British designer Shanna Bent, adolescent psychologists roll with Deiwght Peters

Fresh on the heels of debuting her Fall/Winter 2021 collection at London Fashion Week last month, Jamaican-blooded British designer Shanna Bent talks about food, family and fashion on this Sunday’s episode of Rolling with Deiwght Peters on Television Jamaica (TVJ).

A graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion, Bent’s design aesthetic, themed around ‘black luxury’, is creatively informed by her paternal and maternal heritage. Both sets of her grandparents were part of the Windrush generation that migrated to London, giving her luxury label Maison Bent a purposeful infusion of Jamaican nostalgia.

“Shanna was to be a guest designer at Style Week 2020, but then COVID-19 had other plans,” Peters told The Gleaner, noting that other plans are in the pipeline. “Her brand ambition and purpose are in harmony with the Saint International ethos, and I was thrilled to put her on the schedule. We are now setting the stage for some exciting future collaborations,” he revealed.

CHANGE THE GAME

Bent, who honed her design talent at reputable English fashion houses Alexander McQueen and Roland Mouret, was recently celebrated by British weekly women’s magazine Grazia for her sustainability-focused brand. “Shanna represents the next generation of global fashion creatives who will change the game, and bring her Jamaican roots to the forefront of design,” Peters said after wrapping up his Zoom interview with the emerging European designer.

Sunday’s episode will also address the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and convenes a panel that includes Dr Abigail Harrison, adolescent specialist in the Child Health Department at the University Hospital of the West Indies and Dr Astril Webb, adolescent psychologist, advocate for youth mental health and president of the United States-based Healthy Kinder International.

“Given the seismic shift that COVID has wrought on us and the continuing pivoting families have had to make to confront and conform their everyday lives, particularly where their children are concerned, both Drs Harrison and Webb frankly discuss and provide instructive advice,” Peters explained of his expert guests, who will be joined by parents with questions.

“It is an eye-opening interview that no parent should miss. The insight of these two specialists is remarkable and relevant,” he said.

Rolling with Deiwght Peters airs exclusively on TVJ, Sundays at 4 p.m. and repeats Wednesdays at 1:05 p.m.