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Mark Eastman is the lead designer for MARK EASTMAN and Dappered by Mark Eastman and the Assistant Designer for The Cloth. He was once chosen to showcase his work at the Trinidad and Tobago installation of the International Fashion Showcase 2013 and also debuted his first menswear collection at Caribbean Fashion Week 2015. As a young designer, Mark focuses on form, fashion, function and fun to be able to develop his brand into an amalgamation of streetwear, resort wear and expert tailoring. He has had the fire in his soul and passion for design and fashion since he was a child but this almost disappeared entirely when he felt stuck due to the absence of opportunities. This is Mark’s MENtions story:

“Concepts came easily to me and friends would ask me to help them bring their ideas and dreams to life”

My artistic and creative skills manifested when I was pretty young: perhaps at five or six years old. When I wasn’t playing with my toys, I drew a lot. Anywhere I could find a piece of paper, I would draw. The back of my school notebooks were the most popular design areas. In the late 80s and 90s when tea parties and fashion shows were popular social events, I went to a lot of these engagements with my mother. It was at those events that I was first introduced to fashion and design. I also remember tuning in to Style with Elsa Klensch religiously every week. Secondary school, however, was when I was more conscious of my design capability. At that time, concepts came easily to me. Friends would ask me to help them bring their ideas and dreams to life. These tasks which seemed simple back then, are what pushed me to start designing graduation dresses for friends. They would become some of my first “clients”.

“He felt anything art-related was a total waste of time”

I’m an only child so it was just my mother, stepfather and me for the most part. My mom realised my passion and she gave me unwavering support. She would always purchase drawing books and other material. My stepfather however, scoffed at the idea of fashion and design. He felt that anything art-related was a total waste of time. When it came to selecting subjects for CXC, he insisted that I only pursue business subjects. To me, this felt like a death sentence. This was further compounded by the fact that back then, there wasn’t an academic avenue locally for people like me to pursue their passions. I felt stuck. Then one day, while at work, a friend excitedly showed me the advertisement for the Fashion Design degree programme at UTT. She basically told me that I was going to apply for it and she didn’t want to hear any excuses or questions.  I am grateful for friends like this. These friends were just what I needed at that stage in my life. Although the degree programme was really intense, I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were classes every day with subjects that spanned a variety of areas like illustration, marketing, colour theory. These classes helped me deepen my understanding of fashion and improve my craft.

The launch of Dappered by Mark Eastman

I graduated in 2012 with my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion design and launched “Dappered by Mark Eastman” in December the following year. Through Dappered, I started designing and making bowties. Why bowties? As a young designer, with limited resources, I wanted to start small; creep before I walk.  Also, at that time, bowties were becoming really popular and no one was doing anything like that locally. I also wanted to start with these pieces before I segued into menswear, which I did eventually for Caribbean Fashion Week in 2015.

“They showed me what was possible”

When I was growing up, I didn’t know many men who were in the business of fashion. I wasn’t familiar with anyone I could look up to and turn to for guidance. However, when I finally encountered one, I remember showing him my designs and expressing my desire to work in the fashion industry. Let’s just say that the response wasn’t encouraging nor warm. I guess at the time, he was also just starting out so he didn’t have the time to engage me or provide any guidance. As I got older and more active in the sector, I interacted with and became inspired by amazing talents like Robert Young, Gregory Mills and Ecliff Elie. These men are extremely gifted and represent some of the greatest talent we have in this country. They showed me what was possible.

I think designers who are entering the field now, have more role models and mentors at their disposal. Now, there are definitely a lot more men who are doing amazing things and making a positive contribution to the fashion world in T&T. With more male designers around, it should not be too difficult for one of us to help mentor and guide those who are now starting. This is so important.

Make a plan

To the young man who may be confused as he searches for a career path, I want you to take your time, focus and make a plan. Lists are also helpful. Narrow the options down to three and take it from there. Additionally, if you’re interested in a particular field, seek out persons in that field to determine if it’s something that you really want to pursue. Take advantage of the internet and read as much as you can about your career choices and lastly, have a great support team: whether it is your parents, great friends or family. I can’t underscore this enough.

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Mark is also a former student of Curepe Junior Secondary and St. Augustine Senior Comprehensive School. You can check out his designs on IG: markeastmanme and dapperedbymarkeastman