Swimwear MOOD
What better way to show off the designs of fashion designer Anetta Mahoney’s new Mahoney Rose collection than with a fashion show in her beloved community of Hanover?
The proud clothing and fashion graduate of the Montego Bay Community College told All
Woman Fashion (AWF) recently, “I’ve always wanted to do a fashion show to not only push my brand but one that would include other local designers. We have to support each other. It is still a challenge for Jamaican designers to get into stores.”
The inaugural “Welcome to the Jungle”-themed showcase unfolded at Najuanas Restaurant, adjacent to Round Hill Hotel & Villas, on Friday, March 22. Guests who showed up per Mahoney’s dictate looking “fab, fierce, and merry” included
Lennox Lewis and his wife Violet Chang, dancehall recording artistes Ce’cile and Fambo, and ZJ Liquid.
Jamaican designers Kokobeenz and Teja Christie along with La-based designer Oceannea Banana also unveiled their new creations on the showcase, styled by fashion retailer Karlene Orr Kellond.
“Mahoney’s sensibilities,” according to her systems developer and life partner Brian Reynold, “combine the best of dancehall with the best of resort. She’s a Jamaican through and through who is full of talent and spice and everybody loves what she does.” A biased comment, perhaps, but based on the rave reviews and our own observations she is definitely on to something.
When Mahoney is not sourcing fabrics, she’s making her own prints with her trusty graphic designer Mikheal Dean, who, according to her, “brings my ideas to life”.
Mahoney’s Irie Grade and Mahoney Rose collections were inspired by nature and its elements. The Irie Grade collection was inspired by marijuana leaves and the current buzz around the plant. Her more recent collection, Mahoney Rose, was heavily inspired by bees and “the way they feed”, floating from flower to flower for nectar.
Mahoney is already planning next year’s production, set for the same date and same location since “it’s secluded and kind of like a nice jungle”. But more so because “it works great for my ideas and fits my imaginations”, she shared.
Her mission is to “globalise the brand”, to design kits for the Jamaican swim team, and, while she’s at it, lift other designers on her way to the top.
There’s nothing else to add AWF reckons, save: bonne chance!