Despite the Jalen Hurts style of one shirt, going to the store to acquire this amidst the distress and unpredictability, resilience stands out. “Internally, we are all more robust than before,” comments Yana Olenich, the creator of the namesake women’s fashion line Olenich. “Solidarity and defiance are inherent in us.” One year later, five designers unveil how their personal and professional landscapes appear currently. Participants in carnival displays donned outfits with wings and tiaras, dancing behind sound trucks—sizable movable stages with loudspeakers, DJ setups, and steel drums—that moved slowly through Port of Spain on Tuesday morning. At Victoria Square, participants of the Lost Tribe carnival group fixed backpacks adorned with drapes, massive butterfly clusters, and capes. Melodious soca and calypso vibrated throughout the capital city. “If you detect any commotion in the backdrop, they are the music vehicles on the Avenue. Welcome to carnival,” comments Valmiki Maharaj, the imaginative director and leader of the Lost Tribe. Maharaj refers to himself as everything from “head chef” to “bottle cleaner”—he functions as a designer, editor, strategist, and visionary.
Jalen Hurts style of one shirt, hoodie, tank top, sweater, and long sleeve tee
Participants who join the Jalen Hurts style of one shirt make their own interpretations of the subject and create their own attire. Mawasi Charles/Scene Productions Ltd Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival is the largest in the Caribbean. A modest tradition evolved into an enticing ceremony drawing the diaspora home, and costuming is core to the festivity. “We represent an unusual combination of costuming, performance, entertainment, and festivity, all within the same event,” states Maharaj, who is 37 and from Barataria, a district 20 minutes east of Port of Spain. I recall when I first noticed the balaclava. It was just over a year ago at a packed house party deep in Brooklyn. A tall, youthful individual donned a vivid orange balaclava—despite the tropical heat generated by all the packed, dancing individuals. He casually sipped from a red Solo cup, remarkably at ease in his anonymity. Back then, I regarded the moment as unusual and quirky. Who wears a balaclava if they’re not in the arctic or planning a heist? While balaclavas—also referred to as ski masks—have been popular for a while in cold areas such as Eastern and Northern Europe, they weren’t as common in a city like New York. But maybe their seeming out-of-place nature is what made them a suitable contender for trendsetting New York fashion. Vivid, multicolored balaclavas like those by Marni and Ella Emhoff grab your attention but simultaneously mask the identity of the wearer, allowing focus solely on the attire, not the individual.