There were many elements of Spice's launch that I was pleased about, and they get a big A for effort when it comes to taking criticism and making a positive change. It was with pleasure not to have to join any of the long lines spilled unto the pavement as the Saturday night crowd for Zen waited patiently as usual for entry; persons with tickets to the launch and invitations were whisked into the club, VIP band in place, by simply walking up to the front of the building by the velvet rope.. score! The pre launch party was held on the rooftop, where complimentary Baileys and vodka cocktails were served. At the time I arrived we only had 15 minutes to spare before the show began promptly at 11:30.
Imagine my surprise when I made it down to level one to be greeted by a modified stage, albeit a very short runway,thankfully it did not snake around the bar and photographers had access to either side of the stage and the front as well.. score! I liked the idea of having the models presented inside the salt shaker, with two "chefs" spinning it around to reveal the costumes to the crowd.. clever.
It was also nice to have all the sections remain on stage, giving a good contrast as to how the costumes and colours flowed with each other. The only caveat with the small runway is there was not much modeling the models could actually do but they were well choreographed to pose and make as much of the abridged stage as they could.
The entire presentation lasted 30 minutes with 10 sections (backline, frontline and male costume) showed. The finale saw the club go dark and the costumes light up, very cool, as the costumes were edged with this glow in the dark plastic trim controlled by the little black boxes you see on the models; unfortunately the costumes will not be coming with this feature!
After that it was back up to the rooftop for a closer inspection/viewing, however only the frontlines were presented. There was a pretty good turn out to the actual rooftop area and Zen was packed solid! Thanks much for the abundance of booklets provided. I left the party at around 2AM and things were only getting started. All in all I had a really good time at the launch and was pleased to see that Zen can work for a launch with a bit of ingenuity.
Now unto the costumes, my first impression "SKIMPY!" My word, I was left wondering where the rest of the beads went for some sections. Other adjectives that came to mind were dazzling, glittering, sparkling.. there was so much BLING on those costumes I think I went into bling overload! I liked that all the costumes look very well embellished, as tiny as they are, and lots of little details went into the costumes and that not one of those traditional appliqués were used! The decoration is very contemporary! This band is for the super sexy, super fit divas... 7 months left to hit the gym!
*note you can click on any of the photos for a large view
Scotch Bonnet
Being one of the ladies with ample bosoms I do not favor strapless costumes so that is going to taint my view on this costume. On the less endowed models the strapless bra top somehow looked as if it would be a hassle to stay on, I am guessing clear bra straps might be a way to alleviate that problem,but I was also informed that ALL sections come with a corset option on request, so I guess for the ladies bigger than a B cup that can be an alternative. For all the decoration that went into Scotch Bonnet I must say that the backline costume seems to be missing something.. arm pieces maybe? That headpiece I have seen before on TRIBE's Tassel Weeds. The frontline costume with the backpack (which also looks like a bit likeTassel Weeds' backpack) looks totally finished however; I like the frontline, neutral on the backline.
Mediterranean Borage
I love the colour combination of brown and blue on this one and also that the headpiece, belt and bra is heavily encrusted with gems, beads and a small flower appliqué. The headpiece is lovely as well, pity this one does not have a frontline option I am sure it would have been spectacular.
I love the colour combination of brown and blue on this one and also that the headpiece, belt and bra is heavily encrusted with gems, beads and a small flower appliqué. The headpiece is lovely as well, pity this one does not have a frontline option I am sure it would have been spectacular.
Sea Salt
Well, I was impressed with the frontline at the media launch and the backline does not disappoint either. Cute headpiece on the backline, again very heavily jeweled bra and belt which seems to be the standard for spice; the halter top and beaded skirt is probably the most covered option of the 10 sections! The headpiece for the frontline is just ridiculous!
Garden of Sage
I am not liking the shade of green used or the embellishments on the bra;this is the only section that can use more "oomph" to compete with the rest in my opinion. Maybe a contrasting colour could have been used with the green.. I don't know but it is just a lot of green!The headpiece reminds me of Harts a bit too much; first thing I think of when I look at it.
Brown Sugar
Sexy, sexy, sexy! The colour of this costume is awesome, well the "non colour" as the effect is totally nude. The frontline has a spectacular headpiece and the model had no issues with it on stage or at the private viewing. The back of the belt on the backline costume is SO skimpy and begs all who choose this costume to wear a thong. The only thing I am not feeling is the backline headpiece, instead of the three plumes maybe a row of coque instead? Those 3 plumes are really bothering me.
Melilot Blue
I LOVE the frontline costume and the backline headpiece; the detail on the headpiece is just gorgeous...all sparkly and twirly. The issue with the frontline is 1. the style is SO not for everyone and I am sad to say only the right body can pull this one off and 2. That collar will be trouble to navigate on the road but oh how I love it! I love the shade of blue, I love all the stones used, I love the foot piece that will look fab on boots. I just LOVE it. Oh, the belt on the backline, Goddess and Defenders Island People.. I am just saying!
Paprika
Ah yes, this one is by Leasel Rovdeas and I have to say Ms. Rovedas has redeemed herself from that other costume never again to be mentioned. The frontline costume is utterly disgusting at how NAKED it is!!!!! The "sexy bra", VERY sexy I give her that, I like that is comes around the neck and cups the boobs. The belt is just two very tiny strips with what looks like 4 strands of beads.. from behind it is NAKED!!!!! The backline costume is ok, I like the bra used and the little leafy details, but the base of the headpiece is Black Magic, even in the way the decoration is placed.
Golden Basil
I am really liking the bra on this one, the fit is very nice, I do not know if it comes across in the photos. The beading on the belt is gorgeous, lots of movement in the beads. I also like the frontline a lot, the back pack is very nicely decorated with little gems sprouting from the feathers, ok, I obsess over details like that however those are what adds to the overall impact of the costume.
Peppercorns
I LOVE it!! A costume in my two favourite colours and not an overload on the black. I even forgive that TRIBE circa 2005 headpiece on the frontline, the backpack is awesome! Light, small enough to maneuver and divinely festooned with lots of GEMS; what is not to love?? I love the belt as well, love the working on the bra, the necklace... LOVE this costume!
Cardamon
The teal, purple and gold is a nice combination; I like the impact of the colours. I adore the long gold beads on the belt of both the frontline and backline; simply gorgeous. I am also liking the necklaces used, cute. The backline headpiece looks too small and I think a bigger headpiece will really bring out the costume more. I LIKE the frontline headpiece, not in love with it, something with the placement of the feathers on the purple part looks odd to me.
The male costumes are looking good, nothing overly spectacular for the males, however they do not look like an afterthought in my opinion; all the headpieces for the males seem to be pretty simple, thankfully none are a baseball cap! I love how with every band launch, week by week the costumes seem to be getting better and better! For me, and this is a purely personal choice, the style of these costumes are what I would favor if I had to choose from all the bands that have launched thus far. Now I tend to look for costumes that use materials which are a bit different from the "norm".I love well decorated, embellished costumes and really big headpieces. Some of these headpieces are a bit"tame", while others are just fabulous! Overall a very good presentation, I can only hope that the on road experience flows as well as the launch and just as much thought and detail goes into providing masqueraders with a good time on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
Kudos to the designers, Richard Anthony Productions & Concepts, Richard Dookdeen and Anthony Hall, who designed eight of the 10 sections, Paprika designed by Leasel Rovedas and Brown Sugar by Sandra Hordatt.
Kudos to the designers, Richard Anthony Productions & Concepts, Richard Dookdeen and Anthony Hall, who designed eight of the 10 sections, Paprika designed by Leasel Rovedas and Brown Sugar by Sandra Hordatt.
