essence of what I am trying to do to encourage individuality.”

“In terms of exposure it has been a great ride,” shares Anya, 28. “I showed in the French Caribbean, Paris, and I’ve been invited to other shows.”

But commercially, challenges abound for Anya, particularly on the manufacturing side.

“I’ve had the extreme benefit of having Meiling as a mentor, she’s been my foundation when it comes to figuring out the process. She doesn’t steer me creatively [and] she’s extremely open. If Fashion Week TT can mimic that, maybe a mentorship programme is something they could look into. I stand to shoot myself in the foot when I say this, but I think the standard for entry (to FWTT) has to be strict. If I apply this year and get rejected because of certain standards, then I think there should be in place programmes or resources to help you figure out how to go from A to B to C.”

Anya’s degree in graphic design fuels her drive to have a hand in many different design disciplines. She’s dabbling in interior design as she maps out growth plans for her fashion labels. Anya recognises it’s no small feat for designers who have weathered years of a dormant local fashion industry. She credits Fashion Week TT for reviving and building the commercial side, and encourages established designers to realize the value of giving back.

“It’s very important that they open their doors to young designers, the most important contribution to the industry is their knowledge and experience.”

My influencers can’t be wrapped-up into an entity,” explains Anya. “My inspiration continues to be drawn from [the streets], the way, for instance, Rastafarians or homeless people subconsciously combine elements without trying to be stylish. The Sartorialist has made street fashion the fashion, in a way what he was seeing is what I’m seeing, but I’m seeing it in an environment where it’s not cognitive.

“As opposed to the streets of Manhattan, Paris, Milan and Tokyo where it’s entirely cognitive. But I remain committed to finding it where I’m from and merging it with elements I have the opportunity to see. Being on the streets of New York, Paris and Tokyo is always inspiring, but Trinidad continues to feed me with the best material I could possibly ask for.”

The event be. takes place from this evening to Sunday at the Carlton Savannah Hotel, Cascade. Tickets are available at Meiling Kapok and Antilia Travel (741-5164).