One week ago, uSTART entrepreneur and fashion designer Ricky Bhowram left the shores of Trinidad and Tobago for the very first time to participate in the Western Canada Fashion Week (WCFW). Ricky’s collection Angels and Demons, from his luxury brand Bhowram Atelier, was extremely well received by attendees at the fashion week. The organisers of the show were very impressed and in turn offfered Ricky the great honour of opening and closing the fashion shows on the 25^th and 26^th September 2015.  The collection created a lot of “buzz” locally as runway images hit social media on the heels of Republic Day here in Trinidad and Tobago, capturing the hearts of proud Trinbagonians who were excited to see the T&T flag being flown high internationally.

Ricky visited uSTART yesterday and was still basking in the glow of his first successful international showing. The young designer shared some of the highlights of his experience with the uSTART team, which included: his very own dressing room backstage, viewing his entire collection on the runway, the brief moments on stage at the end of his shows and most of all, the collective gasps of approval from the audience as the models came down the runway wearing his designs. It was at that moment he realised that his work was not in vain.

Moreover, Ricky was extremely grateful for the opportunity of participating in the WCFW and thanked the uSTART team for the support they offered during his journey, particularly UTT for providing funding for his trip. He described his experience at the fashion week as “one full of learning” as the trip allowed him to gain a better understanding of the business of fashion in Canada. Additionally, the exposure provided a clearer picture of the Canadian market, one in which he intends to explore to the fullest.

This trailblazing designer is already looking towards the future and strategically mapping the next steps for Bhowram Atelier - a luxury brand that is known for its integration of technology and fashion, with its machine readable prints created in collaboration with fellow uSTART entrepreneurs Shawn De Freitas and Deidre Lee Kin of Dingole E-commerce. Apart from pursuing international orders, one of the items on his agenda is the launch of the brand locally.

Stay tuned for images from the Angels and Demons photo shoot, which Ricky hopes to complete and release in the upcoming weeks. Following the local brand launch and photo shoot, Ricky plans to focus on creating a mini collection for the Christmas into New Year season. There is much more to expect from this entrepreneur before the end of 2015 and based on what has been seen thus far, there are great expectations for his future endeavours.

Model in a tulle skirt creates drama on the runway and causes gasps from the audience.

Photo Courtesy: Western Canada Fashion Week

Photographer: Nicole Zeigler

The full line up of the Angels and Demons Collection on the catwalk as the models close the show.

Photo Courtesy: Western Canada Fashion Week

Photographer: Nicole Zeigler

A proud moment, as designer Ricky Bhowram bows on stage, thanking the audience at the end of his show.

Photo Courtesy: Western Canada Fashion Week

Photographer: Kelly Rosborough