Rebecca Stirm Sews Her Way To win #4 on Mission Catwalk

HAVING won challenges on episodes two, four and six, the Belizean Rebecca Stirm's stitched to another win on the Caribbean fashion reality series Mission Catwalk last night.

After a visit to the Hope Zoo in St Andrew, the seven remaining contestants were instructed to design a gown for a charity gala and a second garment for a charity luncheon inspired by one animal from the zoo.

Stirm chose the turtle because it was "an unusual and unique animal that people didn't already have preconceptions about what a dress inspired by that animal should look like," she explains.

Using a patterned fabric, she created a gown with a dramatic neckline, and for the skirt created layers from circular cut-outs that mimic a turtle's shell.

For her second outfit the patterned fabric was more prominent and used for most of the blouse while creating a pencil skirt in a monotone beige.

Host Keneea Linton-George along with the judges Novia McDonald-Whyte, senior associate editor lifestyle and social content at the Jamaica Observer; menswear designer Carlton Brown and guest judge designer Celia Levy, all commended Stirm on the structure of her design. For Levy the fact that it was "wearable" was also highly appealing. Her high scores won her a feature in Style Observer as well as $50,000. Unfortunately this week, Kesia Estwick of Barbados was eliminated. She scored her first win two episodes ago.


Six designers still in the running for the chance to show at London Fashion Week. They are Crystal Powell, Gregory Williams and Janel Jolly of Jamaica, Ryan Chan of Trinidad & Tobago, Kerin Scott of Barbados, and Stirm.

The winner of Mission Catwalk Season Two will also receive $500,000 courtesy of National Commercial Bank to start their clothing line, industrial sewing equipment valued at $200,000 courtesy of Singer, a contract to sell their designs at SOHO boutique, a six-page fashion editorial in Ocean Style magazine and a scholarship to pursue fashion programme at London College of Fashion and to apprentice with Master Savile Row Tailor Andrew Ramroop.

Tune in to Television Jamaica every Tuesday at 8:30 PM for the newest episode from Mission Catwalk Season 2, presented by NCB, Supreme Ventures and Digicel. Each week's episode repeats at 5:30Pm on Thursdays. Mission Catwalk can also be viewed on local stations in Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Viewers around the globe and watch the online stream at www.televisionjamaica.com/livetv.aspx

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Rebecca Stirm continues to sew her way into Catwalk history

Rebecca Stirm has been creating a storm with her designs on Caribbean fashion design reality series, 'Mission Cat Walk Season Two'. The eighteen year old Belizean won her fourth challenge in episode nine of the show. The remaining seven contestants were tasked to design a gown for a charity gala and a second garment for a charity luncheon inspired by an animal from the Hope Zoo. Stirm decided to do the turtle because it was "an unusual and unique animal that people didn't already have preconceptions about what a turtle- inspired garment should look like."

Using a kaleidoscope patterned fabric similar to the pattern on a turtle's shell; Rebecca created a gown with a dramatic neckline while using layers of different fabrics in circular cutouts to build a skirt that would imitate a turtle's shell while still allowing movement. For her second outfit the kaleidoscope fabric was used for the blouse and the outfit was completed with a beige colored pencil skirt. Winning the challenge earned Stirm a feature in Style Observer as well as five hundred and eighty three U.S dollars.

From week to week, Rebecca has been one of the top contenders and has so far won episodes, two, four, six and nine, making her the designer with the most wins in the competition. The show which features five Caribbean countries now continues with six contestants.

The show airs on Channel Five every Tuesday at eight p.m.

Channel 5