Marisol Smith
Island Echoes
a separates collection that explores the emotional and cultural dislocation experienced by Caymanians amidst rapid infrastructural development. As heritage sites vanish and traditions fade, this collection captures the tension between memory and modernity, belonging and loss. Garments are constructed using soft, textured fabrics that evoke familiarity and comfort, contrasted with distressed finishes that reflect cultural erosion. Gold and weathered tones are woven throughout the collection, referencing both the richness of Caymanian heritage and the fading warmth of a disappearing landscape.
Each piece is designed to stand alone yet speak collectively, symbolising endurance through a fragmenting identity. Embellishment is used as a language of preservation. Hand-beaded details, textured wovens, and revealing seams echo traditional crafts and fading landmarks, while technique and distressed surfaces symbolise the unravelling of Caymanian culture. The colour palette contrasts muted island tones with invasive industrial browns — a visual representation of the clash between nature and development. Blues recall lost coastlines, while harsh pinks signal the silent rage of watching history disappear.