February 20, 2024 |
London-based designer Jawara Alleyne used his AW24 collection to draw attention to the increasingly serious impact of natural disasters in the Cayman Islands. Inspired by the destruction caused by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the offering was entitled Eye of the Storm and drew inspiration from the area’s nautical heritage as well as the growing threat hurricanes pose to its community.
Embodying a distinctly Caribbean energy by combining traditional autumn/winter dressing with an assortment of lighter materials, Alleyne also made sure to emphasise the importance of circular fashion by presenting pieces that were reconstructed, with accessories made of natural elements like driftwood.
Draping was a key theme throughout, with steadfast fabrics such as corduroy, denim, cotton and waxed cotton nodding to themes of protection and shelter. Positioning painter Bendel Hydes at the core of his vision, Alleyne’s palette was an obvious mirror of Hydes’s work, taking form in blue, green and white-washed pieces.
Alleyne ensured his philanthropy wasn’t just theoretical, inviting three students from an outreach programme at Ark Burlington Danes Academy to create projects relating to the collection, with the textile work of Konstantinos Slouzi making it to the showcase on Monday.
Photography courtesy of Jawara Alleyne.
