A point of pride for the Virgin Islands, our very own national fabric.
A few years before our own madras was created, I launched a signature brand in the Virgin Islands promoting madras fabric as a culturally identifying print that you know as designs by Regal. It was during the height of the Black Panther movement where African print was being worn as the African American fashion statement to the movie premieres by celebrities and moviegoers alike, taking on a on a wave that continued through the pandemic. During those short few years there were a lot of moving pieces happening with madras in the territory that came together to birth the fabric we have today.
In 2018, while busy growing my brand with innovative designs reflecting our Caribbean style with the use of madras fabric integrating the history through my media posts, textile designer Debbie Sun and cultural icon Bradley Christian were busy collaborating to create and produce our madras which unveiled in 2021.
Now onto the issue and ongoing problems with the fabric. AVAILABILITY. Realistically, there were issues long before the restock problems in a sort of cart before the horse thing where the laws protecting the Madras design came out after the fabric announcement, bit that's for another day.
While I can wholeheartedly respect the protection rights around our madras, from a marketing standpoint it is poorly managed. Currently under the supervision and distribution of the Virgin Islands Council of the Arts there seems to be an ongoing stock issue with the fabric when it comes to having it available during key local festivities. Mainly the Agricultural Fair...as one of the territories main attractions and culturally representative events where madras is worn and adorned throughout, this and last years events proved to have very little showcasing of the VI fabric because of the low supply.
On its initial release there was an 8 month restock gap which terribly affected my business directly after creating numerous sample pieces, advertising content and photography sessions to promote a fabric we did not have available. I'd imagine there were other madras businesses affected in the same ways.
As the territory that has created laws around the fabric we should have a division solely dedicated to making sure the laws are being regulated and the fabric is not being distributed elsewhere. This division could also create a special vendor list outside of fabric stores to include seamstresses and crafters that use the fabric specifically for the promotion of the Virgin Islands madras and/or tourism sector that live IN the Virgin Islands and keep the money circulating within the territory. Integrating an Caribbean & International division that would handle marketing, distribution and sourcing international avenues to integrate the fabric for maximum revenue connecting with select countries and Caribbean islands that already have an appreciation for madras.
However that would require a major supply of ongoing fabric and foresight....right now as I type there is no fabric as we approach the St.Thomas Carnival season with no anticipated release date as per the fabric stores locally.
Sigh.
