CARIFESTA XV welcomes Barbadian Stylist Adrian Carew Home

Adrian Carew - Hairstylist

Before the music swells and the lights warm the air in Bridgetown, there is a quiet moment where craft meets intention. It is the space Adrian Carew knows best. He is Barbadian, he is exacting, and he has spent years teaching fashion’s biggest rooms that Black hair is not an afterthought, it is an art. Backstage in Milan, he has guided teams through texture and technique, through the language of curls and coils, through respect. That work arrives with him to CARIFESTA XV!

For Fashion Lead Candi Nicholls, having him on the team is personal and professional pride wrapped in one. The two go back to secondary school days at Combermere, with shared memories of Toronto visits and youthful dreams of fashion’s bright lights. She still remembers the thrill of seeing him post backstage footage from an Isabel Marant show, proof that a boy from Barbados could stand among the industry’s best. Adrian, who once thought his path might be in aviation, closed his Toronto salon during the Covid-19 pandemic and reimagined his next chapter.

Now he moves between Canada and Europe’s fashion capitals. Now he is carrying knowledge and connections back to the region that shaped him. For Candi, fashion is not just spectacle, it is a serious economic driver. “This is identity,” she says, “and it is opportunity.” Her vision for CARIFESTA XV’s fashion programme stretches far beyond the runway. The clothes and shows are only the visible tip; beneath them is a framework of training, networking, and business-building designed to keep talent working long after the festival closes. The programme’s reach widens with daily workshops at the Grand Market, generally running from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Careers in Fashion will pull back the curtain on the business side, from editorial styling workflows to financing collections. ‘Voices in Fashion’ will explore how Caribbean stories are told through cloth and cut. The Casting Call workshop will connect models directly with major agencies like Next Model Management and Wilhelmina, along with industry insights from Ask a Model Agent. The point is not empty promises but real proximity to decision-makers, because proximity is where opportunity begins. Candi’s curation also reflects fashion as a complete ecosystem.

A representative from Hildun, a finance company for fashion businesses, will explain how to fund shows and scale ideas. Nigel Barker, the celebrated photographer known from America’s Next Top Model, will speak about what it takes to create an image that resonates. These sessions balance the

practical with the inspirational, giving emerging talent a roadmap to follow.

For all the workshops and planning, the runway moments remain electric. Broad Street in front of Cave Shepherd will transform into an open-air runway. About 40 models will wear looks from across the Caribbean and beyond, Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent, Cuba, the British Virgin Islands, and host nation Barbados will be among the nations on display. The opening is simple yet powerful: one representative from each country, with Barbados fielding two, creating a one-hour arc of the region’s style story.

Later in the festival, the Fashion Village will host evening shows, typically from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., establishing a nightly ritual of discovery. By Barbados Day, the spotlight will turn fully to local talent in a vibrant celebration of homegrown design.

The Grand Market will be the commercial heartbeat of the programme. Here, attendees can meet designers, learn the stories behind the pieces, and make purchases on the spot. Not every creator will have a runway slot, but many will be represented in the market with shoes, bags, jewellery, and ready-to-wear pieces. This, Candi explains, is intentional. Visibility builds a brand, but sales sustain it.

Some opportunities will come from unexpected places. A model who does not match runway criteria might still book an editorial shoot. A student with no interest in sewing could discover a career in styling, PR, or production. A passerby could see a show, wander into the Grand Market, buy a bag, and start a long-term relationship with a designer.

Candi has been deliberate about scheduling to maximise access. Workshops take place in the afternoons so students can attend, while the open-air shows remain public and free, ensuring anyone, from a curious passerby to a budding designer, can be inspired. Her hope is that a child just passing by might watch a model in a look from Cuba, then another from Venezuela, then Nigeria, and understand that the Caribbean belongs in that global conversation.

She is also keen to showcase the region’s breadth. She lights up when discussing fabrics from Trinidad that have remained relevant for decades, and the sophistication and playfulness of Barbadian design. More than anything, she wants to show the world that the system surrounding Caribbean fashion, documentation, financing, styling, photography, distribution, is strengthening. The stronger the system, the farther the work travels, and the more the creative economy grows.

Through all this, Adrian’s presence is a constant, steadying force. The man who once imagined a career in aviation now pilots backstage environments with the same precision, ensuring that hair, so often misunderstood or mishandled in international fashion, is treated with the artistry and respect it deserves.

Stand on Broad Street when the first model steps out. Watch how the hair moves and holds under the island light. Listen as the crowd claims the space as theirs. Wander into the Grand Market, touch a bag, and speak to the person who made it. Sit in a workshop and write down the three steps that turn your interest into a plan. This is a festival threading pride into profit, and sending it out into the world with the Caribbean stitched into every seam.