For years, the allure of carnival was solely rooted in the grandeur of feathers and elaborate costumes on Carnival Tuesday. The evolution of Monday wear in Trinidad Carnival has been compelling to witness, and there is a new culture of liberation around Carnival Monday that is predicated on the outstanding work of the designers.
Designers are often the unsung heroes of carnival, deserving way more recognition and appreciation than they often get. The volume of Monday wear options masqueraders had this year seems to have quadrupled, with valiant efforts from many that all deserve commendation. In no particular order, here are our Top 5 Carnival Monday Wear Collections from Trinidad Carnival 2024:
Elektra
Any carnival cohort that includes Briana Schwapp, Jordanne Brown, Dania Duntin, and Zara Smith all under one umbrella must be doing something right! The vivacious culture of Tribe’s marketing section, Elektra, has taken on a trajectory and life of its own, contributing incredibly to the holistic brand resonance of Tribe Carnival.
The carnival playlists, the user-generated content, and the amalgamation of some of the Caribbean’s finest women would all have been futile without a strong design on the road. Sheena Ali answered the call and without a doubt, the resplendent Elektra babes had one of the most scintillating Monday Wear designs for Trinidad Carnival 2024. The deep, V-cut on the frontline of the piece and the eye-catching details of the fabric made Elektra’s Monday Wear a winner on Carnival Monday.
Alejandro Gomez
Consistency has been the pillar that Alejandro’s career as a carnival designer has been built on. The #AleBaddies represented his unique grey and black design with a confident yet sensual aura that was impossible to ignore on the road. Sleeves were definitely trending this season, and his sleeve execution was outstanding, seamlessly complementing the rest of his design.
Led by the beautiful Samantha Fletcher whose recognition as a model in Trinidad & Tobago is long overdue, the #AleBaddies crew has the potential to be another impactful carnival clique recognised across the region, but undeniably Alejandro has cemented himself as one of the region’s most gifted designers who still has more heights to attain.
Monday Wear by Marieange
This carnival season was transformative and evolutionary for Marieange Bovell. This season was her debut as the newly appointed head coordinator of Tribe’s Red Ants Jouvert while juggling a plethora of brand deals with brands such as Sugarbear Pro, Cedros Bay, Immortelle Beauty, and LG Electronics; curating and fulfilling an entire Monday Wear collection seemed daunting but not impossible.
The shining allure of her standout piece ‘Twilight was a hit on the road, as it also embodied the sleeve trend that was prevalent across many Monday Wear collections this year. Marieange can only grow as a designer, and her continued trajectory as a creative entrepreneur seems limitless.
Rhion Romany
Bold and gregarious prints are part of what we have grown to expect from a Rhion Romany Monday Wear collection. The retro vibe of the fabric paired with the futuristic imaging of the accessories made the collection a standout on the road.
Miss Jamaica Universe 2018, Emily Maddison’s presence in his collection only reiterated what we already know to be true and glaringly obvious, which is that he’s one of the most diligent and talented Caribbean designers of our generation.
Kaiso Karni – Odyssey
Trishelle Leacock is a visionary and a way-maker. Her work ethic across the various verticals of her Kaiso brand has been exceptional to witness, and her work on Odyssey was nothing short of brilliant. It’s so easy to go wrong with an aggressive warm color like orange, but the Kaiso boss found the perfect blend of color and beauty to design this piece, which is a collaboration with Ultra Carnival. The small touch of blue tranquilizes the orange in a vibrant yet calming way that’s deserving of us closing the list with this effort.
