06302017 weekend part i

Friday, June 30, 2017

art books theatre film fashion gardening entertainment puzzles

Weekend

BAHAMIAN PROJECT Pages 20&21

Picture perfect Seniors go big for prom Fashion, pages 14&15

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, June 30, 2017

entertainment

Comedy on another level PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

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NOTHER LEVEL Entertainment delivered yet another sold-out show last Saturday as they hosted their first ever Caribbean Comedy Fest at the Centre for Performing Arts on Shirley Street.

Bahamians enjoyed an evening full of laughs with well-known comedic acts such as New York’s Majah Hype, Canada’s Frankie “Trixx” Agyemang and Miss B. The event was hosted by Bahamian comedian Demetrius.

“That was the first time I really seen the Shirley Street theatre packed like that. I was laughing all night and so was my friend,” one patron told Tribune Weekend. “Trixx was my favourite performer. It was my first comedy show that I actually sat through the whole show. I would definitely support again.”

Another patron said comedy shows always make for the perfect date night, stating that she along with her significant other are still laughing at the jokes days later.

“I always try to attend comedy shows because while this is a cliché, laughter is indeed good for the soul, especially after a long work week. What is better than letting all your troubles go for a few hours and just laugh. I don’t do the nightclub thing, so this was my version of a night out. I am familiar with all of the stage acts that performed and they did not disappoint,” she said.

After the show, Majah Hype, known for his famous characters Di Rass, Grandpa James and Sister Sandrin, shared with his 300,000 social media followers: “We gonna keep filling our people up with joy, laughter, inspiration, and love. No matter what, never giving up on us. Thank you Bahamas for another sold-out show, the crowd was so dope.”

Trixx echoed this sentiment:

“Bahamas, it was quite a time. I’m honestly blessed to be able to do what I do all around the world. I pray the stages continue to get bigger, the crowds grow larger, but most of all, I pray that I can continue to simply enjoy what I do.”

Another Level supporters agree that the promoters continue to live up to the company’s name by offering

next level entertainment.

“We are an entertainment company that is designed to try and bring a different level of entertainment in the Bahamas, hence the comedy show.

Our aim is to bring different acts and different kind of shows to see how best we can entertain. We wanted to branch off, whether through stage plays or comedy shows. We

just don’t want to only being known for concerts. We have a few other events lined up that we are trying to package now. We want people to get ready and just stay tuned. We are not in a position to launch them as yet, but we are planning a few surprises we want to bring to the market,” said a representative of Another Level Entertainment.

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Friday, June 30, 2017

Inside Weekend Interview 4 - 5 Cara Hunt talks to Dr Christopher Curry about the forgotten black Loyalists who helped shape the Bahamas

Books 7 Sir Durward Knowles to pen new book, ‘Never Give Up’

Art 8 - 9 Seeing the Bahamas from afar and in 3D

Community 10 BTC donates to Royal Bahamas Police Force youth summer camp

Entertainment 11 Craft vendors get ready for Junkanoo Summer Festival

Fashion 12 - 16 Bahamian label Navashion goes big in Texas; high school seniors celebrate a picture perfect prom, plus the hits and misses of the BET Awards red carpet

Theatre 17 Return to ‘Sapodilla Street’ for fun at the polls

Film 18 ‘Baby Driver’ is a toe-tapping, enginerevving jolt

Gardening 19 Jack Hardy on national plants

Photography 20 - 21 Bahamian Project to unveil new portraits at exhibit next week

Literary Lives 22 - 25 Pat Cavendish O’Neill, an heiress who couldn’t say “no”

Forgotten Facts 25 Paul Aranha asks, ‘Where were you when John F Kennedy was assassinated?’

Animals 27 Three hens called “the girls”, plus Pet of the Week

Cover Photo | Shawn Hanna

My perfect Bahamian weekend Rika Cargill Breast cancer advocate Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch?

“Oh, definitely Sunday brunch!”

Q: Wine, Kalik, rum or cocktail?

“They say a glass of wine a day may keep the doctor away.”

Q: Beach or sofa?

“I love tranquility with a scenery, so beach it is.”

Q: What could you not do without?

“If there’s a thing I cannot do without, it’s my phone.”

Q: Weekend away: where would you go?

“A weekend away you’d probably find me laying off in beautiful Exuma.”

Things 2 Do this weekend Saturday

• Vita Malt Inaugural 5K Fun Run/ Walk Time: 6am Start : Goodman’s Bay Bring the family for the first ever Vita Malt 5K Fun Run/Walk. Registration is $10; 100 per cent of the proceeds will go to the Bilney Lane Children’s Home.

• MYOB Pop-Up Event Time: 12noon - 6pm Venue: Queen’s College Auditorium Mind Your Own Business (MYOB), a product of the MJ Brand & Elevation Media Group, will present more than 30 vendors in industries involving, but not limited to: food, fashion, beauty, health an fitness, culture, electronics, art and more. There will also be live performances by some of the country’s top performers and a kids’ corner.

• CDC Steak Out & Family Fun Day Time: 12noon - 5pm Venue: Calvary Deliverance Church grounds Steak and chicken dinners will be on sale for $12. There will also be face painting, a bouncing castle, snow cones and cotton candy for the kiddies.

• Injustice 2 Tournament Time: 1pm Venue: Joystick, East Prince Charles Drive The entry fee is $10 with a PS4 or Xbox One controller, $15 without a controller. The winner receives $100.

• Junkanoo Summer Festival 2017 Time: 4pm Venue: Arawak Cay SEE PAGE 11

• Da HangOver III – Liberation Time: 9pm - 2am Venue: Pirate Republic Brewing Co Da HangOver III aims to be a college party done right! DJs, drunken party games, food and jello shots await you. There will also be free giveaways.

• The Night Show Time: 10pm - 3am Venue: LifeStylez Bahamas, East and Bay Street The Night Show performances this week will include Nassau’s very own Nick 242 Swabez, Duckie MrPoetry and a feature from DruBones Unp.

Sunday

• I’m Expecting – Part 2

Time: 4pm - 8pm Venue: Mario’s Bowling and Family Entertainment Palace The ultimate baby shopping event with games, prizes and surprises.

• Bosses on the Beach 2017 Time: 1pm - 1am Venue: Nirvana Love Beach Nirvana Beach comes Aliv with Slow Motion Entertainment. Music

by Black Points and Nassau’s hottest DJs. There will also be Aliv phone giveaways.

• Holy Cross’ 3rd Annual Dance Production Time: 5pm Venue: Holy Cross Anglican Church Presented by TRUTH and the Daughters of Virtue, admission for the event is free. Refreshments will be on sale.

• Jazz at Jacaranda Time: 7pm - 9pm Venue: Jacaranda House The best jazz on the island in the beautiful setting of the historic gardens of Jacaranda House, built in 1840. There is $15 cover charge, a cash wine bar and light snacks.

For reservations email jacarandanassau@gmail.com.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, June 30, 2017

interview Making history come alive for young Bahamians is a passion of Dr Christopher Curry’s. And the assistant University of the Bahamas professor hopes to achieve this and more with his new book which explores the untold story of black Loyalists. He tells Cara Hunt about his research into a forgotten group of people who helped shaped the country we know today.

Christopher Curry

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lthough he has a PhD in history, Christopher Curry admits that growing up he was not a fan of the subject.

“I really thought it was just having to memorise a lot of dates of events that had happened a long time ago,” he told Tribune Weekend.

It was not until he entered college in Canada that he had a complete turnaround on the subject.

“I was at Brock University in Canada and I was working towards a Bachelor’s degree in English. During my first year I had a negative experience during my English classes. At that same time I had a professor who made history come alive for me,” he said.

“He taught me that history was more than just memorising dates, but that there is an analytic component to it. It is really about making sense of the past.

Not everyone will agree on the past as it is open to interpretation. That helped me to discover the richness of history.”

Dr Curry switched his major from English to history. And after he received his initial degree, he went on to the University of Waterloo in Ontario where he completed his Master’s in history.

During his tenure there he had the opportunity to work with noted historian Michael Craton, a professor of history at the university. Dr Craton is the author of several books, including “Empire, Enslavement and Freedom in the Caribbean” and “A History of the Bahamas”.

“He was the mentor of Dr Gail Saunders who did her PhD thesis under him.

Dr Christopher Curry is awarded the Stanley R Wilson Award for Excellence in Research.

“I think the way that you make history come alive for students is...to not make it all about just memorising a bunch of dates of events that happened a long time ago. Instead, you have to find a way to make it relevant to your students.”

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Friday, June 30, 2017

He was also a very important mentor to me and an experience that I was very fortunate to have,” he said.

After completing his Master’s degree, Dr Curry taught at St Anne’s School in Nassau for six years, eventually becoming the head of the department.

He then transferred to the collegiate level, teaching history at the College of the Bahamas (now the University of the Bahamas). He also worked on creating a three-volume history textbook for MacMillan Caribbean.

Dr Curry said his mission both as a high school teacher and college professor is to make the subject of history come alive for his students, just as it came alive for him when he was in his first year of college in Canada.

“I think the way that you make history come alive for students is like I said before, to not make it all about just memorising a bunch of dates of events that happened a long time ago. Instead, you have to find a way to make it relevant to your students.

Bahamians are people who love to debate, and so I always encourage my students to see how they can make what we are studying about a debate,” he said.

“For example, if we are studying about Columbus arriving in the Bahamas, then I encourage them to discuss and debate the repercussions and consequences that has had for the future. History is a subject that is highly analytical. I like to compare it to English. When you read a poem in an English class you have to try analyse and interpret it. It’s the same way that you have to analyse and interpret the events of history.”

In 2006, he left the College of the Bahamas on study leave to complete his doctorate in history at the University of Connecticut. While there, he completed his doctoral thesis on the Loyalists.

“The title of my thesis was ‘Liberty Extended, Liberty Denied: The Black Loyalist Struggle for Freedom in the Bahamas’,” he explained.

The thesis was eight chapters long.

His research for the thesis took him to the public library in New York, the National Archives in the Bahamas, and the Archives in South Carolina.

The thesis examined how after the American Revolution, the enslaved and blacks who had been loyal to the British cause arrived in the Bahamas drawn by British promises of liberty and land. The black Loyalists struggled to find freedom, clashing with

“I think some of the misconceptions were that the Loyalists were all white, but there were black loyalists, and not a lot had been mentioned about them.” white Loyalists who tried to either bind them to illegal indentured contracts or to enslave them.

Dr Curry explained that he was interested in the topic because he wanted to dispel several myths that may exist about the Loyalists.

“I think some of the misconceptions were that the Loyalists were all white, but there were black loyalists, and not a lot had been mentioned about them,” he said.

He also noted that the black Loyalists faced a lot of opposition from the White Loyalists, who still wanted to incorporate many of the big plantation traditions which existed during their lives in the American South.

However, Dr Curry explained that this lifestyle was not practical for the Bahamas, which had a booming maritime industry at the time. The black Loyalists, he said, easily adapted to this industry and excelled in it, which

caused much tension between the two groups.

Despite these challenges, black Loyalists made significant contributions to Bahamian society. They advanced ideas of civil liberty through political activism and armed resistance, built churches and schools that became the foundations of self-reliant black communities, and participated in the emerging market economy.

In 2014, Dr Curry started the process of turning his thesis into a book.

This year, he completed the project, having condensed some of the information and making the language a bit more accessible to the lay reader.

The book, “Freedom and Resistance – A Social History of Black Loyalists in the Bahamas”, was completed in the Spring and is now available to anyone who seeks a deeper appreciation of this particular period of history. The book is available at a special discount next week.

Dr Curry added that he also considers himself to be a human rights activist and says that given the small number of PhD level historians in the Bahamas, he has also done research on other periods in the country’s history, including post-Majority Rule and post-Independence.

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, June 30, 2017

section

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Friday, June 30, 2017

books

Sir Durward Knowles says, “Never Give Up” Battle to win back health at age 99 is focus of new book

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ir Durward Knowles, who is now the oldest living Olympic champion in the world and a renowned Bahamian sailor, is penning another book to be released in October, a month before his 100th birthday.

Sir Durward has chosen Scholar Books to publish “Never Give Up”, an inspirational book that covers his recovery from serious health complications that had caused him to rearrange his entire life.

In 2010, Sir Durward endured many health struggles, undergoing several surgeries, months

of recovery and having to learn to walk again. In 2015, he had a relapse and fought hard to get healthy again.

This two-time author has lived to tell his tale and his new upcoming self-help book is filled with his clever wit and advice that can be applied to many facets of life. In an interview on June 23, Sir Durward shared his thoughts.

“I kept saying never give up; you’re going to win this fight.

You see, from the time I went to California to sail competitively to going to the Olympics, I had that fighting spirit in me. I have had many battles to face in life but this was the toughest one.”

Albert Cox, CEO of Scholar Books and publisher for “Never Give Up”, said:“Despite all the battles and fighting through the process to get better, Sir Durward wants people to know that you have to keep going, regardless of circumstances.”

Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles has had a legendary career in sailing in the star class category. He was born in the Bahamas in 1917 and was a participant in three Olympic games and many world championships where he won gold, silver and bronze medals. At the age of 31, he competed in the 1948 UK Olympics, finishing in fourth place in the star class sailing category with mate, Sloane Elmo Farrington. In 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, they won a bronze Olympic medal. Later in 1964, in Tokyo, Sir Durward won gold along with Cecile Cooke in the star class sailing category.

Sir Durward explained that it was important for him to write “Never Give Up” to encourage Bahamians and people around the world that they will always have an opportunity to come out ahead, if they never give up.

CEO and publisher of Scholar Books Albert Cox with Sir Durward Knowles and his 1964 gold Olympic medal that he won with the late Cecile Cook in star class sailing in Tokyo.

J K Rowling marks 20 years since Harry Potter appeared LONDON (AP) — Wizarding legend Harry Potter’s tale has turned 20.

Author J K Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in Britain on June 26, 1997.

Since then, it has sold more than 450 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 79 languages. The books’ magical world has inspired multiple films, spinoffs, memorabilia and amusement park attractions. The White Elephant

Cafe, the Edinburgh spot where Rowling wrote the first book, has become an international tourist destination.

“20 years ago today a world that I had lived in alone was suddenly open to others,” Rowling tweeted. “It’s been wonderful. Thank you.”

Rowling’s publisher, Bloomsbury, will release four new editions of the book, one for each house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, in honor of the anniversary.

Sotheby’s director of the department of printed books and manuscripts Dr Philip Errington holds a first edition copy of the first Harry Potter book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” containing annotations and illustrations by author J K Rowling on top of a stack of other annotated first edition books featuring at auction.

AP PHOTO/MATT DUNHAM, FILE

08 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, June 30, 2017

art

Seeing the Bahamas from afar and in 3D Emerging artist shares vision of a new day

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

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t an age when other children were carrying around their stuffed toys, Edwina Maynard was carrying around her drawing book. And by the time the young Bahamian artist entered high school it was clear that a career in the arts was the direction in which she was headed.

Edwina is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts and Animation at the Art Institute of Charlotte, but came back home this Summer to showcase all that she has learned during a one night only art show called ‘Emergence: Dawn of The Day’.

Fourteen 3D rendered images, 11 acrylic, oil canvas and wood panels were on display at the Doongalik Studios last Wednesday.

The artist said she wanted to show the perspective of Bahamians living abroad in a thought-provoking way.

“We are out of country, qualifying and advancing ourselves. I think it is more difficult for us to contribute to the growth and development of our nation. In addition, this display of my talents allows the Bahamian community to experience art in a medium other than painting, sculptures, mosaics, et cetera, and hopefully inspire them to dream and imagine in colours and dimensions yet undiscovered and maybe even spark enough curiosity to define their own gift,” said Edwina.

The theme ‘Emergence: Dawn of the Day’ signifies the coming into being or

Artist Edwina Maynard

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PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

‘Tears for My Nation’

‘Island Life’

“We are out of country, qualifying and advancing ourselves. I think it is more difficult for us to contribute to the growth and development of our nation.”

the becoming of importance for the artist. Edwina said that the show’s theme was a “heart-felt one”.

“It was very heart-felt to me because it is the unveiling and launch of me in the place that has birthed and moulded me. It is the surfacing of my expressions and thoughts, my activation and involvement in the change I want to see in our great Bahamaland. It was just the right time for me to toss my five cents into the circle,” she said.

The 3D pieces were created mainly with Autodesk Maya and Adobe Photoshop, and the paintings varied in medium, some were acrylic and some were oil paint on either canvas or wood panels.

“There were five core impressions expressed in this collection of work: the ‘Our Golden Culture’ collection is based on how rich our culture is and how profitable it could be if properly prioritised; the ‘Generation of Change’ collection is symbolic of how the microwave generation is here and we have great ideas to share but we aren’t allowed to due to older generations silencing us for lack of experience; ‘Corruption’ is symbolic of the rampant crime problem in the Bahamas, innocent bloodshed, corrupting us as a people; ‘New Horizons’ is to display 3D rendering and to state that it’s an untapped art medium,” Edwina explained.

“Last, but certainly not least, is my piece ‘Tears for My Nation’ which stands alone, and expresses how I am silenced and must sit back as I watch the destruction in my country. ‘Emergence: Dawn of the Day’ is the voice you hear when others have been silenced. It’s new thinking and new explorations. It’s the future of the Bahamas and a fresh take on life. I hope people left feeling like they had been exposed to the inner me, my style, and ultimately understood the passion.”

3D art has always been Edwina’s first love, and once finished with tertiary education, she hopes to become a 3D modeller, creating assets and building landscaping.

“My media of choice is electronic art. Working in the media of electronic art, creating digital prints, ranging from illustrations to 3D renderings, for me ignites, initiates and inspires my artistic fervour. 3D art is a new and exciting art form to learn and to introduce others to.

While 3D is the main focus, painting and drawing still remain an important part of me and allow me to get my hands a little messy and a break from the strenuous hours at the computer,” she added.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, June 30, 2017

Helping the Community section

WHOLESOME SUMMER FUN WITH THE POLICE

B

TC’S donation of $25,000 towards the implementation of the Royal Bahamian Police Force’s annual summer youth camp has been a welcome shot in the arm for the initiative, according to Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Stephen Dean.

Mr Dean noted that without the generous donation it would have been extremely difficult for the police to provide all of the activities and refreshments that it wants for the 4,000 children who are participating in the camp.

“This donation will go a very long way in providing wholesome summer activities for these kids. Many of the participants come from homes that may be at a disadvantage, and but for the camp they would not have anything positive to do during the summer. And so BTC has made a very positive investment into their lives,” he said.

Mr Dean explained that the camp, now in its 24th year, aims to strengthen the relationship between the police and young Bahamians. They work to encourage positive social interactions that promote cooperation, peaceful conflict resolution and boost moral character. The camp will accommodate students ranging from ages eight to 17 on multiple islands, some of which include New Providence, Grand Bahama and Cat Island.

Each camp has four leaders – two police officers and two civilians. Additionally, each camp has 15 instructors. This

BTC sponsors GGYA’s 30th Bahamas Award Super Expedition

Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade and ACP Stephen Dean present an award to 2017 honoree Rodney Eve.

team prepares a daily schedule which includes activities such as sports, arts and crafts, and life skill developments. Students are also given the opportunity to go on many adventurous field trips.

Additionally, campers are given both breakfast and lunch during the day The camp is a major part of Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade’s crime prevention policing plan, Mr Dean explained.

“We have found that when

our young people don’t have positive activities to occupy their time during the summer, that is when they engage in alternative anti-social behaviour, so there are many benefits to children attending the camp,” he added.

“When you look at some of our model citizens in the community, in all areas and profession you will find that many of them have had at some point passed through the police camp.”

CARA HUNT

Ten students will have the opportunity to participate in the Governor General’s Youth Award’s (GGYA) annual Bahamas Award Super Expedition (BASE) this year courtesy of BTC. Every summer, the organisation takes students to a different island for training sessions and camp duties ending with an expedition to a Family Island. This year’s expedition marks its 30th year in existence, and the organisation intends to include a sailing adventure to Andros, Great Harbour Cay, Grand Bahama, and Abaco.

GGYA’s National Director Denise Mortimer said: “Our goal is to continue to expand the programme throughout the Family Islands.

BTC’s involvement speaks volumes for their interest in helping to build and empower young people. Without their support, the young people from Andros specifically would not be able to take part, and make personal achievements. We are extremely grateful.”

BTC’s Public Relations Manager Indira Collie added: “We are excited about this opportunity to partner with GGYA. This holistic programme provides teens with great understanding of their heritage and culture. We are happy that the ten students from Andros will be able to unearth their limitless potential at this expedition.”

Seventy-five students are currently involved in the programme coming from Andros, Inagua, Grand Bahama, and New Providence.

The BASE programme began on June 25 and is expected to run until July 4.

Helping the Community

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Friday, June 30, 2017

entertainment

Craft vendors get ready for Junkanoo Summer Festival

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ore than 20 craft vendors will set up shop at Arawak Cay and sell their authentically Bahamian goods at the annual Junkanoo Summer Festival (JSF), which kicks off this Saturday.

While the A and B Junkanoo groups put on a colourful cultural performance, the vendors will be busy selling items ranging from straw, coconut, seashells, woodcarving, aromatherapy and spa, Junkanoo drums and whistles among others.

Coordinator in the Ministry of Tourism’s Authentically Bahamian Department Dereka Moultrie explained that the vendors will be making the move from Pompey Square on July 1, 15, and 22 to be a special feature at the

much-anticipated festival.

“Junkanoo Summer Festival promises to be an exciting event this year for our visitors and locals alike. One of the noted features is the Authentically Bahamian Craft Village, which will give patrons of the event the opportunity to leave with an authentically Bahamian craft souvenir and Junkanoo paraphernalia,” she said.

“It is very successful because it gives the vendors a chance to spread their entrepreneurial wings. They are able to reach a larger and more diverse market.

It’s a different market place and a different atmosphere where they get to communicate with not only our visitors but many Bahamians as well who may not get to see them in Pompey Square.”

Christine Davis specialises in sea glass jewellery and has been a part of the Authentically Bahamian Craft programme at the Ministry of Tourism for eight years. She is looking forward to this year’s Festival and encouraged patrons to visit her stall.

“Through the Ministry of Tourism I was able to enhance my business with the credit card machine and now I am able to accept credit cards from tour-

ists. There are also lots of great benefits to going different places where visitors will be,” Ms Davis said.

“I make necklaces, earrings, bracelets, anklets and anything you can possibly make with sea glass. Everyone loves it because it is a unique way of seeing something that you can recycle.”

Betty Turnquest of BA Enterprises has been doing straw craft for 40 years.

She spoke about the benefits of being a vendor of Junkanoo Summer Festival.

“It’s very organised, you have more of a crowd at the festival and the potential to make more money is there because you have more people passing through. I look forward to it every year and this year I’m looking forward to making more money than I did last year,” Ms Turnquest said.

Junkanoo Summer Festival, a signature event of the Ministry of Tourism, will offer exhilarating competition between the A and B category groups of Junkanoo.

The festival, which runs from 4pm to midnight, includes daytime games, more than 30 food vendors, and military performances.

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Friday, June 30, 2017

fashion

Bahamian label goes big in Texas

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

H

e may be only 19, but Bahamian fashion designer Navado Dawkins is already making major strides in his career, having recently participated in the first annual South Texas International Fashion Week to great acclaim.

“The trip to South Texas International Fashion Week was indeed the fashionable experience of my lifetime,” he told Tribune Weekend as he discussed the growth of his Navashion label.

Founded in November 2014, Navashion offers styling, design, consulting, closet auditing, personal shopping and makeup artistry. Over the years, Navado has grown his clientele throughout the Bahamas and Southern Florida.

His latest venture to Texas came about during an H20 Miss Teen Bikini trip to Willemstad, Curacao, last October, where he met Sindy Buezo, owner of the Hess Modelling Agency and founder of the South Texas International Fashion Week.

“Instantly we built a bond and started a friendship right on this very trip. She spoke to me about her dreams of doing a fashion week in Texas as she already had a few international pageant titles under her belt from her birth country Guatemala and across the United States. During the event, after seeing my work on Miss Teen Top Model Bahamas Christinque Saunders, Sindy was amazed. Hearing (how young I was) inspired her even more to follow her dream. Eight months later I’m on a flight heading to South Texas to showcase, not knowing a simple conversation with a friend of mine pushed her to do something so life-changing,” said Navado.

For the trip to Texas he took along

Navashion designs on the runway at South Texas Fashion Week.

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PHOTOS/RAFAEL SEPULVEDA

with him Bahamian models Uri Butler, Donelle Curry and Shaleiah Rolle.

Being the only Bahamian designer to showcase his work in the first annual South Texas Fashion Week was simply mind-blowing, said Navado.

“The opportunity created within me a sense of pride to represent not only my brand, but my country. I got to see the flow of back stage coordination, international hair and makeup styling, over 20 plus designers from across the United States and Latin America, and most importantly, I got to take notes for my future fashion shows whether international or local,” he said.

“The highlight of the entire trip was observing the cultural differences amongst the designers. We were able to get a taste of couture, ready to wear, resort wear and swimwear with a twist and style to the seams. I was surrounded by so many successful and talented artists in the industry. Being only 19, I took this as a learning experience and opportunity to become better at what I do and plan to do.”

Seeing the fruits of his sleepiness nights come to life on an international catwalk, he said, was overwhelming and humbling at the same time. The Navashion pieces showcased included diverse colour patterns and styles ranging from subtle to edgy.

So far this year, Navado has released three collections – the Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2017 collection, the Beauty and The Beach Spring/Summer Swimwear 2017 collection, and the Nava Ready to Wear

Navado Dawkins with South Texas Fashion Week founder Sindy Buezo

“They loved the Caribbean twist I brought to the fashion week, the creativity of my designs, and the cohesiveness of the collections. Relishing the success of this show expanded my mind and gave me a sense of patriotism. I felt as though I didn’t do it alone; we did it as a nation.”

clothing line.

“Instead of showcasing each collection separate at the event, I mixed them together to give pattern and texture diversity. South Texas Fashion Week scheduled my show to be the grand finale, so I had big shoes to fill. I gave the audience something no other designer had done during the entire fashion week. I showcased three combined collections and had a live dance performance by one of my models who is also my biological sister, Shaleiah Rolle.

The audience’s response to the pieces gave me an adrenaline rush that built

up my confidence. They loved the Caribbean twist I brought to the fashion week, the creativity of my designs and the cohesiveness of the collections.

Relishing the success of this show expanded my mind and gave me a sense of patriotism. I felt as though I didn’t do it alone; we did it as a nation,” said Navado.

Navashion is currently in the process of opening stores in the Bahamas.

The company’s goal is to also showcase at New York Fashion Week in September as well as at the second annual South Texas Fashion Week in June 2018.