Lucien Harrison puts inclusive Jamaican ready-to-wear fashion on the New Kingston runway

Lucien Harrison’s Ready-to-Wear (RTW) Fashion Show turned the NHT Parking Lot grounds in New Kingston into a Sunday night runway built around creativity, collaboration and inclusion. Nine designers presented upcoming lines, while the model casting underscored Harrison’s aim to widen how beauty is seen in Jamaican fashion.

Harrison said the idea came from wanting to place many kinds of creative workers in the same space and make the production open to people across different looks and backgrounds. He told Living that the show was meant to bring together make-up artists, hairdressers, videographers, photographers, designers, models and artistes in a setting that welcomed every type, shape and colour.

For the designer line-up, Harrison drew from several parts of Jamaica, including Montego Bay, Portland, St Catherine and St Andrew. The featured creatives included Nashwear, Tonii Alanna Designs, Endlesz Dezigns, RMS Apparels, Young Addiction, Styled by Neeks, Na’Mae and Naomi Frazer.

He said some of the designers were already familiar to him, while others were discovered through their work, online presence and approach to the craft. According to Harrison, the group suited the concept because they shared a clear sense of direction, strong ambition and humility, and deserved a brighter spotlight in a field that can often feel highly competitive.

Debbie Bissoon hosted the evening and added a playful moment of her own by calling sharply dressed patrons from the audience onto the runway, briefly turning spectators into part of the fashion presentation.

Harrison’s own collection leaned into his taste for vintage styling, using classic ideas with a contemporary ready-to-wear feel. The presentation opened with a standout wedding dress, then moved through a black-and-white palette that echoed his logo. Polka dots appeared throughout the showing, including on pumpkin skirts and dresses, before denim took its place in the collection.

He said denim reflects his personal streetwear taste and the versatility he sees in the fabric. Harrison explained that he designs denim for different settings because, in his view, it can be dressed up or kept casual, matching a style that is both structured and playful.

A major part of the showcase was the decision to include models with different body types and abilities. Harrison said two of the more demanding and fulfilling pieces were custom outfits for clients and models Ginnel Peart McKenzie and Kaylan Dowdie, both wheelchair users.

He said the runway should not be limited to size-zero models, noting that his clients include children, people from the disabled community and plus-size customers. Harrison said the plus-size models, wheelchair users and models who fit conventional fashion standards all had a place in the show because fashion should be universal. For him, beauty is rooted in confidence and being oneself.

Harrison said the response from the audience was strong, with some guests comparing the production to international standards and pointing to the VIP experience and Fidelity Motors’ presence on the runway. He also said the show is the first instalment in a three-part series, with a second segment planned for another runway.