On Easter Saturday, 8th April, 2023, the Kimya Glasgow brand will be hosting a Fashion Gala & Fundraising Dinner at Firefly Estate, Bequia entitled Under The Stars.
The event will be the launch of the Kimya Glasgow Spring/Summer 2023 Collection –
“Passion Caraibe”, which was done as part of a design collaboration under the TEECA Project
Enhancing Trade in the Eastern Caribbean & Martinique, as well as a fundraising effort to
heighten awareness & support for the activities of event partner – the St Vincent & theGrenadines Conservation Fund (SVGCF).
As a sustainable fashion brand, Kimya Glasgow uses natural and eco-friendly raw materials to minimize the negative impact of the product supply chain and life cycle on the environment and,
by extension, the health of textile workers and the end consumer.
As every stage of production and consumption of sewn fashion products can have a very negative impact on the environment (fashion is the 2nd largest industry and one of the world’s
largest polluters), it is crucial to inform consumers on how the impact our lifestyle can have on our world, to help them make informed choices.
It is part of the core values of the Kimya Glasgow brand to partner with entities that support sustainability, especially in St Vincent & the Grenadines, as a vulnerable small island developing
state.
The mission of the SVGCF is to provide funding to support conservation of biodiversity in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and their vision is to ensure marine and terrestrial ecosystems of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are healthy, and communities are active stewards in its
conservation and management. Their projects include beach restoration, zero waste initiatives, land conservation, coral replanting, food security projects, and support for the disabled.
Among their many projects SVGCF is currently partnering with Dive Bequia on a reef restoration project.
As a brand that cares about the environment, and owing to the fact that the fashion industry garners high interest and visibility, in and of itself, it is the intention of the Kimya Glasgow brand, that its event partners would also benefit from that visibility. Therefore Kimya Glasgow has committed to contributing 50% of any profits earned from this event to SVGCF.
The event is also being supported by the First Citizens Group – a leading Financial Services Provider headquartered in Trinidad & Tobago, with offices in the OECS, including St Vincent & the Grenadines. First Citizens offers retail, corporate and merchant banking services as well assset management, trustee and brokerage services. One of the largest Indigenous Banks in the English Speaking Caribbean, First Citizens is dedicated to empowering women and men to fulfill their potential unencumbered by issues of inequity.
According to Kimya Glasgow, the Founder & Creative Director of the brand “The reasoning
behind hosting the event in Bequia came from the original inspiration chosen with my
Martiniquan collaborators. We chose shells and beach life in our respective countries as our inspiration. I naturally chose Bequia as it is for me the epitome of idyllic life on the seashore. My Bequia roots run deep, from my grandmother, my great-grandmother, the former midwife on Bequia and my great-great grandparents who were teachers in Bequia from the 1800s. So my soul is always drawn back there and inspired by the beauty of the island.”
The capsule collection was photographed by Nekoro Spencer in Bequia, as was the fashion
video, shot and edited by Sebastian Cyrus, featuring models Natasha Frankov and Geniene Browne.
“I am hoping that the photography and fashion video will go far and wide. Not just to promote the collection, but to promote St Vincent & the Grenadines and, by extension, Bequia as the amazing place and destination that it is.”
The Kimya Glasgow brand will be hosting a virtual launch, as a companion to the in-person launch at a later date.
This Gala event will feature a festive cocktail party and pop-up shop with a jazz band, followed by a 3-course dinner by Firefly restaurant, and a live fashion presentation of the new collection.
The fashion launch forms part of a larger strategic plan to grow the Kimya Glasgow brand locally, regionally and internationally, especially coming off of the challenges of Covid-19 and it’s negative economic effects, especially on the Creative sector.