SO T&T contributor — avid wanderlust and cultural enthusiast — Tenille Clarke was front-row at Meiling’s ‘Night Women’.

Some sat on minimalist cube-seats, while others stood under the blue-black sky illuminated by a full moon. The dusk air murmured with a crescendo buzz of activity in Woodbrook, Trinidad, as socialites, clients and fashion enthusiasts gathered on Tuesday to witness the unveiling of the collection from one of the Caribbean’s most notable fashion designers.

Specially-invited guests at the Big Black Box curiously awaited the beginning of Trinidadian-born Meiling’s presentation of ‘Night Women’. As a woman long interested in the representation of Afro-Caribbean women in literary and fashion culture, I was nervous. We have long shied away from storytelling and representation, and that disappointment cuts deep.

“Please don’t let me be misunderstood.” The words echoed and lingered melodically in the venue. By her lyrics, Nina Simone obviously knew then what many regional cultural crypt keepers know now.

Described as “dark, desperate, determined, defiant, dangerous, deadly and desirable”, Meiling’s offerings were inspired by the novel The Book of Night Women, penned by the Man Booker Prize award-winning author Marlon James. His story is one of unrelenting pain as it documents the horrors of slavery for a community of women — with details of rape, murder and racism inflicted by European ideology that are unnervingly and grotesquely authentic and often difficult to digest for its readers.

By no means was this story to be softened, snubbed or watered-down.

To translate this powerful story into an appealing collection, Meiling needed to bravely encapsulate the dark and disturbing intentions of these enslaved women while balancing the delicate nature of a subculture that is historically invisible to most. Her garments needed to be wearable, and were almost pre-destined to connect and marry commerce with the telling of history — our story. This was meant to be a revolutionary presentation of bondage versus freedom, and boy, did she ever deliver!

The “griot” or storyteller — voiced that evening by Elisha Bartels — transported the audience back to the 1800s on the Montpelier plantations in Jamaica. She spoke powerfully on the shocking experiences of the protagonist, Lilith, who is a motherless slave recruited by the powerful and animated Night Women to be a part of their slave rebellion. Not by coincidence to the trained ear, the slaves were all named after Greek goddesses and gods — Andromeda, Circe, Hippolyta, Gorgon, Cronos, Bacchus, Atlas, Pallas, Homer. Story details such as this reinforced the far-reaching implications of Eurocentric oppression and the insatiable need for identity and self-worth especially among the female slave population, whose own cultures had been repeatedly and brutally erased.

Directed by 3 Canal’s Wendell Manwarren, this prelude to Meiling’s runway presentation was undeniably riveting. It effectively identified several key points, such as the complex relationships between slaves and masters, base desires of belonging for female slaves, and the stripping of cultural and gender identity in the pecking order of the plantation. The six featured slave characters used dialogue and dance to communicate with the audience, which kept true to rich African culture. The clothing for these slave characters were free-flowing, encouraging of lively movement and exuded effortlessness in the minimalist chic way that Meiling has mastered over the years.

There was an obvious discomfort searing through the audience from the use of the jolting language and storyline, but this is what was needed to open appetites for the next segment. What followed on the runway models was certainly a manifestation of the visual and the story.

Models walked to the sound of Nina Simone, seemingly entranced by the prospect of freedom. Flirtatious lace was cleverly incorporated in bodices, ruffles and skirt hemming — used to convey the demure, submissive and delicate nature of the female slaves. On the opposing end of the style spectrum, distressed linens on cropped tops and camouflage prints in bold ballroom skirts evoked feelings of rebelliousness and confrontation from the Night Women. In one look that received hearty applause from the audience, a lilac apron draped over a crisp black shirt and trousers ensemble which suddenly became a layered statement of the privileged house slave. Pops of colour were well-timed to break the monotony of dark hues and a hint of contemporary Christmas could be seen in her sequinned, glamorous pieces.

One of the most impressive elements of the presentation for many, however, was Meiling’s use of knits. From shawls to high-waisted belts, vest overlays to buttoned blouse details, the knitwear was not only well suited to our tropical climate, but also helped to carefully manage the presentation’s historical theme of slavery by balancing vulnerability with vociferousness. Honourable mention must also go to multimedia artist Brianna McCarthy, who joined forces with Meiling on this occasion to provide exquisite masks on some of the models that glistened under the stage lights. Oozing from our Carnival traditions that were born out of slavery, the masks were exceptionally detailed, and reminiscent of my Frantz Fanon fascination — culturally rich, unnerving, layered and intricate, hiding less of our people and fearlessly telling more of our Caribbean story.

It was a storytelling through clothes not lost on some of the more artistically inclined audience members, including veteran masmaker Peter Minshall and St Lucian-born international art and fashion socialite fixture, Shala Monroque. Their facial expressions told a tale of satisfactory delight that evening, as 40-strong looks graced the runway.

By the end of the presentation, there was an animation and energy not often seen and felt in fashion shows in the region. Those who mixed and mingled thereafter not only spoke about the fashion they saw and the clothes they wanted to purchase, but they spoke more curiously and excitedly about a story — their story — that they had never heard. This bravery in storytelling through fashion was also echoed by the director, Wendell Manwarren, who noted that “(…) it is no longer sufficient to just present a collection of wearable garments. Our designers are challenging themselves more and more to avail themselves of the many means (…) to tell a story and make a statement that might resonate beyond the practicalities of making and selling garments”.

Unquestionably, Meiling’s Night Women was the fighting start of a conversational point. The designer’s fashion presentation demonstrated a creative growth that was as intellectually challenging as it was emotionally and visually engaging. Most notably, its historical accuracies allowed for a reawakening of the public, collective consciousness — a responsibility that is often absent from our fashion industry.

After all, history tells us that these bold creative statements that question who we are, how we look and where we want to be illuminate the rough pathway from which revolutions are made.

Editor’s Note: How serendipitous that Marlon James was celebrating his birthday on Tuesday, November 24 as Meiling’s collection, inspired by the author’s The Book of Night Women, was presented.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: CHRISTOPHER DANIEL FOR SOCIAL PHOTOS AND DAVID WEARS FOR FASHION PHOTOS