The Garifuna Experience Podcast
Dive into the heart of New York City's vibrant Garifuna community, the largest diaspora outside of Central America. This podcast amplifies authentic Garifuna voices, explores their rich history, and navigates contemporary issues, all while showcasing how Garifunas are driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in NYC and the Diaspora.
Perfect for cultural enthusiasts, curious locals, and travelers seeking an authentic NYC experience.
The Garifuna Experience Podcast
Episode 10: Threads of Heritage: Weaving Culture into NYC's Fashion Scene
In this episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast, host José Francisco Ávila unveils a bold new initiative: Garifuna Fashion Weekend 2026. This special event, timed to coincide with Garifuna-American Heritage Month, is designed to elevate Garifuna creative talent and establish New York City as a leading hub for Garifuna fashion.
José explores the rich, yet often overlooked, influence of Garifuna culture on the NYC fashion scene. He spotlights a new generation of designers, stylists, and models who are blending traditional Garifuna attire with modern, high-fashion aesthetics. The episode serves as a strategic call to action, detailing how Garifuna Fashion Weekend will serve as a vital platform for career-building, networking, and economic empowerment for the community's creative professionals.
Key highlights include:
· Past to Present: A look at how the vibrant colors and patterns of traditional Garifuna dress are being reimagined for the runway.
· Industry Pioneers: Exclusive profiles on Garifuna fashion professionals already making their mark in NYC.
· A Strategic Vision: The mission behind Garifuna Fashion Weekend as an economic catalyst and community-building event.
Tune in to discover how Garifuna culture is weaving its way into the fabric of New York's fashion industry, creating a more inclusive and dynamic future.
Resources:
The Garífuna Experience in NYC | Bronx walking tour
The Garifuna Experience in NYC
The Happy Land Memorial Walking Tour
Garifuna Heritage Walking Tour (BronxNet Video)
FEDÚ: A Celebration of Life and Heritage
Books by José Francisco Ávila
Garífuna Ancestry: The DNA Quest to Decipher the Garifuna Distant Past
Soundtrack
Jose Francisco Avila (00:12)
Welcome back to the Garifuna Experience Podcast. I'm your host, José Francisco Avila. Today we're diving into the vibrant world of style and creativity. New York City, our home and a global fashion capital is home to a powerful and largely untapped source of creative inspiration, the Garifuna community. Twice a year, New York Fashion Week transforms the city, but we must ask a critical question. Where is the Garifuna voice in high fashion? A Shifting Fashion Landscape New York's fashion industry is undergoing a significant shift. Rising operational costs and labor shortages have impacted its dominant manufacturing sector.
To regain its footing, the city is focusing on preserving artisan skills and promoting sustainable practices. This adaptation creates a unique opportunity for strategic new initiative. Garifuna Fashion Weekend 2026. When you search for Garifuna Style online, you'll find a beautiful tapestry of our heritage.
Traditional attires, the long flowing dresses and colorful shirts are pieces of art, but the high fashion industry often overlooks them. Our goal isn't just to participate, it's to thrive, to lead with our unique vision. Garifuna Innovators, a creative force. While the Garifuna influence on mainstream fashion may seem small, A talented group of professionals is already making their mark. These are the designers, stylists, and artists who are infusing their craft with the spirit of our culture. Let's spotlight some of these incredible individuals. Daisy Fernandez from Daisy Collection, Inc., a master dressmaker specializing in custom designs. Roberto Johnson, a New York based stylist.
featured in publications like Vogue Italy and W Magazine. Belinda David, an award-winning educator at the Fashion Institute of Technology, mentoring the next generation. Ilbert J. Sanchez, founder of Fedu, a menswear designer who blends Garifuna heritage with luxury casual style.
Ivan Carlos Moreira, JRC Garifuna Collection, a bronze-based entrepreneur who has built a successful brand on Garifuna pride. Arturo Thurito Martinez of Thurito Martinez Enterprises, a creative director and CEO of an emerging agency providing marketing and talent management for the multicultural community.
These professionals are pioneers, proving that Garifuna culture is a powerful force in the creative economy. Introducing the Garifuna Fashion Week in 2026. To bridge the gap between our talent and the mainstream fashion industry, we are thrilled to propose Garifuna Fashion Week 2026. This isn't just an event, it's a movement.
Taking place during Garifuna American Heritage Month 2026 from March 11 to April 12, it's designed to position New York City as an emerging Garifuna American fashion hub. New York is the perfect location as the fashion capital and home to the largest Garifuna population outside of Central America. This event will support the industry through initiatives similar to the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, a grant program which supports local fashion manufacturing and promotes inclusive economic growth throughout New York City's fashion industry by reinvesting in the supply chain of tomorrow that was built for New York City's fashion industry. The program was created with multiple components.
Innovation grants, production grants available to New York City based fashion manufacturers to purchase equipment, make capital technology upgrades and relocation grants. Workforce development provides talent pipeline and opportunities for fashion manufacturing workforce to hone their skills.and increase opportunities with new equipment and technologies in the fashion manufacturing supply chain. Local production stabilization. Working with New York City design and brand talent to create and build relationships with local manufacturers. The program will bridge opportunities for brands to make their product locally. Programs and collaborations.
a series of programs and collaborations to support the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative grant winners and the New York City manufacturing community hosted in partnership with the industry leaders and experts. Production Database, a user-friendly searchable online database that catalogs New York City fashion production companies to connect designers to local factories. This weekend will feature a dynamic mix of designers from across the Garifuna diaspora. We'll celebrate established local brands who are already reinventing the codes of luxury, sustainability, and heritage and provide a critical platform for a new generation. Regional Fashion Weeks are local events that support and promote emerging and established designers within specific geographical areas, gaining prominence alongside the major big four fashion weeks, New York, London, Milan, and Paris. They are powerful platforms that achieve multiple socioeconomic and cultural goals, such as talent incubation,
They are a launch pad for promising local talent. Economic catalyst. They boost local businesses from hospitality to retail and all the auxiliary trades that support a major event. Community building. They foster a sense of belonging and provide a safe space for the self-expression of underrepresented identities. Relationship to the Big Four Fashion Weeks. While the Big Four Fashion Weeks, New York, London, Milan, and Paris remain the most influential fashion weeks, the rise of regional events signifies a broader trend in the fashion industry. Many designers and industry professionals attend these diverse events to gain a comprehensive understanding of upcoming global trends beyond established circuit. Garifuna Fashion Weekend 2026 will be a powerful strategic study, a chance to examine the challenges we face and to identify concrete initiatives to address them over the next decade. By supporting this vibrant new wave of designers and creative professionals,
We are building a stronger, more inclusive fashion community that truly reflects the diversity and richness of New York City. This is about more than fashion. It's about empowerment, visibility, and legacy. We are not just creating clothes. We are weaving our culture into the very fabric of one of the world's greatest cities. And that wraps up another passionate episode of the Garifuna Experience podcast. We've explored how strategic vision like Garifuna Fashion Weekend 2026 can address the unique challenges facing the fashion professionals and help drive our community's prosperity. Thank you for listening. And remember, the future of the Garifuna people is in our hands, and we are driving power, prosperity, and progress.
Until next time, stay united, stay proud. Sungubay lidahaba.io. Find new episodes of the Garifuna Experience Podcast every Tuesday. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeart, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the Garifuna Experience Podcast.
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Soundtrack
