The 16th staging of Pulse’s Caribbean Fashion Week took place last weekend, and left goers with mixed feelings.•    YC by James Black

The weekend of events had many noticeable changes; the most evident change was the location which was changed from The National Indoor Sports Centre to Pulse’s Villa Ronai. According to the Pulse Family, Villa Ronai is where Caribbean Fashion Week began and a perfect place for rebirth with title sponsor The Melia Braco Hotel.

Though a distance away from the hustle and bustle of Kingston’s night life Villa Ronai was the perfect setting with a beautiful layout, gorgeous lighting and perfect ambience.

While the collections showcased were limited they definitely did not disappoint, and fashionistas got an eyeful of what was to come in regard to Caribbean Fashion. This year’s Caribbean Fashion Week gave tribute to the late singer and performer Prince and some collections reflected his eye catching sense of style while others just showcased their own unique looks.

 Below are our top four favourite collections that were showcased at CFW 2016.

•    Drenna Luna

Jamaican Designer Jamie Spence is no stranger to the Caribbean Fashion Week Runway and her collections seemingly get better year after year. This year was no exception as her signature swim suits and resort wear caught our eyes with their vibrant colours, prints, sleek cuts and excellent finishes. These ready to wear designs are perfect for the consummate Island fashionista ready to take on summer 2016.

•    Meiling

Drenna Luna by Arlene and Angelie Martin is household name for any Caribbean Fashionista and it continues to shine with its flair for elegance. This year’s showcase at Caribbean Fashion Week continued to highlight this. Designs showcased flawless finishes and beautiful fits and evening wear fit for any occasion. These designs are either ready to wear or can be custom made. With gorgeous fabrics and rich colours Drenna Luna was an undeniable show stopper; especially being accentuated with beautiful wooden accessories from Maramade designs by Tamara Harding

•    Zaid

Trinidadian designer Meiling is described as the queen of minimalism, and epitomizes the concept of less is more. Meiling’s 2016 showcase highlighted this with her collection been all white and airy with beautiful light cottons which gave an ethereal glow. Meiling is not only special because of the minimalistic approach in her collections but in fact the soft yet intricate detailing. These beautiful details are what made and continues to make Meiling a showstopper in the regional fashion world.

Jamaican designer and former model Zaid is continuously making strides in the Fashion Industry. He is no stranger to Caribbean Fashion Week and the beautiful finishes and sleek cuts along with the hand painted fabrics of his designs highlight this. Zaid showcased two collections at this year’s Caribbean Fashion Week, with the first of the two grabbing our attention. The soft colours of pink, white and lavender along with the structured designs are fit for any man or woman on the go but still elegant and stylish. His tribute collection to Jamaican icon Peter Tosh was also enchanting

Summer has now officially began and while CFW 2016 undeniably lacked luster, the collections shown were a perfect way to kick off the summer as every young fashionista now knows where to head for their perfect summer fit.