Businessman Anthony Rahael, and Fashion Week T&T (FWTT) board member, is convinced that efforts towards reviving a vibrant local fashion industry are not at all linked to the re-emergence of the highly commercial textile manufacturing trade. He said the world was now a global village and fabric could be sourced and shipped within days for sample garments. Material for full collections could be accessed with proper planning and this was already being done, he said in a Business Guardian interview.
Since the Fashion Week project was conceptualised four years ago, there had been much talk about a return to the renaissance era of fashion by industry professionals, who called for restoring the garment manufacturing side of the business. The consensus was that a rebirth in the textile sector would be critical in supporting the garment construction aspect of the industry.
Rahael, who was also chairman of FWTT finance committee, disagreed. He said an absence of managerial talent at many fashion houses was the major hindrance towards realising a thriving fashion market locally and called on designers without that know-how to divest themselves from this portfolio with expert help. "We live in a global village. We no longer have to make everything here to make the fashion industry a viable industry. You could easily import fabrics out of China, United States, France (and) Italy; anywhere in the world now. It's not like before where you need a special licence and foreign exchange approval. You can Fedex down a package with five yards of fabric to make a sample garment. So, it is not absolutely necessary for us to create all the fabric here. What is necessary (is) for our people to use the talents they have to create the designs. To me, that's where it starts," Rahael said.
"The world is looking at us for that Caribbean flavour. When you hear about T&T, you think Carnival, you think colour, so you want that as part of your design. You want to be a little different to the outside designers, you want to have that Caribbean flavour." Rahael urged young designers not to worry about where they would access their fabric because material was easy to get and was fairly economical. "You make sure you have the right people, the right partners to help you to source the necessary elements to create your design. So for the designers, especially, focus on what you do best. If you are a designer, focus on designing (and) get someone to help you with the business aspect of it and learn from that business person, so you, too, one day will become a business-designer," he said.
With more than two decades in the field of small business development, Rahael, chief executive officer of RHL group of companies, a family enterprise, said the biggest challenge emerging entrepreneurs faced was managing their cash flow. He underscored the need for this category of business practitioners to understand that when they bring in a dollar, they have to know how to manage it. "And not go and buy rims for their cars. Unfortunately, I have seen that over and over again. The answer is not (to) give them more money. The answer is to teach them to manage the money that they have. "There is no doubt that we have the talent in Trinidad. How we channel that talent to make it economically viable is where the challenge is. That's why I'm glad that this new board has a diverse set of set skills. So I'm hoping that we can help the fashion industry and partner with some of the government agencies," Rahael said.
The FWTT board was chaired by its founder Diane Hunt, while graphics specialist Stephen Doobal returns as a member. The new faces and talents that constitute the remainder of the executive were: fashion couturier Claudia Pegus; foreign service professional and retired diplomat, Terrence Walker; chief executive officer, T&T Manufacturers' Association, Natasha Mustapha Scott; creative director and advertising consultant of MarcAstuta Ltd; Leonardo Azzellino; attorney Jennifer Hudson-Phillips; Prof Andrew Ramroop, master bespoke Savile Row tailor; general manager of TV6-CCN, Shida Bolai; international trade specialist Lawrence Placide; hotelier and former model Gloria Jones-Knapp; fashion industry and foreign affairs specialist Joanne Brooks and strategic marketing consultant Dayner Azzellino. Fashion and media stalwart Rosemary Stone continues her role as an honorary board member.