Jamaica will stage its first Jamaica International Fashion Week (JIFW) on 19 November at Island Village in St Ann, bringing together designers from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and North America for a four‑day celebration of style, culture and tourism.
From Reykjavík to Ocho Rios
The event has been created by St Ann‑born health psychologist and entrepreneur Carlotta Tate Olason, who has spent years forging fashion connections while living and working in London and Iceland. Her aim is to position fashion as a reason to visit a destination as well as a cultural offering — an approach she developed while launching fashion platforms in Reykjavík.
Olason and her daughter, Bianca Hallveig Sigurðardóttir, both helped set up Erlendur Magazine, Erlendur Agency and Erlendur Fashion Week Iceland. Their Iceland initiative was produced in partnership with the Whales of Iceland Museum and sought to make fashion an attraction that prompts visitors to explore the country’s landscape, hospitality and culture.
“My journey into fashion has always been about much more than clothing. I have always believed in the power of platforms to connect people, cultures and communities.”
That philosophy underpins the Jamaican launch, which will run under the theme ‘When Worlds Collide – Fashion, Tourism, Culture’. Olason has collaborated with Jamaican designer Latoya McLeary, founder of luxury eyewear brand Hautelife World Eyewear, who has taken a creative leadership role after joining the Iceland project.
Event snapshot and objectives
Organisers say the festival will be about more than runway shows: it aims to link designers and creative industries across continents, showcase local culture and attract visitors who will engage with Jamaica as a destination. The model follows the Erlendur concept of integrating place and presentation so that the country forms part of the fashion narrative.
- Date: 19 November (four‑day programme)
- Venue: Island Village, St Ann
- Theme: When Worlds Collide – Fashion, Tourism, Culture
- Key organisers: Carlotta Tate Olason and Bianca Hallveig Sigurðardóttir; creative direction involvement from Latoya McLeary
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origins | Concept developed from Icelandic fashion platform work |
| Partners | Erlendur Magazine/Agency, Erlendur Fashion Week Iceland; Whales of Iceland Museum (Iceland project) |
What this means for Jamaica
The festival could broaden the island’s cultural tourism offering by presenting fashion as an experiential draw, encouraging travellers to combine runway events with heritage, hospitality and landscape exploration. For Jamaican designers and creative professionals, the gathering offers exposure to international markets and potential collaborations across Africa, Europe and North America.
For Olason the initiative is personal: her migration from Jamaica to London and Iceland shaped a belief that platforms can act as bridges between people and places. By bringing that idea back to Jamaica, organisers hope to create a sustainable event that benefits both the fashion sector and the wider tourism economy.
Details such as the full list of participating designers, schedule of shows and associated cultural activities are expected to be released as the November dates approach. The weekend will be closely watched by industry observers who are interested in how destination‑focused fashion weeks can influence travel patterns and local creative industries.
The launch of JIFW is an example of how creative entrepreneurs are rethinking fashion presentation — not merely as a sequence of catwalks, but as a means of promoting place, storytelling and cross‑cultural exchange.
