TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Conservative designs with a delightful feminine appeal

TRININAD: Designer Lisa de Freitas will host her third local showing on the Savannah Terrace at the Hilton Trinidad. The Savannah Terrace is set to come alive with a wash of brilliant colours and beautiful models.

Born in Canada to an Irish mother and Trinidadian father de Freitas, 34, lived in Trinidad from the age of 5 before attending college in Ireland. She spent three years working in Dublin eventually becoming a head designer at Regine, one of the top-end ladies' wear design houses.

She worked in London for a year honing her design skills at a firm that supplied on-trend youthful fashion to many of the most well-known high street chains in Britain including Next, Warehouse and Oasis.

Following this de Freitas returned to Trinidad in 2000 and established her own business, starting small, and serving clients on a made-to-order basis. In 2003, she opened her own design studio - The Design Lab - at 40 Hunter Street, Woodbrook.

For my client base I do a lot of one-of-a-kind, special occasion wear. I really enjoy the stretch of designing something unique, eye-catching and that fits superbly, de Freitas says.

Though her designs incorporate bold colours and flowery prints, they are far from flashy even bordering on conservative with a delightful feminine appeal.

For her upcoming show, she has sourced fabrics from the United States as well as India, as part of her commitment to keeping her pieces unique.

The designer also stated that plans are underway for an expansion in 2008, to increase production capacity, and bring the designs of Lisa de Freitas to an even broader audience, in Trinidad, and beyond.