Shoma the Label captures the intricate draping of the banana blossom, the gentle sway of the sugar cane and the splendour of the coffee and cocoa crops of the islands in its second collection, Harvest. More than that, Harvest spotlights the unique fashion origins of our people.
Wrapped in sophisticated beiges, warm reds and corals, lush greens and vibrant prints, Harvest is an ode to Trinbagonian history, celebrating a past forged in struggle.
Having debuted her solo collection, Tropical Masquerade, under her self-titled label in December 2020, fashion designer and Creative Director of Shoma the Label, Shoma Persad, said she wanted to continue to empower women through fashion by exploring the Caribbean story. Harvest is her Spring/Summer offering launched on February 9, along with a lookbook.
In Harvest, she combines elements of colonial times–when Canboulay marked the end of the burning of cane fields at harvest season, a time when slaves would don costumes and mock their European masters–with elements of the country's formative period after emancipation when the cultures of our ancestors blended to create a unique tapestry. With names like “Banana Grove midi”, “Jute Sweet crop top” and “Grove linen pants”, the pieces in her collection also evoke the beauty of the main crops of our twin islands after emancipation.
Fashion designer and creative director of Shoma The Label, Shoma Persad.
As part of her efforts to support local artisans, Persad again teamed up with artisan jewelry brand, Sanianitos, which shares the vision of Shoma the Label to promote a sustainable industry for Caribbean fashion.
Since Persad's solo debut, her designs have been featured in the March 21 issue of Vogue Mexico and Travel + Leisure magazine's “Designers to Shop for a Colourful Caribbean Inspired Look”.
Shoma the Label has also outfitted actress Gabriel Union, who wore the “Hibiscus Rose” jumpsuit from the first collection in a Hawaii vacation Instagram post for New Year's 2021. Persad said she was excited and felt a deep sense of pride for the Label as well as for T&T when she received the order. US fashion influencer, Blaire Eadie, has also been spotted wearing the brand.
Persad said she would like all women to feel confident wearing Shoma the Label, knowing that they were showcasing a part of the Caribbean aesthetic and looking like a million bucks.
Sophisticated beiges and lush greens formed part of the Harvest collection.
Q&A with Shoma Persad
Please tell me about the vision behind Harvest.
Harvest is really meant to look deeper into the roots of our fashion as a people, and the genesis of Carnival. With Tropical Masquerade I wanted to speak about our expressive identity, our flare, and our vibrancy and it reflected what people think about when they think Caribbean Fashion. My first collection was about the “now” so I wanted to take us deeper into the roots of Trinbagonian fashion with Harvest.
In the late 1800s, colonial Trinidad changed drastically; slavery was abolished, indentured labourers started arriving, and crops like bananas, coffee and of course, sugar were the mainstays of the island’s economy. It was also a foundational time for us, the cultural diversity, the food and music synergy, and our fashion.
For example, Canboulay started to play heavily into our culture and was the mother of our modern-day Carnival after the Canboulay riots. The women of that time really paved the way for culture. If you’ve ever seen the Canboulay re-enactment by Ms Eintou Springer, you would know that the harvest was a big part of celebration for our ancestors and this period is when we started to blend colonial high fashion into our own style for the festivities. You see it in old mas with Dame Lorraines and Baby Dolls. It was also a time when we fought to project our cultural freedoms and expressions.
Harvest is a celebration of that, I wanted to pay homage to that first fashion revolution in T&T, and merge it with inspiration from the country's crops, into a statement of where we come from and who we are.
From what do you draw your inspiration–what's your creative process?
I get this question a lot and my answer is the same; I am inspired by us. The people, the culture, the historic fashion, nature, how we lime, how we fete, how we live. I always think about versatility when making my clothing, and how I can infuse it with our unique point of view.
I love taking some obscure thing and making it fashion, it’s what makes the brand fun. Can you imagine stepping out into a beach house or being in Miami, and someone says 'You look stunning,' and you say 'Yes, it’s inspired by bananas in Trinidad'? The truth is, everything can be fashionable if you put your mind to it.
The materials and colour palette of beiges, corals, reds, lush greens are in keeping with the tropical Caribbean aesthetic, aren't they? Tell me more.
That’s our signature. Every Shoma the Label piece will always have a piece of the Caribbean in it. While every collection will have its own unique story and viewpoint, the DNA or the base of the brand will draw from the Caribbean. It’s why when Gabrielle Union was picked up wearing the Label in the mainstream press, everyone from Trinidad was able to say: 'That’s Shoma.' It's something I take great pride in and will never lose in my brand.
Your experience outfitting actress Gabriel Union, how did that come about?
The order was placed through one of our dropshipping agents. When the order came through, it was quite exciting knowing who it was for. Seeing the photos on social media gave me such a deep sense of pride, not just from the fact that she was wearing one of my pieces but because Trinidad and Tobago continues to shine on the international platform.
Besides the Caribbean, what are your target markets? Any market responses you would like to share?
I have always positioned Shoma The Label to be an internationally-focused brand and we have had great success throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and the US.
Within the last year, we have shipped to clients in countries as far as Hong Kong, Portugal, Qatar, the UAE, Germany, Australia, just to name a few. It gives me a huge sense of pride knowing that my designs are being worn in places that I dream of going to someday.
Currently, our pieces are being retailed in boutiques in Barbados, St Croix, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. We look forward to growing the retail side of the business this year.
Jute Sweet crop top and Banana Grove midi from Harvest.
Over a year and a half ago, you pulled off your first Shoma The Label collection during a pandemic. How do you feel about that and about again launching a new collection in these times? Any other joys...or challenges this pandemic has brought you?
Launching during the pandemic was challenging, but the lessons I learned have only made me stronger. Regardless of industry, we are all aware of the rippling effects of the pandemic on global economies and the challenges to the supply chain which have impacted our costs significantly. Unfortunately, I do foresee that we will continue to be impacted into the near future, but we will persevere, and what we have learnt thus far will aid to make Harvest even better represented and distributed.
Another major challenge has been protecting my intellectual property and designs. My prints and designs have been copied in both the Middle and the Far East. Just recently, knockoffs have been spotted right here on our home soil, being sold at a fairly 'reputable' store in San Fernando. This is an international issue that impacts fashion houses of all sizes, but I will admit that it did hurt me to see local retailers, who follow our social media pages, deciding to not support the local designer, but rather fuel the imitation market.
Sorry to hear this. How have you grown as a designer since your solo debut?
Growth has come in so many ways, I have such a high expectation for myself and the brand, so I had to delve deeper into the construction of garments so that I could understand how to bring my vision to life. The more I learned and understood about construction, the more accurate and forward-thinking I could become with my designs. Those kinds of experiences you can only get when you jump head first into the industry. That’s why I can look at a banana tree now and walk my mind through the drape of the flowers and fruit, and the colours of the plant could translate on a woman’s form. I also had to put my business and marketing background to work, especially during a pandemic, so that I could keep the business moving forward while keeping up the quality for my clients.
What's your ultimate aspiration for Shoma the Label?
The ultimate aspiration for Shoma the Label is to empower women through fashion. Empowerment looks like taking a piece of the Caribbean aesthetic and being able to wear it proudly, knowing that when you walk through the door, you’re looking and feeling like a million bucks. I also always want to be able to tell the Trinbagonian and Caribbean story with every collection. Meaningful, inspirational, well fit designs is what I’m about.