00:00The following is brought to you by L'Oreal, Maybelline, and Garnier.
00:11Now often when we think about fashion, particularly high fashion, we tend to think about Italy,
00:17Paris, New York City. But after this segment, you'll see why you should be adding Trinidad
00:22and Tobago to that list. I'm here with Robert Young, the creative engine behind the cloth,
00:28a local fashion brand that has been featured in exhibitions across the world.
00:34Mr Young, thank you so much for joining us.
00:36Yeah, thanks for coming.
00:37Tell us about the evolution of the cloth.
00:40Well, this year, 19, no, this is not 19. I want to say 1986 is when the cloth started.
00:46So this year, we'll be celebrating or thinking about 40 years of existence. That's four decades.
00:51We will be selling in Harrods from September.
00:54We're working with a group called Brand 63 Africa that has facilitated that.
01:03We have been around in the region, but recently, in the last few years, we have been shown and
01:10exhibited in Paris, in Tokyo, in Egypt.
01:17We sell in Mioka, we sell in Belgrave, Serbia, we sell in Kiev in Ukraine, we sell in Tokyo,
01:30we sell in Martins Vineyard, Santa Fe, Brown Hill in Jamaica.
01:36And we do pop-ups around the place where we can.
01:40What is your aesthetic? You would say you are uniquely Caribbean.
01:45A Caribbean person trying to figure out the world.
01:51Revolution. We kind of celebrate the things of how people have changed, changed their lives.
01:58Because this space was a space of genocide and a space of enforced servitude, a place of inertorship,
02:07a place of colonialism. It's a dread kind of space.
02:09But people have set up and shifted their lives. So we have to celebrate those ways.
02:14We are focused on getting the fabric that is growing in the region that can only grow in these islands.
02:23Shrinath used to grow it. It's the West Indian Sealing Cotton, which we have as part of our collection.
02:28We do at least two or three pieces in it.
02:31But it's a very expensive raw material.
02:34The fabric is between 100 and 150 US a meter.
02:39What do you think perhaps the state could do to facilitate the creative industry?
02:44Because we have a lot of talent here.
02:46We spend billions a year in the region on clothes.
02:50And a part of that is luxury.
02:53Even if we get that, but most of that is important.
02:56I think the first instance is making sure that a cooperative exists for workers.
03:01Right now most of our carnival costumes are made abroad.
03:04And it's just understood and there's no kind of flinch about it.
03:07You can get a better price, but it could be made here.
03:12So the police uniforms could be made here.
03:17Hospital bedding could be made here.
03:19We don't have CPEP anymore, but gangs like that.
03:23Groups like that.
03:25So we have contracts that could come in.
03:27That could make sure that that runs.
03:30And then people like me could come in to say,
03:32OK, well, we want to produce a collection.
03:35How much is it to develop the pattern?
03:37How much to develop the sample?
03:39How much to develop the collection, the minimal collection?
03:46And it's up to the cooperative to be able to produce the highest quality
03:50and to produce in a timely manner
03:53that can facilitate me in getting a market.
03:56Those risks need to be taken,
03:58but the cultural confidence from each one of us,
04:02even the politician, is not there.
04:04To remember, it's important,
04:07not for me particularly,
04:09but for other people like me,
04:11to see and see the possibilities
04:13and remember that all kinds of things are possible.
04:15And thanks to you for putting TNT on the global map once again,
04:20in the fashion sphere this time.
04:23We do.
04:24We live on the earth,
04:25so whatever we do,
04:26if we can see, we can see.
04:28If we can see, it's OK.
04:30Right?
04:30I like that philosophy.
04:32All right, well, that's it for us on this segment.
04:35We'll definitely have more of all things local fashion next week,
04:38so stay tuned.
04:39I am Renasa Cutting with tonight's Street Style.
04:49The Proceeding was brought to you by L'Oreal,
04:52Maybelline,
04:53and Garnier.
04:54You
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