Kesia’s Mission is over

The dress that got Kesia Estwick eliminated.

One of the two dresses by Kerin Scott. (GP)

Fri, May 25, 2012 - 12:00 AM

Barbadian Kesia Estwick stitched her last piece for Mission Catwalk Tuesday night when she was eliminated in the two-dress challenge.

The other Bajan, Kerin Scott, who was eliminated in Challenge 5 and came back after another contestant opted out, was also in the bottom three with Estwick and Ryan Chan of Trinidad. Estwick said she had had “an amazing time” and wished the other contestants good luck.

The winner of the animal-inspired designs on Episode 9 of Mission Catwalk was Belizian Rebecca Stirm, who won her fourth challenge. One of the two dresses she made this week was inspired by a turtle.

After a visit to the Hope Zoo in St Andrew, the seven remaining contestants were instructed to design a gown for a charity gala and a second garment for a charity luncheon inspired by one animal from the zoo.

Stirm chose the turtle.

Using a patterned fabric, she created a gown with a dramatic neckline and for the skirt she created layers from circular cut-outs that mimicked a turtle’s shell. For her second outfit, the patterned fabric was more prominent and used for most of the blouse while a pencil skirt was created in monotone beige.

Host Keneea Linton-George and judges Novia McDonald-Whyte, senior associate editor, lifestyle and social content at the Jamaica Observer, menswear designer Carlton Brown and guest judge designer Celia Levy all commended Stirm on the structure of her design.

For Levy, the fact that it was “wearable” was also highly appealing. Her high scores won her a feature in Style Observer as well as JAM$50 000 (BDS$1 000).

Six designers are still in the running for the chance to show at London Fashion Week. They are Crystal Powell, Gregory Williams and Janel Jolly of Jamaica, Chan, Trinidad and Tobago, Scott and Stirm.

The winner of Mission Catwalk Season 2 will also receive JAM$500 000 (BDS$11 000) courtesy of National Commercial Bank to start a clothing line, an industrial sewing equipment valued at JAM$200 000 (BDS$4 400) courtesy of Singer, a contract to sell the designs at SOHO boutique, a six-page fashion editorial in Ocean Style magazine and a scholarship to pursue a fashion programme at London College of Fashion and to apprentice with Master Savile Row Tailor Andrew Ramroop. (NSH/JamaicaObserver)