THE designer who catches the eye of any First Lady must be good!

That the First Lady is Mrs. Elizabeth Venetiaan of Suriname and the designer, Guyanese Sonia Noel, makes not only a good story, but lays the base for further integration among our Caribbean peoples.

Noel also designs for the First Lady’s daughters and sister.

The designer recently returned from neighbouring Suriname where she held a very successful fashion show at the Torarica Hotel. Hundreds of patrons turned up to get a glimpse of the more than 700 pieces on display. The designs, most of them done in cottons, linens and rayon, and are either hand-painted or tie-dyed, were shown off by 25 models, four of whom were from Guyana.

Sunday Chronicle was able to catch up with the soft-spoken mother of two at Marisca’s Boutique at 71 Winter Place, between Brickdam and Croal Street. The boutique is named after her elder daughter Marisca. Her second daughter, Shonte, has a line of clothing named after her as well, because according to Sonia, she does not want her to feel left out.

“My inspiration comes from my two daughters; they inspire me a lot…,” she said. She said that when she is designing her clothing, she usually gets a lot of tips from her older daughter.
Sonia told the Chronicle that she was honoured as the first designer to host a fashion show in the hotel which opened in December 2002 and described the event as a``nothing less than fantastic.”

The businesswoman said that the turnout was outstanding with heavy press coverage and a very warm reception from Surinamese.

“The show was dynamic,” and very good reviews followed she added.

She described the models as a mixed group representing different strata of society. According to Miss Noel models included young women and men, as well as the older women.
Sonia, who started modelling at age eleven, got into the fashion business with a simple boutique in Bartica some ten years ago. Today, she is recognised throughout the Caribbean in the fashion industry. She said she has also done lots of work in Barbados, Grenada and in Suriname. She has shops in the former two and is negotiating for one in Suriname.

Asked where she gets the ideas to design her clothing, the designer replied: “I just come up with ideas, they just flow. Sometimes I am painting a fabric and I start not knowing what I want and then, it just comes… I might be at the airport, on the beach, or in a plane, not a specific place.”
Noel recalled that once she was in Suriname, ready to go to bed when she got the idea for an evening gown. “It came to me, it was so superb…” She put off sketching the idea until the following day. But, to her utter amazement, she couldn’t remember the beautiful gown she had visualised the night before.

This linen black and white painted motif, was part of the grand final at the fashion show to the tune of `Umbrella Party’

She said that other times, “you pick up a piece of fabric and play with it and as a result, you get designs.” She noted that sitting in solitude to get designs does not work all the time.

Sonia likes to accessorise her clothing with hats. “Hats add elegant taste to the outfits,” she said. She also designs leather footwear and handbags.

With twenty years in the fashion industry under her belt, she has accumulated a wide range of personal clients.

Her designs can accommodate the pockets of her clients who range from housewives to businessmen and women in North America.

Sonia, who was a co-coordinator of the recently held Bartica Regatta, designed the delegates’ swimsuits. She also designed two of the delegates’ evening gowns.
A fashion display, which was also held at the Bartica Regatta Pageant, featured clothing designed by Sonia and another designer, Andrea McAdam.

During the interview with the Chronicle, Noel said that she never had a desire to be a model. She first wanted to be a nurse, but as she grew older, she set her sights on becoming a lawyer. But a woman convinced her to enter a pageant. She said although she was very shy, she soon discovered that it was fun, and she fell in love with it and continued.

She said that her first involvement in fashion at the age of eleven was at a cotton fashion show which was held when Guyana produced cotton on a large scale. The pageant was portraying styles and designs in the cotton industry.

When asked about the greatest difficulty faced in the fashion industry, the designer said without hesitation “marketing”.

“The greatest difficulty, is marketing. You really have to know how to market yourself”.

Speaking about the European market, Sonia said: “I do not have a source there to sell my stuff as yet in those markets, because I am not ready to explore that market.”
Her advice for young designers in the fashion industry or those thinking about venturing into the industry is to remember that the sky is the limit.

“It is a very competitive field, but if you stay focused and stick to your goal, the sky is the limit,” she declared.

Sonia said that she has big plans for the future.

“At the moment, there is lots of work to be done in the Caribbean for me. Eventually, I will branch off beyond the Caribbean, (but) most of my designs must be a household name in the Caribbean …,” Sonia declared boldly.

“I want to expand branches in the major Caribbean countries,” she said.

She is also planning to go to Canada next month for independence celebrations by the Guyanese based there.
She also took part in trade fairs that were held in Grenada and Suriname
This is a joint effort between Courts Guyana Ltd. and Lifeline Counselling.

Other shows in the making for this year are one in Grenada, one in Barbados and another in Suriname.

A Tea Party, Hat and Fashion Show, which is scheduled for today, at the Cara Inn, will also see some of Sonia’s designs.

She will also stage a fashion show at Le Meridien Pegasus on July 6, 2003 which is expected to see some 28 to 30 models including an international model from New York.

“It is going to be a fashion show unlike any ever seen here,” Noel exclaimed.

Part of the money that is made from the venture will go towards charity.