Come tomorrow the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain will ignite with the fiery spirit of Carnival when Tribe Carnival launches its 2014 presentation, Wings of Desire. This theme was inspired by the beauty, grace and charisma of the Victoria Secrets Angels who are featured in the internationally acclaimed lingerie company’s annual fashion show.
Tribe team members told the Express that the launch will offer the high level of excitement and entertainment that their events are known for and more than that, the designs of Wings of Desire will feature truly cutting edge mas design concepts and innovation that will in some instances leave the patrons in awe. Tribe continues to attract young adults and more so young first-time masqueraders because the band’s machinery is driven by its young team members says Tribe founder, Dean Ackin.
“I am now very comfortable to allow the team members, which consists of young women, to run the day to day operations of Tribe. They always bring fresh ideas, are all very innovative and know what are the current trends as well as what the next big thing will be. They also are there with me to map out where Tribe will go next and together with the other team members get the band there. So Tribe continues to evolve and set trends,” Ackin said.
Tribe will in 2014 introduce a new element in mas with its “Monday Wear” designs being offered to members. For some time now many masqueraders wear only a part of their costumes on Carnival Monday and some don’t wear any part of it at all. Bands have even taken to giving members T-shirts to wear on the road on Monday. Tribe is taking things up a notch by offering its masqueraders a choice of six “Monday Wear” designs to choose from.
These are being designed by Rhion Romany who is creating a special line of his “Monday Wear” exclusively for Tribe. The young fashion designer from Trincity specialises in what he calls Caribbean resort wear which includes body wear (swimsuits for partying), summer dresess/gowns and sarongs/wraps. Romany said the “Monday Wear” is functional, artistic clothing that is in keeping with the Tribe theme, Wings of Desire that is perfect for jumping through the streets of Port of Spain all day on Carnival Monday.
“The ‘Monday Wear’ is not as elaborate as the costumes are, but they reflect the theme of the mas. The designs are very edgy, sexy and daring yet very elegant and tasteful. I was inspired by seeing the women of Tribe. I have over the past two years designed “Monday Wear” for individuals, but have not actually done designs for a mas band. I am very excited to be working with Tribe and will be designing exclusively for them in 2014,” Romany said.
Ackin said he decided that Romany was the best person to create the outfits for Tribe on the road Carnival Monday because he was impressed by the quality and originality of the young man’s work that he had seen. Ackin added that mas has become more fashion driven with the women not only wanting to be as free as possible to frolic in whatever manner they choose, but they also want to look stunning throughout.
“The mas used to be all about storytelling and the costumes that great masmen like George Bailey, Peter Minshall, Wayne Berkeley and others created were these majestically awesome creations through which those stories were illustrated. Today style and fashion is the main focus of the masquerader, especially the women who are the majority. So we are always exploring the latest trends and also seeking to set them and be the originator of the next big thing on the road,” Ackin said.
I am now very comfortable to allow the team members, which consists of young women, to run the day to day operations of Tribe. They always bring fresh ideas, are all very innovative and know what are the current trends as well as what the next big thing will be.
