Nigeria rises as it nears midnight in Jamaica, but time difference aside, the Fashionweek wheels keep turning as creatives on both sides of the globe eagerly put final touches to their collections in preparation for fashion’s first major event, highlighting the best of Africa and the Caribbean.

This historic cultural exchange, which begins in Kingston on Thursday, will set the tone for a new thrust by Pulse as the producers of Caribbean Fashionweek look to take the project beyond the Caribbean shores to Europe and North America.

Some of fashion’s big guns will be flying in for CFW to present collections at the Pulse Suites at Villa Ronai on Saturday, June 15, and Sunday, June 16. The stellar line-up coming from the Caribbean will join their Jamaican counterparts for this special collaboration. Mai Atafo, Lanre da Silva,Ilare, Ituen Basi, and Tokyo James are among the African designers, while Claudia Pegus, Heather Jones, Robert Young and Meiling will come from the Caribbean. Hope Wade and Jeneil Williams will arrive from the United States, and the Jamaican contingent includes Biggy, drennaLUNA and Mutamba.

CFW will feature receptions at Pulse Rooms at Trafalgar as Pulse uses the opportunity to launch its 40th anniversary celebrations, which commence in January 2020 and continue throughout the year. A welcome reception will be hosted by the Nigerian High Commission, with show nights on June 15 and 16. A business brunch, a press conference, and a range of other fashion, business and entertainment activities will also be highlighted over the period.

A supermodel line-up led by Alicia Burke will present the collections, along with new rising stars of the runway. Jeneil Williams, Miqueal Symone Williams, Oraine Barrett, Zoe Griffith, Shalisha Stewart, Kamaria Powell, and Daniella Davis are expected to hit the 2019 catwalk at CFW.