Fashion Fridays: Attitude by Ashley Martin

Words by Mikaila Brown, Photo by Biggy Bigz—

The annual Caribbean Fashion Week (CFW) in Jamaica has truly become a first-rate, international fashion showcase for Caribbean, African and Diasporic designers to display their brands.

One such noteworthy line is Attitude created by singer-turned-fashion-designer Ashley Martin. Ms. Martin is no stranger to success. She used to be the lead female vocalist for the legendary band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. She has also worked as the entertainment coordinator at Hedonism II in Negril.

Her foray into fashion has been equally trendsetting. In 2011, she designed a dress made of glass that earned her Saint International’s Avant Garde Designer of the Year award. It is considered the first dress made entirely of glass, and is currently being assessed by the Guinness Book of World Records.

This creativity in material is reflected in the collection Ms. Martin presented at CFW two weeks ago. It boasts feathers, leather and animal print galore. One of the last collections to close out the show, Ms.Martin wowed the crowd with models that looked sleek, chic and slightly animalistic. Attendees of the show were transfixed by each piece as if they were witnessing a very sophisticated safari. The collection feels sophisticated and fierce; very African meets Paris.

Ashley Martin is establishing herself as the next Jamaican designer to watch. She’s already generating international acclaim—her line has been featured on the American, British and Bajan editions of Next Top Model. Whether it be headlining a concert or constructing beautiful clothing, there is no denying that Ashley Martin is a show stopper. It will be exciting to see where she takes this line.