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Guyana’s Minister Oneidge Walrond, who oversees Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, has responded to claims made by fashion designer Marrissa Wilson.
Wilson, a Guyanese designer based in New York, accusing the Guyanese government of copying her ideas for the newly launched ‘ORIGINS Guyana Fashion Festival.’
Minister Walrond, in a Facebook live video, said the ORIGINS brand was created by a team of local fashion experts and event organizers, put together by the Ministry. She said this is part of a bigger plan to support Guyana’s growing fashion industry, with over $2.6 billion already set aside for 2024 and $3.6 billion more in the 2025 budget.
The minister explained that Wilson’s team had been in talks with officials both in Guyana and the U.S. During these talks, they agreed in general on the goals of the festival and how Wilson’s team might be involved.
However, Walrond said that there was no final agreement on what Wilson’s team would do. They only sent a short 3-minute video to be shown at the launch and asked that the ORIGINS brand be used in some images.
The video was shown at the launch on March 26, and Wilson was mentioned in the speech, but the images were not used.
Some festival activities were already being handled by other designers, and discussions with Wilson were still ongoing. Walrond said Wilson’s reaction, a video accusing the government, was “wrong and misleading” and has now been widely shared.
The minister praised Wilson’s talent but said it was disappointing that she chose to go public with what Walrond described as “lies and exaggerations” instead of helping Guyana’s fashion industry grow.
Walrond said Guyana is now becoming known for its fashion and creativity. She said President Irfaan Ali strongly supports the industry and wants to show the world what Guyanese designers can do.
She ended by saying that the government will continue working to make the May event a world-class show. She regretted that Wilson decided not to be part of it.
The ORIGINS Guyana Fashion Festival will run from May 2 to 4, 2025. It aims to give Guyanese fashion talent a chance to shine on the world stage. It will also include workshops and training for new designers. The theme of the festival is “Foundations of Guyanese Fashion.”
Source: Guyana PIS.
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