The COVID-19 pandemicmay haveforced many eventsin our lives to come to a halt but it will not stop fashion from moving forward. An online platform out of Montserrat,664Connect, will host its first virtual regional fashion show on Saturday, September 19. It will showcase the spring/summer collections of fashion designers and brands from Montserrat,Anguilla, Jamaica/UK and St Vincent and the Grenadines. VernaireBass, the founder of 664Connect, toldLoop Newsthe logistics behind hosting a virtual fashion show as opposed to a normal one isverydifferent. Everything mustwork seamlessly andbe timedwellsoit feels like theaudienceis watching a fashion show where everyone is in the same place. Bass says in terms of the future of hosting fashion shows, this might become the new normal, especially since we are now living in a moretechnologicallyadvacnedworld. “COVID-19 has created a lot of challenges but it has also created opportunities. For example, one of the designers is based in London, one of the designers is based in Anguilla, Iamhere in Montserrat and I am showcasing all of them at the same time. What it does as well it also reduces the cost so it takes away having to rent a venue, youcan get a much smaller venue, even rent a studio as opposed to when you have to have a live audience, the space would have to be a lot bigger,”said Bass. Following this fashion show, Bass toldLoop Newsshe is now keen about bringing fashion to the forefront in Montserrat as well as expose people to Caribbean fashion. A February fashion show is also being planned and regional designers are encouraged to sign up. The virtual fashion show will take place tomorrow from 3pm on 664Connect’s Facebook page/664Connectmni. Here is a list of the fashion designersand theircollectionswhichwill beshowcasedat the virtual regional fashion show: You-Nique Island Wear-VerniqueFenton-Montserrat From the collection You-Nique Island Wear Founded earlier this year by 19-year-old Montserratian entrepreneur Vernique Fenton, You-NiqueIsland Wear celebrates every women’s style in an undeniably and fashionable way. The idea for the brand was driven by Vernique’s love for the beach and also because she identified a gap in Montserrat’s retail market for a fashionable women’s swimwear brand. AfloDesigns–Florence Guishard-Anguilla From the collection Aflo Designs Florence Guishard is a 26-year-old Anguillan designer/seamstress who took a leap of faith withAfloDesigns. She always had a great love for sewing and throughout the years her passion has grown. Florence says her journey to where she is now has been a wild adventure from small jobs to various prom dresses and even bridal gownsand entire bridal party garments. Y F Designs-YerdiFleming -Anguilla From the collection Y T Designs Designing has always been a passion for 26-year-oldYerdiFleming,a dancer, model and designer who was born in the Dominican Republicand raised in Anguilla. The Anguilla summer festival 2016 was one of the greatest carnival experiences for him when he made his first recycle wear forCarenciaRouse who was a contestant in the Miss Anguilla pageant. Carenciawon that segment and was crowned that night whichhas sinceopened many doors forYerdi. He created his first clothing line in 2017. KashaneSwaby-DeleishaSwaby-Jamaica/UK From the collection Kashane Swaby KashaneSwaby is a womenswear brand that was founded by UK basedJamaicanfashion designerDeleishaSwaby in 2014. Since then she has established a brand that is respected nationally andinternationally for capturing elegance, style and great craftsmanship in every garment that shedesigns and produces. The brand is targeted at women aged 18-34 that love to indulge in thefiner things in life and wear clothes that bring out their natural confidence and their sexyfemininity. PetaOdini-PetaOdiniSutherland-St Vincent and the Grenadines From the collection Peta Odini PetaOdiniis the fashion brand by award winning Vincentian designer PetaOdiniSutherland. PetaOdiniis a slightly wayward spin on what menswear ought to be. Tailored influenceswith a healthy dose of Caribbean cool. It is something to be experienced (and worn). PetaOdiniaims to fit into that niche of a young Caribbean designer brand. In June 2017, PetaOdinireceived the Fashion Excellence Award, Fashion Innovation fromthe Caribbean Style & CultureOrganisationin Washington. Fashion is Payne-Jeremy Payne-St Vincent and the Grenadines From the collection Fashion is Payne Fashion Is PAYNE was established by Jeremy PAYNE as a womenswear and menswearbrand creating clothing and accessories geared towards the urban-islander. The style focuses on reinterpreting classic silhouettes in clean contemporary ways withattention to detail and surface embellishment. There’s an indulgence in finding ways to fusethe fine arts with fashion as the brandevolveseach season. The PAYNE guy and gal are fashion forward worldtravellerswho desire elements of style for personal expressionandcomfort for functionality. Jeremy Payne is a multidisciplinary artistanddesigner. KimmysticClo-Kimon Baptiste-St RoseSt Vincent and the Grenadines From the collection Kimmystic Clo Kimon Baptiste-St Rose is a self-taught fashion designer who made her debut into the worldof fashion and runway shows in December 1999, at the Fashion Caribbean show in StVincent and the Grenadines. Since then, Kimon has worked alongside and assisted projectrunway alumni designers such as Viktor Luna and Michael Costello. Kimon was named the Island Designer of St Vincent and the Grenadines at the 2008Caribbean Fashion awards and has been the recipient of several awards since then. She is also sought after throughout the Caribbean for her expertise in fashion andpageantry. Kimon officially launched her clothing brandKimmystic.Cloin 2007. Kimmystic.Clois asustainable brand that features ready to wear, as well as custom clothing such as bridal andevening gowns.