The Courtney Washington Collection of lifestyle clothing was conceived and created for the everyday sophisticated modern woman. From the office to cocktails to travelling, his clothes are fun, functional and versatile. - Contributed

As a young designer, there was no escaping Courtney Washington's passion for fashion above and beyond the ordinary! The very talented designer came to the fore with more than just a creative flair and sense of direction in which he would like to see women's fashion take. He also brought a rather unique personality trait to the fashion industry - the absence of an oversized ego!

The then almost shy Washington, designing for his label 'Elvis', was not absorbed by himself, but was motivated by a more deep-seated desire and ambition, not only to stamp his name, class and designing style on the burgeoning Jamaican fashion industry, but he also saw the world as his to conquer, one design at a time. But first he had to conquer Jamaica, and this he did, establishing himself as one of the best young designers of the 1980s.

Rave reviews

As 'Elvis' designing for the label 'El Core' in the 1990s, Washington became one of the hottest designers of the day. His creations earned rave reviews from fashion critics and made him a force to be reckoned with. The fashion mavens of the time clamoured to wear his designs, while models queued to showcase them on fashion shows and the many charity events that he was asked to support.

It was then at the zenith of his career in Jamaica that the young designer opted to relocate to New York, with the goal of broadening his designing horizons and to introduce his brand to the wider world.

A decade-plus later, The Courtney Washington Collection is available at fine stores such as Nordstrom's Off-Broadway and Grandview in New York, Japan and Canada.

Now at the top of the game, his move to New York saw him widening his knowledge base by pursuing studies at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute, before going on to open his first design studio and outlet on Fulton Street in Brooklyn.

Rave of downtown hip crowd

And so began the journey that saw the East Kingston-born designer being catapulted to cult-like proportions as he became the rave of the downtown hip crowd, not given to sporting brand-name designers.

Curiously enough, as the hip would have it, by backing Washington's designs he became a brand-name designer.

That was no surprise as it's the hip downtown designers who have been dictating New York fashion trends for as long as there's been a fashion scene. The rule here seems to be: 'first conquer the underground subcultural fashion scene and then the denizens of East Side would follow.' And that they did!

Today, Washington's designs can be found in the closets of some of East and West Coasts leading socialites, including stars such as Roberta Flack, Angie Stone, writer ZZ Packer, United States Councilwoman Letitia James, among other celebrities. This is irrefutable testimony to the wide appeal and functionality of the designer's collection.

Having conquered New York, Washington returns to Kingston this weekend triumphant, after an absence of nearly 20 years from the Jamaican fashion scene (He reintroduced his collection at Caribbean Fashionweek in June). The designer will show his collection at Revolution Gallery on Lady Musgrave Road, New Kingston, in a show billed: 'Fashion Meets Art'. It promises to be a unique shopping experience on Sunday, December 6, beginning at 4 p.m.

And with his Jamaican fans and clients eagerly awaiting his collection, the designer is all set to wow old clients and new with his trademark detailing and fabric of the highest quality.