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Angelica Dodds is an intelligent, ambitious, and talented Caymanian fashion designer. Since her return from Northumbria University in the United Kingdom as a Fashion Design Graduate, Loop News took the opportunity to learn more about her designs, goals, and challenges she faces pursuing an art & design career in the Cayman Islands. She also shared her views on Caymanian talent and the need to promote it.
Her designs
Speaking about her designs, Dodds said she is currently trying to use her “platform to help preserve and promote Caymanian history, culture, and traditional craftsmanship.”
She added: “I feel that if we do not try to preserve these things now that we may never get the chance-our future is dependent on our past.”
Staying true to her focus has paid off for Dodds as she shared that, at the age of 16, she “had a resort wear collection featured at Cayman Islands Fashion Week 2016.”
In addition, her graduate work was shown at Graduate Fashion Week 2022 in London, where she was nominated and shortlisted for two Graduate Fashion Week awards: the Culture & Heritage Award and the FACE(Fashion Academics Creating Equality) Excellence Price.
Some of her featured designs are shown below.
When asked what she loved most about designing, she said:
Things I love about being a designer would have to be physically making things and watching the creations conjured in my mind come to fruition.
I love the use of self-expression through what we choose to put on our bodies-how someone dresses says a lot about how they want to be perceived and the message they want to send to society.
She added: “As a womenswear designer, another thing I love is seeing how my creations make the wearer feel. When something I made makes a woman feel confident and beautiful when she wears it, I’m achieving my goal.”
Her goals
Sharing more about her fashion design future, Dodds noted that while she currently works in interior design, her business goals for 2023 are generally to continue getting her name out there and creating work that she really believes in and feels passionate about.
She added:
As I aim to kickstart my company as a resort and swimwear brand, my aspirational customer demographic would be any woman who wants to feel comfortable, cool and confident while living her best island life. However, I do aspire to branch out into other clothing genres as my brand grows.
While she works on her long-term plans, Dodds continues to create designs from a home studio that she recently renovated.
Dodds at work (Source: Angelica Dodds, Tik Tok, Instagram)
Regarding the renovation status, Dodds said: “My studio is still a work in progress, but it is my space where I can create and make plans on how to achieve my goals and manifest my aspirations for the future.”
Challenges as a designer and the need to promote Caymanian talent
Notwithstanding her drive and positive nature, Dodds indicated that there are challenges for Caymanian “creatives” like her who return home to Cayman to pursue careers in art & design.
Concerning this, Dodds shared:
The challenges I have faced as a Caymanian designer I believe are common within most creative careers and trade practices.
Growing up on an island where the majority of wealth is founded through legal and financial practices it is hard to see creative careers as viable options.
She continued:
I believe that if you are passionate enough about something and pour your heart into it, you are succeeding.
It is very important to me that in Cayman, we start reframing non-academic subjects as well as creative practices and trades as viable career options because they are.
In the process of such reframing, she also believes that more Caymanian participation must be reflected in creative practices and trades and in events promoting them.
Elucidating, she said:
I have experienced Cayman Fashion Week and events alike as a designer, model, and audience member. That being said, I feel that certain local fashion events could make more of an effort to spotlight the local designers and clothing stores rather than shedding the focus on foreign designers and special guest appearances. Though global recognition is important, we need to be representing our local talent on a global platform rather than highlighting foreign talent through our local platforms.
She continued:
Another related matter that concerns me stems from my experience and perspective as a model. It is my opinion that many local events (not just fashion) and their model recruitment/payment methods tread dangerously close to exploitation.
People seem to forget that without these models there is no event. Yet somehow, I have seen and experienced some of the people who organize these events acting as though they are doing the models a huge favor.
Yes, the models stand to gain experience and exposer from these events but that does not mean they shouldn’t be antiquity compensated for their work.
Advice for young designers
Notwithstanding these challenges, her advice to “aspiring designers, young or otherwise, is to utilize this privilege of life and [seize] every opportunity that is presented to you.”
She added: “If no opportunities present themselves- seek them out. You must be your own advocate, make noise and let your aspirations be at the forefront of everything you do.”
In addition to individual aspiration, Dodds noted that a support network must exist for younger Caymanian creatives.
She indicated that part of such a network includes showing Caymanian creatives “that their talents are valid.” This can, in turn, “translate into real careers,” she said.
Lastly, Dodds noted the value of her family and friends on the path to success.
She said: “One of my main driving forces is the unconditional love and support that I have always received and continue to receive from my parents every day. I would never have been able to achieve what I have without them.”
“My people (family and friends) always have and will be my biggest motivation,” she concluded.
Angelica Dodds (Photo credit: Linkedin, Angelica Dodds)
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