At New York’s vivacious club, the Georgia Room, red light filled the room as attendees walked inside. The runway was covered in reflective material beneath the models, creating a dream-like energy. The designer, Edvin Thompson, drew inspiration from his childhood and childhood nickname, “SHAUNIE,” which is the title of the collection.
Jamaica is his homeland, and he draws much of his inspiration from there. Caribbean house beats play in the background of the presentation, and the Jamaican flag colors fill the runway in subtle ways. Spending more time in New York has also influenced his work, adding elements of glamour to his runway show. Black and white satins, matching sequin sets, and a royal purple sequined short dress indicated that Theophilio is indeed a luxury brand.
Other standout pieces that caught our eye included a velour coat paired with matching pants, a very short white slip dress worn with a large Theophilio belt, and a leopard print asymmetrical dress that billowed at the train as the model walked down the runway. The presentation was fusion of island energy blended with urban style that emphasizes the importance of “looking the part.”
The nods to “Shaunie,” a past and present self of the designer, were seen on a tank top and short cowl-necked dress featuring imagery of a child, possibly the designer, over a hazy background of reds and blues. More playful pieces hit the runway like a fully sequined green tank top and extra extra small shorts with a smiley face print, a multi-font printed long flowing dress in orange, yellow, and green ombre, and a short, long-sleeve button-down dress with flared sleeves with the same font print. Accessories included oversized shoulder bags in yellow and dark blue, and leopard print oversized newsboy cap.
To close the show, the highly sought after supermodel Alton Mason walked down the runway in a pair of textured white pants, no shirt, and a feathered headpiece, most likely signaling the importance of Carnival in Caribbean culture. Thompson’s show also included signature pieces featuring the brand’s “I Heart Theophilio” motif on a hoodie for the upcoming brisk weather. As the finale walk-through concluded and the designer made his way down the runway to celebrate his labor of love, it was inspiring to see his culture be uplifted in a way that wasn’t gimmicky, but true to his design codes.