Royalty designs by Esther Samuels bringing refreshing styles to the local fashion industry

As the fashion industry continues to evolve across the globe, Guyana will not be left behind as it is home to a plethora of creatives who are steadily making significant strides. 

Last Sunday, Esther Samuels became one of the newest additions to the local industry, as she successfully launched her first collection under her brand, Royalty Designs. 

The launch took the form of a vintage fashion show and tea party, with a production, decor and dress code that emulated the 50s and 60s. The first collection launched was also vintage inspired, all designed by Samuels. 

It was a refreshing ambiance that exuded royalty, elegance, style and creativity, and one that the attendees certainly wouldn’t forget. 

The sentiments expressed were all welcoming to the idea of fusing vintage with modern styles, and finally having a fashion event in Guyana that allowed for an expression of creativity outside of the norm. 

Samuels said this has been a dream of hers for quite some time, and making it a reality was a lot of work. “But persistence and perseverance is key to achieving your dreams, and nothing should stop you. There were so many stumbling blocks along the way, but if you have a dream and passion, go for it.” she said.

The young designer explained that her designs will consist of many different styles that will appeal to different demographics. However, she felt the strong need to reinvent/reintroduce modesty, sophistication and class to the fashion industry, hence the reason for theming her launch ‘Vintage’ and using the 50s and 60s inspiration to guide her first creations.

 

“I wanted women to be seen in a more glamorous, sophisticated, modest way, because we can always have our nice short skirts, and our backs out, as is the style of the day. And well I love that, but sometimes you just need to look elegant and graceful. So that is what I see that was needed in the market so I decided to go with vintage. And not just vintage, but vintage from the 50s and 60s which captures women in a more modest, elegant, graceful way,” she said. 

All Samuels’ designs are said to be of high class, sourcing and importing quality fabrics from overseas to ensure that people feel like royalty in their ‘Royalty Designs’. 

While it was the launch of her fashion line, Samuels incorporated an element of women empowerment, through speeches that were delivered by the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Senior Psychologist, Wil Campbell and Guyanese designer, Keisha Edwards. 

The speakers encouraged women to find their passion and what drives them, take up space and not limit themselves and their abilities. To infuse empowerment with fashion, it was highlighted that a woman’s sense of style contributes to her carriage and decorum and ultimately how she is viewed. However, it was advised that labels and stereotypes should not to be embraced, but rather, one’s own way of expressing who they are.

As such, Samuels’ initiative to reintroduce her own version of style and sophistication was applauded. 

Dr. Persaud said that every woman out there should have a distinctive sense of how she presents herself, “and I believe that dignity is everything. How you carry yourself speaks volumes… I think so many things are coming back from those eras (50s and 60s), and nothing is wrong with reinventing fashion. A lot of those things during that time are things that I like, that was a very classic period. I think it’s a nice idea to bring back that era, and I must compliment her as a woman in taking this bold step following her dreams.”

The minister encouraged women to be authentic “and never feel for one second that you are inferior in any way.”

“Women have always been at the center of everything. And I say that because whether you’re someone’s daughter and you are the stability within the home, or you’re someone’s mother or someone’s wife, inherently, you are your own person and you should not be defined by anyone else. Whether a tagline is added to you as a woman, you should make your mark the way you want to be seen. You should never let anyone set standards for you, you should set your own standards and you should not limit yourself because of gender stereotypes. But you should be very committed to breaking the boundaries that have been set for decades, where women sometimes feel a bit intimidated about threading into certain professions/disciplines. Be creative, be yourself, be authentic. Even if you get a late start in life, there is no time like right now to get going and make the dream that you had, a reality,” Dr. Persaud admonished.