Every woman deserves to look and feel beautiful, no matter her age or size; that’s the cornerstone of Stephanie Elliott-Gunning’s 30+ Fashion Show and Expo.
“I wanted to create a fashion show where people could come and look at themselves in a plus-size model, look at themselves in a 60-year-old model and recognise that it is not the end of the road for them; it’s the beginning of an even greater chapter,” she told Living.
There was a time when the entrepreneur was heavily preoccupied with fashion, but as she got older and started a family, her priorities changed as she balanced her focus with work as well. It wasn’t until she reached 30 that things shifted.
“I remember the night before I turned 30, I was super anxious. I felt I was going to wake up on the morning of my birthday with grey hair and a sagging face. There was this awkward feeling that I am just going to become 30 and start ageing, and things are going to go downhill for me. A 30-year-old these days remains young. But back in my day, we felt that once you turned 30, you were officially getting old,” she shared.
Those thoughts disappeared for Elliott-Gunning the moment she woke from her slumber that morning. “I was still a beautiful person. I had no grey hair. The idea from then and there had been, ‘I need to find a way to celebrate the modern evolved woman’.”
She sat with this passion project in mind since 2014, and never acted on this purpose until post-COVID-19.
Placing visuals to the idea proved to be more complicated than Elliott-Gunning realised. But when local designers like Janseen Graham and Lucien Harrison jumped on board, she was able to bring the vision to life.
“Once the designers came on board, it was a blast. Then this year, little did I know that we would be having former Miss Jamaica and Miss Universe winners, other pageant queens who are excited to be on a platform created just for them. To see that we now have models of all shapes and sizes, along with top local designers, who are celebrating body positivity, it’s a dream come true,” she revealed.
The event, which was scheduled for November 22 of this year, was postponed due to the devastation caused by the passing of Hurricane Melissa. “Many of our models are from St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and other western parishes. One of the things that I love, having staged two 30+ fashion shows so far, is the camaraderie we get at the end of a show,” she said, adding, “Our sisters were struggling. So with the sisterhood that we formed, we rediverted our energy, gathering supplies and venturing out into the countryside to assist.”
With a new date set for April 29 of next year in the Sunshine City of Portmore, St Catherine, Elliott-Gunning decided to give a taste of what is in store for the audience, featuring stunning styles from local designers Marcia Walker of Bebie Powell Designs and Rashel-Lee Smith of RMS Apparels.
“The hope is that this event will encourage others to support local designers and artisans. There is so much talent on the local scene, and I want the moment that somebody steps out, the question [arises] of what designer is being worn, the answer is, someone Jamaican. And I also want to see our modern women truly embrace themselves and walk out into the world in jaw-dropping fashion,” she added.
CREDITS
Shot on location at The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited.
Photographer: Antoine Lodge
Models: Monepha Chin, Blaire Wilson, Leonie Campbell and Shanakaye Edwards.
Designers: Marcia Walker of Bebie Powell Designs and Rashel-Lee Smith of RMS Apparels