A regular visitor to Jamaica, Empress Miriam Simone has endeared herself to roots-reggae fans by collaborating with acts like Capleton. From February 11-16, the singer changes focus as she and her sister Marilva present their fledgling clothing line at one of fashion's biggest events.
The Amsterdam-based siblings will present eight pieces from their M&M Royalty at New York Fashion Week. Their collection includes pieces inspired by the indigenous peoples from their native Suriname; casual wear, bags, belts and accessories for men and women.
Although it was officially launched in 2021, M&M Royalty has been on the drawing board for over 10 years. Late last year, they got the call from organizers at New York Fashion Week after applying to appear on its new designers platform.
Being accepted at the elite show is easily the biggest gig to date for the sisters who design their products.
"By showing our brand on NYFW we want to show the world our collection. We wish to reach a broader audience and attract new customers. By networking we seek to find more distributors and hope this experience will open more doors for us in the fashion industry," said Empress Miriam Simone.
She added that M&M Royalty wants to reach the sophisticated adult.
"The market we focus on are men and women from the age of 25 to 50, who gravitate to ancient royalty and black nobility which you see in our designs and style," Empress Miriam Simone explained. "We would like to reach the middle to high segments (of society) because of the materials and handwork we put in our creations. Our designs ask a lot of time and work."
Written By Howard Campbell