"Thought-provoking", "outside the box" and "challenging the perception of the arts" are just a few of the adjectives being used by Kingsley Cooper, chief executive of Pulse International, to describe 'Art On The Run', the new addition to Caribbean Fashionweek (CFW).

According to Cooper, 'Art On The Run' is emblematic of the ongoing evolution of CFW. "We at Pulse were intrigued when we were approached by the clusters and saw the enormous potential immediately. We also welcomed the cross-Cluster collaboration."

'Art On The Run' is a collaboration within the creative arts, where artists and fashion designers from the visual and performing arts and fashion and apparel clusters are brought together - resulting in extraordinary collaborative art/fashion designs. The event will also highlight artwork of the highest standard in a gallery setting within CFW. The aim of the event is to emphasise the synergies between the arts by creating joint initiatives which highlights the skill and imagination of Jamaican artists and designers.

Premier fashion event

Cooper

Trevor Fearon, facilitator, visual and performing arts, stated, "This new and exciting collaboration will give the public the opportunity to be completely immersed in the arts. They will also be able to view, discuss and purchase local art." More than 15 teams competed from the clusters, and the best eight were selected to participate in this premier fashion event. Participants were given the challenge to use less than 40 per cent of fabric, together with a wide selection of mediums including natural fibre and hardware material.

Glenda Joseph-Dennis, facilitator, fashion and apparel cluster, stated, "bringing the two clusters together enables each to capitalise on the key strengths of the other - the contemplativeness of art and the pizzazz of fashion."

'Art On The Run' takes place from the June 12 to 14 during Caribbean Fashionweek 2009. The event is supported by the Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP), a project co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Jamaica.

Yardman Style was a hit at CFW 2008. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer