Mission Catwalk winner heads to CFW

Garfene Grandison, Gleaner writer

Tuesday night was the night of all nights as the winner of Mission Catwalk was determined, based on the overall performances of two of Jamaica's upcoming designers. After weeks of eliminations, Ayanna Dixon and Shenna Carby were the two left standing, but at the end of the day it was the latter who ruled the catwalk.

Carby earned the edge by acquiring more votes than Dixon in the Digicel People's Choice votes.

New to television, Mission Catwalk has garnered rave reviews from industry professionals and is quickly becoming a favourite among Jamaicans.

Both finalists told The Gleaner about their experiences on the show and how it has propelled their fashion designing careers. They spoke of the opportunities afforded them just by being on the show and made specific reference to their trip to Miami Fashion Week and the exposure from the visit.

The Mission Catwalk journey is one that has given many opportunities to the two, both tangibly and otherwise.

earning recognition

The opportunities to meet both local and international designers, powerbrokers in the industry, prospective clients as well as mentorship opportunities from some of these persons were all on the cards. The two also earned recognition for their work and will undoubtedly be taken more seriously.

Going into the final night, both had very different approaches. Dixon confessed that she tried to distract herself so as to avoid being overwhelmed, while Carby took a page out of her mother's book.

"My mother always said that there is power in the word so I went in there saying that I had already won and was just here to collect my prize," she laughed.

Both have a serious passion for fashion. Mission Catwalk has given Carby renewed respect from persons who see her on the road, who used to think that she was just a girl who loves to party. "People used to see me as this girl who just dress up and go dance but they approach me differently now because of my craft and the exposure of this craft on Mission Catwalk," Carby explained.

Dixon, on the other hand, was grateful for the mentorship that was given to them by Sandra Kennedy. Each week Kennedy would give the contestants advice based on the judges' comments. "The theory that I was taught at the Art Institute of New York was very different from the hands-on training that we got from Mission Catwalk, and Shenna had an advantage there because she sewed for herself and other people prior to the competition, so I walked away with a lot of knowledge in that regard," said Dixon.

gaining support

The Digicel People's Choice feature of the competition was also very interesting.

Dixon, for instance, used social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook to ramp up support, while Carby had a box with flyers of various sizes and ventured into the streets to campaign.

After weeks of being criticised, Carby confessed that her designs have evolved since her first showing.

She admitted that coming into the competition, she designed mainly based on dancehall inspirations, but has been taught by the judges that less can sometimes be more, especially when designing for different lines. She has also realised that that has led her to a new market.

Dixon said each week the judges helped her to bring all the elements together.

Carby's victory means she will be showing at Caribbean Fashionweek (CFW) tomorrow. After that, Carby will continue to take aim at starting her own clothing label which, she hopes, will range from casual wear to couture. Dixon has the same dreams but has a head start, having entered the competition with ASD, her own swimwear line. The line will be featured at the Yendi Phillipps foundation launch later this month.

For those who are interested in the designs, Dixon can be contacted at info@asdclothing.com and Carby at info@shennacarby.com. Carby's ready-to-wear casual line is already set to be sold at Ammar's but the couture dresses will be available at Bling Bling. Dixon is currently trying to get her designs into a local high-end boutique.