St. Maarten Fashion Designer Zillah Duzon Hazel (centre) with two other fashion designers.
PHILIPSBURG--The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) recently sponsored local fashion designer Zillah Duzon Hazel who attended The Bomb Fashion Show at Chelsea Industrial in New York City on September 9.
The event was hosted by American TV personality, actress, businesswoman, author, and philanthropist Nene Leakes.
Hazel was one of the featured designers at the fashion show. The Bomb Fashion Show was a star-studded experience that discovered and recognised cutting-edge creatives in fashion, showcasing their critical contributions as the fashion industry grapples with diverse representation and constructive solutions for economic inclusion, STB said in a press release.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the STB for sponsoring me to participate in the Bomb Fashion Show. To have the opportunity to present my collection during New York Fashion Week was a dream of mine that I can now scratch off my bucket list. My goal has always been to be a positive inspiration to people around me and the generations coming behind me, to show them that making a living from your art and creativity is possible. Lastly, I would like to thank the entire community of St Maarten for their support in helping me to reach my goal. I am grateful,” Hazel said.
The red-carpet event highlighted excellence with awe-inspiring runway collections, a designer marketplace, post-worthy photo moments, and more.
“Destination St Maarten was proud to have Zillah Duzon Hazel profiling the island and showcasing her fashion brand which is part and parcel of the orange economy that the STB has been focusing on. This was the perfect opportunity to sponsor a St Maarten fashion designer,” it was stated in the release.
“Destination St Maarten could receive extensive media coverage and attention when participating in fashion events generating positive press coverage resulting in potential visitors booking a holiday to the island for a magical experience.”
According to the release, the word “Jolie” is French for “pretty” and that is exactly what Jolie Duzon represents: exclusive fashion from St Maarten designed to make women feel pretty, beautiful, and confident.
Hazel merges European elegance with bright prints inspired by the colours and the lifestyle of the islands, thus, creating the trendy and exclusive Jolie Duzon brand.
Claire Siobhan Sulmers is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of Fashion Bomb Daily, a direct-to-consumer fashion company that leverages content and community to power a multicultural shopping experience.
Readers log on to The Fashion Bomb for its fresh takes on fashion news and stories, along with its boutique spotlights, exclusive editorials, magazine scans, fashion show reviews, trends, wardrobe advice, celebrity looks for less, and tips from the best in the business on how to break into the industry. The site has 2.4 million monthly visitors, it was stated in the release.
“The cultural and creative industries, or orange economy, are being harnessed by countries for their potential as an engine for development. The orange economy is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.”
The industry was estimated at US $2.25 billion and contributed to more than 29.5 million jobs worldwide in 2015. By 2017, it had grown to more than nine trillion of the world economy and 18 trillion according to McKinsey Global Institute.
“St. Maarten may become a popular destination for travellers interested in fashion and design if it participates in a major event like The Bomb Fashion Show with local designers. This could result in more visitors coming to St. Maarten particularly to attend or see fashion-related events, which would help local establishments including hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues,” it was stated in the release.
“St. Maarten can showcase its distinct cultural identity and fashion legacy by displaying local designers on a global scale,” Acting Section Head, Visitor Relations and Product Development Cherinah Franken stated.
