Instead of choosing bitterness, social media rants and frivolous banter Sandra Hordatt has once again turned to the light within. The charismatic designer is gearing up to release her latest Monday Wear collection Luminate – Be The Light through her brand Sandi’s Angels. Luminate is emblematic of Sandra’s creative resolve to be a source of love and affirmation, for female carnival lovers. The thematic direction of the collection is heavily based on her spiritual journey and the light is a timeless metaphor, which is appropriately reflected in the conceptual execution of the Monday Wear designs.
“There is a huge difference between Monday Mas and Tuesday Mas. I think revellers can feel the difference. There is a certain freedom about Monday that is so liberating and my pores raise just thinking about it. It’s less pressure because there are no big backpacks and revellers get to wear what they want. It’s undeniably different on Monday.”
The names of the pieces perfectly substantiate the concept of the collection. Angel Aura, Star Dust, Shine Through, Radiate Love, Be- Dazzling and Reflect Light all create a compelling congruence between the design concept and execution. There is something special about designers who understand how to effectively navigate a thematic direction, and no designer in the region does that more masterfully than Sandra Hordatt.
“My Monday Wear is a reflection of that freedom and I ensured to create enough pieces that could be worn by women of all body types with different tastes. There is a design for the classic carnival princess and there is also something there for the minimalists.”
For a spectacle that is designed to bring so much joy and unity to our region, it is sufficient to say that the business of carnival can be extremely divisive. The optics, aesthetics and exhilarating energy displayed on the road, are a testament to the creativity and energetic nature of people. Despite this acknowledgment, many of the business ethics displayed in the carnival industry would seem unprincipled, to any impartial observer.
“Monday Wear collection differs from a full costume and I actually felt that freedom while designing the collection. There was no pressure, no competition, and the freedom of Monday just felt so transparent to me”
The long-standing concern about the treatment of carnival costume designers has been at the forefront of many conversations within the space since its resumption after Covid 19. Sandra Hordatt has made an indelible contribution to the world of carnival costume design but that hasn’t made her any less susceptible to some of the challenges in the industry.
Luminate is about embracing the challenges of life from a place of love, understanding, and gratitude. It enforces the idea of emotional inversion impeccably as Luminate seeks to turn undesirable experiences into inspiration and a source of hope. The encouragement to ‘Be The Light’ doesn’t negate the idiosyncrasies of human beings or the challenges of the industry but instead asserts that we all have the emotional fortitude to excel regardless of these circumstances and this is a philosophy that truly defines Sandi’s Angels brand.
