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Antoinette Messam's I-Style

Published:Monday | December 27, 2010 | 12:00 AM
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Miss Jamaica World, Chantal Raymond, shows off the sexy rear view of this Antoinette Messam piece, accented with a Caroline Bruce necklace, at Christmas brunch held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel last Sunday.
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Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

If you want a dress that is easy to travel and sits on your every curve, then Antoinette Messam's I-Style outfits are a must-have.

Messam, in collaboration with Canadian jewellery designer Caroline Bruce, unveiled clothing and Tweak jewellery collection on Sunday, December 19, at Christmas brunch at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel.

Messam is Jamaican-born and lives between Canada and the United States. She is a renowned costume designer who has designed for films, cable television movies and series. In 2004, she worked on designs for Redemption (Tooki Williams story), starring Jamie Fox, and in 2009 for the Warner Bros blockbuster thriller Orphan. For almost 10 years, she has been designing sexy, body-flattering clothing for women of style.

At the brunch, she showed off some of her stylish pieces made from jersey. She notes that she usually works with silk, but the jersey is easy to care for.

Messam is no stranger to the Jamaican market. In 2006, she did a similar show at the hotel. She told Flair that it was a success and she received many requests for another event, so here she is heeding those requests.

While she does not have a physical store on the island, persons interested in purchasing her pieces can find them in all the Superclub resorts across the island.

Tweak Jewellery

At the brunch, Messam's outfits were paired with some of Bruce's stunning Tweak jewellery.

Bruce is Canadian born but lived in Jamaica for two and a half years until she moved back in 2008. She said she fell in love with the island and got a lot of inspiration for her pieces while living here.

"Plus, I love designing for Jamaican women because they are not afraid of [exploring] colours, while Canadians are a little more (conservative) where colours are concern. So it is fun designing pieces for the Jamaican market."

Designing comes naturally for Bruce, it's a part of her. Before designing jewellery, she was an interior designer. Making jewellery was a just a hobby that blossomed into a thriving business.

She told Flair that her pieces are unique and are made of natural materials - wood, semi-precious stones and beads. Some of her pieces are big with bold colours, while others are moderately sized, chic and suitable for any woman who has a sense of fashion.

Bruce currently operates a one-woman show but has plans for expanding. She said that while she will allow others to help with assembling, she insists on choosing the beads and stones herself.

Though making her pieces is very time-consuming, she finds it fun, with the most challenging aspect being marketing and selling the pieces. But she has been doing well through her online store.