ELEMENTS
F WHIMSY A YOUNG JAMAICAN DESIGNER MAKES HER DEBUT
Words by Walter Greene
—WHEN THE ART INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK PREMIERED THEIR Fall 2014 outstanding students collection, during New York Fashion Week, at the Lincoln Center, the only Caribbean designer among the group of thirteen who showcased their work, was talented Simone Young, an enterprising young Jamaican designer, who’s got her eyes on a bright future as an international design talent to reckon with. INFLUENCE AND INSPIRATION A first year student in fashion design, Simone said she was influenced by her mother and grandmother, Shirley Samuels who was a designer in her own right. However, once Simone’s creations hit the catwalk, it became obvious that her other design inspiration was international Japanese designer Issey Miyake. A black pleated bubble top with sheer striped 109