The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

WITH countless designers looking for that big break in the fashion industry, Bahamian Anthea Bullard knows that if she is to stand out she must exhibit an original approach to fashion with unique designs that conform to the trends, yet also break the rules.

The young Freeport-based designer toils long and hard to consistently reinvent her brand and add fresh pieces to her existing Hardour Collection.

It was this innovation represented in her work over time that organisers of the Caribbean Style & Culture showcase saw fitting to reward this summer.

Anthea was recognised and awarded in the United States capital of Washington, DC, for fashion innovation and overall fashion contributions to the Caribbean community at large by the Karib Nation non-profit organisation in celebration of National Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Caribbean Style & Culture is a showcase of fashion, music and art, held annually in the month of June to commemorate and celebrate National Caribbean American Heritage Month in Washington, DC.

The showcase aims to capture the flair, glamour, and lavish elegance of the Caribbean, while also spotlighting the dynamic and innovative fashion industry of the region and rewarding the significant contributions the designers have made over the years.

This year’s showcase featured 16 designers representing the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Colombia.

The Bahamas was the honorary country for this year’s event, which is now in its fifth year, and honoured Anthea for her work in the Caribbean fashion industry.

She received tremendous accolades after her runway show and piqued the interest of several buyers in attendance.

“I was recognised and awarded for my fashion contributions to the Caribbean community at large and for my iconic red gown that features colourful, wooden hand-carved islands of the Bahamas at the back. It was a pleasant shock to me, but I was appreciative and thankful for both the recognition and the award,” Anthea told Tribune Woman.

“Fashion innovators have an unique aesthetic that is respected amongst their communities and also the fashion industry. They generally create outside of the current market trends and gain significant recognition within the fashion industry, and because I aim to stay within these guidelines with my work, I feel honoured,” she said.

Anthea has always been passionate about designing. Being able to do something she loves, she said, and be rewarded for it is a good feeling.

“This award is a motivational gift for me. To be applauded by the Ambassador to the US for the Bahamas for your creativity and for the international recognition while in DC is just stimulating. It’s not only a wonderful reward to enhance my resum�, but it is an inspiring one that pushed me to work harder and strive further to expand my career.

“Another compelling award I received was being recognised in a student fashion competition in 2008 amongst nearly 200 other designers from all over the world, including Japan, Africa, China, and Sweden while studying fashion design in Los Angeles, California,” she told Tribune Woman.
Currently, Anthea is working on two projects – a gown collection and promoting her Resort T-shirt and hat line which are all available on the Hardour website.

“My plans are and always will be to grow. I am always working to take my career to the next level by gaining international exposure and brand awareness throughout the world,” she said.

Hardour Collection began with a flagship boutique in Freeport, but has now begun its global expansion. The company has shifted gears and is now tapping into the Miami fashion market.

The Hardour website has an e-boutique, which is open for business and where costumers can buy all Hardour garments online and have them shipped globally. Personal design consultation can also be arranged via the website, she said.

Anthea is also seeking to her expand her brand and focus on Hardour’s online presence.

For more information, go to hardourcollection.com.