Carla Campbell, one of Pulse's successful models overseas.
AN INCREASING number of Caribbean brands and businesses are seeking to reach fashion-conscious consumers via the fast-growing Caribbean Fashionweek (CFW).
A record number of Caribbean companies as well as Government agencies have come behind CFW 2004, which itself has attracted a record number of designers from around the region and the world. Government and donor agency support for the June 10-13 event will give it an even stronger Caribbean feel.
Corporate support, however, tells another story. There is now a growing recognition of the immense size and strength of the fashion-conscious market, with the young especially, spending huge amounts of cash on trendy goods and apparel, including magazines, beauty services, fashion television, designer garb and accessories.
That is the market CFW sponsors are taking increasing aim at - the young and the trendy with disposable income all focused on being fashion-conscious.
So, naturally, brands want to be trendy as they seek out new recruits from among the young and cement their market with the more mature. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the rapidly growing, highly competitive mass communications market.
QUEUEING UP
Digicel is back as a CFW sponsor this year as is every single sponsor from last year's event. That means a 'colourwonderful' Clairol, the now aggressive Coca Cola, Nestlé's 'Fitness' breakfast cereal, JADF's world's best West Indies Sea Island Cotton and the 'not so laid-back anymore' Smirnoff vodka. It also means air carriers such as Air Jamaica and BWIA, media houses such as TVJ, TV6, TTT, CBC, Radio Mona, and several others will confirm in the next week or so from around the region.
Branding is the order of the day. Whether it is the after-parties, the live public broadcast, the exhibition, opening night, press events or VIP facilities, major sponsors are seeking to put their stamp and image on proceedings and most will tell you that they are in it for the long haul.
Pulse, organisers of the event is anticipating yet another successful CFW. "Sponsorship is the future of CFW," says Kingsley Cooper, head of Pulse and executive producer of the event. "We are totally committed to our sponsors and to ensuring that they receive exceptional value. It will only be through them that we will achieve the ultimate objective of CFW, which is the development of the fashion industry in the Caribbean."
