Origins Fashion Festival launched to boost Guyana’s apparel industry

The local fashion industry will receive a major boost with the launch of the Guyana Origins Fashion Festival.

The highly anticipated event is a visionary initiative spearheaded by His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. It will be held from May 2 to 4.

It aims to give local designers, models and artists within the fashion industry a global platform to showcase the country’s rich heritage through fashion.

Speaking at the festival’s launch on Wednesday evening at the new Railway Courtyard on Lamaha Street, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond said, “We are sending a powerful message. Guyana is not just a land of natural beauty or the economic potential that we can all see. We are also a force in fashion, creativity, and culture.”

The minister lauded the achievements of talented Guyanese designers who have made waves in the fashion industry throughout the Caribbean and internationally, which is evidence that Guyana’s fashion is in demand.

“For too long, our designers have been making strides individually, without a collective platform to showcase their brilliance. That changes today. The Origins Fashion Festival is a catalyst to showcase all our designers to the world,” Minister Walrond added.

Fashion is a major industry that generates jobs and revenues, and in Guyana, the global demand for authentic designs is growing.

Recognising this, the government is committed to investing in the creative industries to move the local fashion sector to new heights.

According to the tourism minister, this is part of a broader vision to integrate fashion into the country’s national and economic strategies.

This initiative will also boost the tourism sector as people from the diaspora, along with international fashion designers and magazine writers, flock to Guyana’s shores to be part of the growing industry.

Apart from the designers benefitting from this transformative project, models will have an opportunity to showcase their talents.

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs and Information, Kwame McCoy, was also in attendance.

He stated that a casting call will be conducted in a few days to get local models on board with the initiative.

Activities such as seminars, workshops and training sessions will be conducted to introduce upcoming Guyanese designers to the fashion industry.

The Origins Fashion Festival will be celebrated under the theme “Foundations of Guyanese Fashion.”