IT is the final days of her reign as Miss Jamaica, and Chantal Raymond is bubbly and full of joy and appreciation as she reflects on a year well spent.

“It’s been an amazing year, complete with fantastic opportunities to represent my people both at home and abroad. The charity work I have done has been fulfilling — I truly have no complaints,” she gushed.

As a beauty queen, Raymond is constantly in the spotlight and therefore style and fashion become that more important. Raymond describes her sense of style as “fun, colourful and simply anything that looks good on me”.

As Jamaica OBSERVER CELEBRATES FASHION’S NIGHT OUT, she notes that her favourite place to pick up items of clothing here in Jamaica is Kingston’s Flirt Boutique. “They stock a wide range of clothing from simple, casual pieces to more elegant cocktail dresses and evening gowns — all trendy, great quality and reasonably priced,” Raymond adds. She says, only recently she could not resist a little black and white dress from Flirt.

To complement her outfit, Raymond says the right accessory is key. “I am an earring and bracelet girl,” she interjects noting, that she would feel naked without her earrings. As a result, she stocks up on hundreds of them. She quickly added that although she loves shoes, she’s not obsessed. She then mentioned a towering pair of five-inch stilettos which she says are a favourite. These days she completes her look with splashes of Pink Sugar by Aquolina — a perfume she says smells sweet “like cotton candy”.

For those still unsure of their personal style, Raymond advises: “Don’t follow trends, dare to be different and choose pieces that empower you.”