Mon | Sep 9, 2024

Jamaica Pegasus opens Olympic Village with fashion parade

Published:Friday | August 2, 2024 | 12:06 AMKwela Cole/Gleaner Writer
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SAINT head Deiwght Peters ends the Pegasus Olympic Village parade hand in hand with models draped in Kadian Nicely couture.
Rudolph Brown/Photographer
SAINT head Deiwght Peters ends the Pegasus Olympic Village parade hand in hand with models draped in Kadian Nicely couture.
A flowing Heather Laine halter jumpsuit takes the viewer on a sunny, white sand beach resort on the coastline of Jamaica, as it comes down the runway. A flowing Heather Laine halter jumpsuit takes the viewer on a sunny, white sand beach resort on the coast
Rudolph Brown/Photographer
A flowing Heather Laine halter jumpsuit takes the viewer on a sunny, white sand beach resort on the coastline of Jamaica, as it comes down the runway. A flowing Heather Laine halter jumpsuit takes the viewer on a sunny, white sand beach resort on the coastline of Jamaica, as it comes down the runway.
Deiwght Peters (centre) poses with his gorgeous models, dressed in a patriotic Heather Laine collection, pre-show.
Rudolph Brown/Photographer
Deiwght Peters (centre) poses with his gorgeous models, dressed in a patriotic Heather Laine collection, pre-show.
In a black blazer over a toned torso and black shoes to match, this SAINT model embodies the high- fashion runways of Paris at The Jamaica Pegasus’ Olympic Village Fashion Parade.
Rudolph Brown/Photographer
In a black blazer over a toned torso and black shoes to match, this SAINT model embodies the high- fashion runways of Paris at The Jamaica Pegasus’ Olympic Village Fashion Parade.
A Kadian Nicely black tulle gown pairs seamlessly with a white and black fascinator by Karl Brown.
Rudolph Brown/Photographer
A Kadian Nicely black tulle gown pairs seamlessly with a white and black fascinator by Karl Brown.
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With an opening ceremony unlike that of past games, the 2024 Paris Olympics kicked off last Friday amid worldwide fanfare.

The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, celebrating the occasion, hosted a pre-games fashion parade in its lobby featuring the models of SAINT International, showcasing the designs of top local fashion houses. The New Kingston hotel saw guests from the media and fashion industry, along with representatives from the French Embassy arrive dressed in national colours to the brunch-time event.

Glasses of sangria, they enjoyed models strutting across shining tiles in garments by Heather Laine and Kadian Nicely, accessorised with fascinators by Karl Brown, before retiring to the main area of the lobby to enjoy the Olympics opening ceremony which began right after.

It is the wish of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel general manager Brian Sang, to bring back a certain energy to his beloved hotel. For the duration of the games, all will be welcome, free of cost, to cheer on Team Jamaica from the Olympic Village set-up complete with a large screen. According to Sang, the fashion parade and the reception that followed it, featuring scrumptious Paris-inspired treats and even pastries named after our very own Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah passed around by waiters in berets are to instil within guests of the village the spirit of friendship and celebration, keeping in line with principles the Olympic Games are built on.

“With the Olympics on, what better way to start it [than] with a fashion show that runs right into the Olympic opening ceremony? This is how it’s going to be throughout the Olympics. We will have the screen going in the lobby and you can come with a friend and watch the games going on, as well as partake in a special menu for the Olympics.” Sang went on, “I want to bring back the Pegasus, the energy [of Jamaica]. Pegasus, being the nerve centre of Kingston, I wanted to solidify it as the people’s hotel with everyone able to come and enjoy the games. We’re bringing friendship back. People can have a drink together and sharing that experience while enjoying the Olympics. We want to ensure that if anything is happening, Pegasus is where it’s going to happen first.”

To SAINT founder Deiwght Peters, the partnership with the Pegasus for the Olympic Village’s opening was natural, as to him, fashion, sports and business go hand in hand. When Sang brought up the idea to have the fashion parade as the precursor to the opening ceremony screening as an off-hand idea, the modelling industry mogul knew that they had to do it. Peters was inspired by the recently held Vogue World fashion event in Paris that combined the history of the games with the deep-rooted legacy of fashion in France and dreamt of a similar effect, reached by combining the talent of Jamaican fashion designers with the countries love of sports. The exciting show that featured 50 looks referencing and combining French style and Jamaican spirit, even saw SAINT’s male models presenting a track-inspired runway. Guests, watching with rapt attention, as the looks went by, were visibly pleased at the amalgamation of themes they witnessed.

“What better way to start celebrations of our Jamaica Olympic wins? We are predicting wins. With the mark [Team Jamaica] has been making and continues to make and intends to make on the global stage of the Olympics, certainly, we wanted to engage a Jamaican component … I thought [the parade] would have been magical, but trust me, when I saw the energy today, when I saw the creation of the designers, and everyone coming together to make it work, I knew it was fantastic partnership.”

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com