St. Lucia Carnival is quickly turning into one of the most anticipated events of the summer season, and if you’re lucky enough to attend and gaze upon the culture, festivities, and feathered beauties in attendance like Chloe Bailey, it’s easy to see why.
Masqueraders from Xuvo’s award-winning Angele section line up to cross the stage for judging/ Source: Alexander Mayo / @alxmyo
Let’s start with the location: The island’s landscape boasts hills and mountains at every angle. Look anywhere, and you’ve got a beautiful view. St. Lucia’s local music, Dennery Segment, which powers its festivities, is a pulsating mix of several Caribbean genres — like soca, zouk, and dancehall — born from the island’s Dennery district. Then there’s Bouyon, an equally infectious, upbeat, and raunchy genre from nearby Dominica, which finds its way into every DJ set during the carnival season. Another draw? The costumes. St. Lucia’s mas bands (or masquerade bands, which participate in the big parade every carnival) are exquisite, created by some of the Caribbean’s most talented and sought-after designers. For many masqueraders, the look of the costume is at the top of the list when it comes to choosing a mas band to play with, and the island does not disappoint in that category.
A masquerader wearing an elaborate, wheeled costume crosses paths with a party band on the road. These costumes are a staple of Caribbean carnival and reflect the region’s storied tradition/ Source: Alexander Mayo / @alxmyo
Carnival in St. Lucia is a month-long affair with local competitions like the National Carnival Queen Pageant, Calypso Monarch, and more. Sprinkled throughout are several parties, called fetes, which intensify leading up to the week of the big Parade of the Bands on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, taking place in Castries, the island’s capital. That’s when you see the hallmark sparkling, beaded, feathered costumes that Caribbean carnivals are known for. It’s a major production that takes almost a year to put together, as each carnival band meticulously establishes an overall theme, taps designers, and orders materials to produce each made-to-order piece for masqueraders (parade participants) to pick up once they arrive on he island, days before taking to the streets.
A masquerader with Just 4 Fun Carnival repping Grenada dances behind the music truck on the road, the picture of black joy and freedom/ Source: Alexander Mayo / @alxmyo
“The biggest challenge is ensuring I have all the literal hands on deck needed to transform the pieces of material we receive to the completed designs masqueraders are expecting,” says David Dewer, an international carnival costume designer from Trinidad and Tobago. He’s the mind behind Xuvo mas band’s Saia section. “For the industry as a whole, it’s no secret that the material and the bulk of production is outsourced to China, so that makes you susceptible to challenges beyond our control — weather, pricing, shipping delays. We try to place final orders with enough time to allow for production, shipping, delays, clearing, quality checks, and distribution.”
You only wear your costume for a single day, but packages to be able to play mas — aka be in the parade — don’t come cheap. They can start anywhere from $600 and go up to $2,000, depending on how extravagant your look is and if there are any special add-ons your package includes.
Source: Angele masqueraders confer for a moment on the road/ Alexander Mayo / @alxmyo
“People often don’t realize just how detailed the process is. We’re talking gem counts, feather counts, size vetting, precise placements, every costume element is carefully considered,” Maier Sifflet, Xuvo’s creative director, explains. “And beyond the glam, there’s deep cultural research involved in shaping our portrayals. We’re telling stories that honor Saint Lucia’s spirit.”
And costume designers, who are often charged with creating sections on multiple islands, are tasked with having a keen awareness of the culture on each island. Contrary to popular belief, the Caribbean islands are not a monolith, and each has a unique culture that should be honored and celebrated accordingly.
Source: A masquerader takes a quick rest from walking during St. Lucia’s annual Parade of the Bands/ Alexander Mayo / @alxmyo
That fact doesn’t have to stifle the designers’ creativity, though. “Each island has its own cultural norms, style, and popular color palettes,” Kwasi McDonald explains. He’s the mind behind Xuvo’s Angele section, which tied for first place at St. Lucia Carnival for Section of the Year. “However, sometimes I like to risk going against the norms and see if it takes hold. Trust me, the growth of the ‘skimpy’ bikini didn’t happen overnight.”
Part of pushing the norms includes keeping things fresh, not only in terms of the color palette, but also when it comes to design techniques.
“There is so much new technology and elements out there that I always try to include in my designs,” McDonald explains. “Using Lazer cutting, 3D bras, [and sourcing] fabrics apart from Spandex. As a designer, the world is my oyster, and my clients trust in me to always bring fresh ideas to the industry.”
When it all comes together, the result is nothing short of magical. The beads, the glitter, the feathers, the bamcee (booties). All of it culminates in a beautiful display celebrating culture, art, freedom, and black joy. For Sifflet, the process of putting together a carnival band is all about “freedom [and] pure energy on the road. It’s the climax, the release, the reminder of why we do this.” It makes the months of work more than worth it.
A Xuvo masquerader adorned her ‘fro with rhinestones for the second day of the Parade of the Bands, where revelers wear more toned-down fare in comparison to the full regalia of St. Lucia’s Carnival Monday/ Source: Alexander Mayo / @alxmyo
And that’s especially true when you get your flowers for the work you’ve done. Xuvo had a banner carnival year, taking home second place for Band of the Year, Spirit of Carnival, Best Designed Band, winning first place for Mas on the Move, and tying for first place for Section of the Year with their Angele section and Best Portrayal of the Theme. If there was ever a testament to hard work paying of, we’d say this is it.
A closer look at a piece of the costume from Xuvo’s award-winning Angele section. This bedazzled mask was at the top of a long staff carried by masqueraders in that section/ Source: Alexander Mayo / @alxmyo
