Though I am still sleep deprived, subsisting on only one hour of rest so far, I just wanted to say that the band launch was great and I will do a full review on that later, but the costumes are what I want to talk about as it is all fresh in my mind. It is safe to say that I am in love with ALL the costumes; I think TRIBE did an awesome job this year with the headpieces and frontlines. There are so many frontline options that my head is reeling with the choices!! I have spent a few minutes reading other people’s reactions to the costumes, from lukewarm approval to outright heart palpitations upon viewing. What has struck me as being interesting among the comments is the claim that TRIBE has “borrowed” and “stolen” from Island People for their 2008 presentation.
Now, I am not going to be a hypocrite and say that some of TRIBE's costumes do not bear a passing resemblance to some other design we have seen before, be it from Island People, Harts or Poison. However I do not think that any one of the aforementioned bands can lay claim to a totally original prototype when it comes to costumes. They have all borrowed from portrayals past and even from Brazilian mas. That being said I also want to say that WE masqueraders are the ones who wrote to TRIBE begging for sexy, skimpy costumes with LOTS of feathers and beads and now that they have delivered exactly that some are ready to pick them apart. When the theme was something concrete like “ole time mas” and costumes represented such there was an out cry against that too, personally I am loving the fantasy theme and the fact that it is open to a wide interpretation according to the designers whim and fancy. Lets get real here, TRIBE has listened to their masqueraders and have delivered stellar costumes to add to the excellent customer service and on road experience, finally we can say TRIBE has the TOTAL package.
Unto the costumes!
My top picks in no particular order are:
Black Magic frontline
Goddess of the Chase frontline
Lady of the Lake frontline
Isis frontline
Mystique frontline
Silver Mist frontline
Phoneix
As you can see I am LOVING the frontline costumes and I will definitely be a frontline H.O. for Carnival 2008.
Titania – this section name was done before with Sonia Mack in 2005 and whereas she used a neon green and cobalt blue TRIBE’s Titania is all pastel pink. Pink is NOT my favourite colour especially this shade however in person I liked this section a lot. I realize in pics the colour does not translate as well but on stage it looked ethereal and delicate, this is a section for the younger masquerader. I am also loving the skirt option, I think it is a brilliant change of pace from the beads and the feather collar adds to the whole feeling that this costume is boudoir wear. The one thing I do not like as much is the headpiece, the pearl tiara is cute but the position of the feathers on the frontline makes it look scanty whereas it should be fuller.
Autumn Sprite – The combination of apple green and russet orange of this costume makes it stand out. The whole vibe is earthy and “woodsy” and though there are no feathers I like this one a lot. The wings are a perfect size, the headpiece fits the theme and the costume is skimpy yet it does not appear so upon first glance. I need to see the entire costume in person to further comment on the lack of glitter which might be the only caveat with this costume.
Black Magic – HOT!! That is the one word that surmises this costume. I love the beading, the bra and the headpiece. However I am not a fan of black and I think it would literally be too hot on the road ..but Sahara Jumbie ( which this headpiece resembles) was a hit with all the black feathers so I can see this being one costume that will attract a lot of attention.
Water Nymph- I am surprised that this costume is mentioned as one of most people’s favourites so far. Don’t get me wrong it is pretty and cute but it is so whimsical that I see it as a “young” costume and not necessarily having all the drama for a F.H.O. That being said the colours are beautiful, the little wings are a good complement to the costume and the beading is gorgeous.
God and Goddess of the Chase – While the backline of this costume is “nice” the frontline is spectacular!!! I am mad about the headpiece, as everyone knows I LOVE a big headpiece and this costume fits that bill to a T. The only thing is I would prefer to have a closer look at the beading and the colours to see if it is something that appeals to me.
Pixie Dust – I have to admit I had really high hopes for this section and I love the backline costume. But the frontline needs some of the ivory and gold of the backline in my opinion it is just too much blue! I also do not love the headpiece of the frontline, especially with the wings which are larger and then you have all the feathers coming towards the face in the headpiece… it just looks like too much. Other than that I like the top of the frontline and either the headpiece or the wings but not both together.
Lady of the Lake – Peach is not a colour I would gravitate to for a Carnival costume but I am so so so loving this one!!! The frontline is stellar with the cape and headdress, and this is coming from someone who needs a huge headpiece to complete the costume. The backline costume is also gorgeous, everything is just perfectly matched, with enough beading on the bra and belt and just that touch of fabric that makes both costumes look elegant. I am so in love with this frontline!
Isis – I am pleasantly surprised by this frontline costume. The bikini and belt is wicked sexy, heavily embellished and the headpiece is fierce! Outstanding costume in all aspects . The backline is nice but not as striking, I am not liking the belt to be honest but I do like the headpiece and the bra is interesting. I also need to see those colours in person.
Amalthea – The headpiece is the best feature of this costume, that and the option of a tankini or bra which I have noticed is being portrayed for several sections. This is not one of my favourite costumes out of all there is but I felt the same about Sailor mas this year and when on the road with the same colours of white and gold and it was amazing. This will be one of those costumes that surprises you when you see it on Carnival Tuesday under the blazing hot sun. The frontline is very, very pretty and I absolutely love it!
Bufferfly Bliss – I think the TRIBE designers were paying attention to all our post Carnival chatter when we were throwing out costume ideas because I was so in favour of a sheer body suit and lo and behold we have TWO sections with decorated bodysuits!! The backline to butterfly bliss is cute, pretty and sexy but the frotline is smoking hot!!! I adore the frontline costume but do think the perfect body is needed to do it justice.
Mystique – I was not expecting this shade of purple but I love it! Both the frontline and backline are amazing. In fact I like the bra and belt of the backline more than the frontline, I think either headpiece is suberb and the added wings of the frontline is perfect! This is one of those costumes that is just perfect all around.
Silver Mist – Skimpy… skimpy, sexy and skimpy!!! I like the detail on the bra and headpiece but there is not much else to this costume. The frontline is nice, I just need to examine those “spokes” closer to get an idea of how practical they are for the road but other than that it looks impressive.
Luna – If I had a least favourite of all the costumes Luna would be it only for the fact that the headpiece is just a headband. I think his is the most underwhelming costume as the “bra” is just gold lame, that could use some more decoration and the wings are a tad to small for the costume. The colours of gold and baby blue are pretty but this costume definitely need something extra to hold a candle to the rest of the sections.
Sun Goddess – This costume is nice, liking the headpiece and the colours.
Phoenix - LOVE this costume, the headpiece reminds me of Sonia Mack, but the entire costume is amazing. This is my number one pick at the moment since it has everything going for it; headpiece, dramatic back pack and a sexy bra!
Mystical India - A nice costume for those who do not want the big feathered headpiece but still want something outstanding. I am liking the red and gold combination and the overtly Indian influences on the jewelry and fabric. To me, this will be another section that may not get too much attention now but on the road will look outstanding.
Of course these are all my initial reactions to what I can recall from last night and from looking at the photos and the booklet a million times, I have to also add that that Harry Potter cocktail was lethal so my perceptions of all the costumes being amazing might be tempered by the fact that I was pretty much well liquored up when the show started. My opinions might change when I get a closer look of the costumes at the viewing where I can scrutinize every little detail so do not be surprised if I come back later on and change my reviews of the costumes.
Edited to add:Myth of Babylonia - Since this is the only section not in the booklet I can only guess that it is Peter Elias's red costume. I did not get a good photo of it at all since the models raced off the stage but Triniscene.com has several photos of this section.
I am not impressed at all with Peter's decision to go couture with mas. Again this is another "outfit" section and while different it is not exciting in any way! Jean and Dinah was better compared to this unless he decideds to add something more later on. It is basically red fabric made into a bustier and skirt...that's it! Faithful fans of Peter will no doubt be swathed in red come Carnival Tuesday and I cannot wait for the price on this one!
PHOTO SOURCE:
www.triniscene.com 
