Fashion guru expects colourful Sumfest

There was a time when Jamaicans followed fashion trends for every season; you could walk through downtown Kingston and instantly know what was wearing for the summer.

This summer, and especially for Reggae Sumfest, individuality, comfort and effortless style are what people are going for, according to self-proclaimed “fashion architect” Lucien Harrison. The Jamaican designer and stylist is known for creating custom garments and helping clients develop their own signature looks. Harrison said the days of everyone dressing alike because a trend said so are fading.

“People are going for comfort and fashion because nobody wants to look trendy,” Harrison told THE WEEKEND STAR. “First time, we don’t say, ‘Oh, this trend is in, so everybody is going to be in this particular look.’ Everybody wants a human look. Everybody’s finding their personalities in a garment.”

Instead of chasing the latest craze, Harrison said Jamaicans are now embracing clothes that reflect who they are.

“Everybody wants to be different and separate from the crowd but still feel comfortable,” he said. “If you realise you don’t like low waist pants, you get something that’s a little higher at the waist but still accentuates your body.”

“Oversized shirts and baggy jeans have become staples for both men and women. For males I realise a lot of them are wearing crop tops that drop right above the belt. The oversized shirts and the oversized jeans for both male and female, they style it to make it unique to their style,” he added.

Women, meanwhile, are embracing the return of pumpkin skirts, a style Harrison admitted he never expected to see again.

“They kind of give the illusion of a bigger hip, and females want to look like they have a bigger hip,” he said, while opining that form-fitting dresses are losing their appeal. If there is one fabric defining the season, he believes it is linen as “a lot of people are going for linen in different colours and tones”.

“We’re in a tropical climate and it’s very hot around this time of the year,” Harrison said. “We’re more going for the European style mixed with a tropical Caribbean vibe. That sleek street style. Even if people are wearing linen pants, they’re bell-foot, oversized and nothing controlling the body that much.”

With Reggae Sumfest on this Saturday, Harrison expects the festival to become a runway for those embracing the new era of personal style.

“People are playing with different tones of green and yellow. They’d normally go for the bright colours, but now they’re going for the cooler tones and the earthy colours. Army green is one of those signature Sumfest colours, but people want to look unique. Nobody wants to look like school is out,” he said.

“It’s a tropical show and it’s a Jamaican show, and a lot of Rasta and earth and rootsy people are going to be there. People who want to look individual are staying away from camouflage. They’re playing with more contrast colours. You might see pink and yellow. You might see orange and green. People are mixing colours because they want to look cool and they want to feel cool.”

Harrison said he expected to see a lot of mesh and sheer “because it’s going to be so fashionable with an edge”.

“A lot of sheer shirts, mesh dresses and layered clothes. Mesh over denim, camisoles with bras. I hope them nuh bun up,” he joked. “I think a lot of people are going to go for the Rihanna-inspired look because it can’t be dated.”