“The secret life of plants,” a theme explored by Trinidadian designer, Meiling Esau, first hit the runways in early 2009.  Since then Meiling has carried on her inquiry in her 2010 line, with minimalist designs and a muted color palate.  Using dulled earth tones reminiscent of pressed flowers in their early stages of preservation and the grey hues of flowers after their death, Meiling’s most recent work offers experimental fashion with a classic underpinning.  First shown in Trinidad fashion week, Meiling 2010 is scheduled for the runway at the tenth annual Caribbean Fashion Week held in Kingston, Jamaica this June.  This display will showcase her natural dyed fabrics of cottons and silks in a palate of subtle pastels, from which one can expect draping sundresses, silk suits, wide-legged dress pants and faired A-line dresses comprised of loose, yet flattering fits for women; in addition to silken pants, cotton vests, hoodies, knits and printed shirts of grey-blue hues in both urban and formal wear for men.

Meiling was formally trained in fashion design at Lucie Clayton School of Design in London, England in the 1960s but has been sewing with the help of her mother’s instruction since childhood.  Upon her graduating from Clayton, Meiling moved back to Trinidad & Tobago in the early 1970s where she opened her first showroom in a retrofitted garage.  From here, Meiling developed her signature style in elaborating natural fabrics, as well as gracing the runway with her precedent-setting shows, making her a visionary in the Caribbean fashion world and the global fashion scene.  At the start of her career, Meiling began making a name in both fashion design and fashion shows with her still-talked-about 1976 runway show that featured Macaws.  Seven years later Meiling began working with costume designer Peter Minshall on costumes for the Trinidadian Carnival.  This reputation led to her eventual participation in the costume design for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia and the commission from Absolut Vodka to design the uniforms for one of their bars.

Further developing her interest in working with natural fabrics, Meiling launched a Resort line that draws upon traditional garments from around the world comprised of embroidered white linens and loose-fitting designs in 1996.  More recently, Meiling raised the bar higher yet with her 2002 fashion show entitled, “Meiling: The Private Collection,” where guests were invited into the designer’s Port of Spain home in Trinidad to witness the spectacle.  This distinct and highly developed style has been a common thread throughout Meiling’s work, which is reflected in everything she designs from her costumes and wardrobe to her fashion shows, photo shoots and even the somewhat eerie, voodoo inspired flash imagery on her website.  With such success in her career, Caribbean Fashion Week finally recognized Meiling for her unparalleled creativity with the honorary award of Grand Master of Fashion Design in 2008.  In that same year, Meiling worked with local Trinidadian boutique, Micles, to create a line at a lower price-point called MSQUARED, which again placed Meiling among the first to participate trend that many have now followed in the fashion world.

In addition to designing for her 2010 line, the Resort line and MSQUARED, Meiling is most recently experimenting in yet another direction.  This year Meiling has created Meiling’s Model Bootcamp, which is a five-day intensive training for runway models.  Spawning from the dozens of aspiring models requesting to participate in one of Meiling’s legendary fashion shows, Meiling was moved to create a resource for the “many young men and women who have no clue what it takes to be a model; whether physically, mentally, or even emotionally” that call upon her daily.  Meiling’s Model Bootcamp is designed to instruct models the ins and outs of runway shows, where they will learn behind-the-scenes information from industry professionals and get a chance to walk in one of Meiling’s upcoming fashion shows.

In the span of Meiling’s thirty-something year career, she has pulled from her Trinidadian roots, her European training and the ubiquitous Western fashion influences to develop a style unlike any in the Caribbean, placing her among the trend-setting renegades of the global fashion sphere. Meiling’s current study, “the secret life of plants,” is true to her style in design, and the powdered earth tones are well suited with the natural fabrics she has been working with.  Her recent exploration of the colors and patterns of decaying and preserved flowers is right on time with the color palate of the world’s fashion designers creating looks that are progressive yet classic, cutting edge yet timeless with designs subtly mimicking the listlessness of the dried ruffles of flower petals and leaves.

The Meiling line is available in Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Thomas USVI, Martinique, and is available for viewing at www.meilinginc.com