“It is not good enough to just have dreams if you just let them just be dreams,” says Bahamas based Guyanese fashion/Costume designer Tyrone Nelson.
Nelson, age 27, graduated from Charlestown Secondary and the Felix Austin Police Training College traded in his gun and uniform after just one year and eight months of service to the Guyana Police Force and migrated in pursuit of his dream to be in the fashion fraternity and now he’s well on his way to being a Guyanese fashion ambassador internationally using pin, chains, furs, paint, cords and fabric galore to do that.
While some guys are in the valley of decisions as regards to a career in fashion designing the Freeport, Bahamas based Guyanese Nelson who hails from Bagotstown, East Bank, is currently in Trinidad preparing for the Tobago Fashion Week scheduled for May.
On that occasion he will be launching a new clothing line dubbed “Venom” even as his clothing line Leiu de style, Water in Style, will also be featured in a all male Fashion show during the Miss Port of Spain Pageant. The latter is part of the celebration of 100 years of being Port of Spain. That apart this Charlestown secondary school graduate has got his plate chalked full of events to showcase his creativity.
“I’m already booked up for numerous other shows such as the Red Run Way Fashion Show, in Trinidad, Virgin Islands Fashion Week and the Antigua Fashion Week where I was the featured Designer at the Launch.” He is also booked to showcase his designs in Nevis at the Fashion Week and the list goes on.But while some may have their qualms about being a male designer in the Caribbean Nelson is not the least bit bothered.
This former Guyana Police force rank who graduated as Best Class Room Student of his course went on to according to him complete and graduate from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Barbados in the field of Business Management en route to starting his ‘English Duck International’ Designs (EDI) Company in October of 2006. Nelson’s entry into fashion started as a hanger/ model in Barbados under the Ebony Model Agency. He has to his name competition titles such as Mr. Ebony Barbados, and Face of Shabeu Barbados. He also strut his stuff on many runways including the Barbados Fashion Week event.
But even as he was enjoying the limelight as a runway model he wanted more hands on experience as there seemed to be a need for more creativity in what designers gave him to wear. This desire saw him officially launch his EDI Line in 2007 at the Barbados Manufacturers Expo (BMEX) with a title Evolution. “The reviews were more than I anticipated for my artistic and creative work and so I went after and completed a Diploma in “Fashion” at the Barbados Community College. Since then Nelson under his EDI Designs has not looked back. In fact his creations have found their way on stages including the “Caribbean Fashion Week, Red Run Way Fashion show in Trinidad & Tobago, Ester Barnes Fashion Show in Toronto Canada, Guyana Fashion Week, Barbados Fashion Week, and Style Week Jamaica as well as in the Bahamas.
“When you think of futuristic that’s what EDI Designs is all about,” says Nelson whose creations are as diverse as they are limitless for the more fashion forward men and women. “I’ve design for individuals who want to make a fashion statement as well as for pageants such as the Miss Guyana Talented Teen, Miss Free Port Bahamas and Point a pier, in Trinidad among other names. In August of 2011 in the twin Island republic, Trinidad and Tobago Nelson launched his all-male clothing line “venom” to rave reviews and there aroused the challenge to create, design and produce Carnival Costumes for and in 2012 he made the bold step to create for children and adults. Naturally many of his creations copped top prizes such as Band and Individual of the year. Nelson has not stopped since and has taken his creations beyond the Caribbean borders to Miami also.
“ I’m doing fairly well but I’m not where I need to be just yet but I’m determined to make a name for myself as a Guyanese who really rocks not just runways but also make it into costumes for stars and Movies,” he says. Nelson is ever grateful to Caribbean fashion Icon Trinidad born Fashion Guru and Artistic Director Richard YoungRichard whom he says has been a guiding personnel on his journey thus far. Young has signed on board Nelson’s EDI designs clothing line and Brand Manager. To contact Nelson: www.facebook.com/pages/Tyrone-Nelson-EDI-Designs.
