On Wednesday, a Babewatch alert was issued to all Kooler Babe and Bros with a simple mission: show up in red, pack your coolers, and bring the good vibes. Mission accomplished. The event, held at 36 Hope Road in St Andrew, saw patrons – mostly babes, fully embracing the theme – one which conceptualiser and promoter Kandi King said was inspired by the iconic Baywatch movie.
“I absolutely love a good themed event. I love pushing a theme beyond the obvious and finding clever ways to play with it creatively. Babewatch came to me, and I was instantly obsessed,” she told Living.
Last year, the event took patrons on a nostalgic catwalk with ‘80s and ‘90s-inspired looks for its ‘Saved by the Babes’ theme.
For one Jamaican babe who flew back home for Carnival in Jamaica to jump with Gen XS on Sunday, Phillipa Hogarth, a claims examiner from Allstate, it was all about putting her own spin on the look – especially as a first-time Kooler Babe.
“Really, I love just playing around and having fun when I’m given a good theme. So this is my take on Babewatch,” she said. Her look featured a hot cut-out jumpsuit paired with knee-high boots and a lifeguard fanny pack. She even traded her usual pixie cut for a buss-down look.
High on the style alert were red swim cut-outs, minis, hot pants, and coordinated accessories, with some babes opting to soften the literal approach by weaving in sequins. For those chipping down on road march day, the fête also doubled as the perfect opportunity to break in carnival boots ahead of the road.
As consumer marketing manager at Wisynco, Melissa-Kim Johnson noted, breaking in your boots is carnival tip 101.
“There’s something about seeing a crowd fully commit to a theme … especially all in one colour. They took the red dress code very seriously, and seeing that sea of red throughout the venue was such a satisfying moment,” King shared as she reflected on the turnout of the event.
And, as the night’s head lifeguard, King herself made sure to tick the boxes on the theme’s checklist with her Fashion Nova leather set.
“I had absolutely no red in my wardrobe, so I definitely had to order something for the occasion,” she explained.
Before the final whistle, Living spotlights some of the night’s looks.
lifestyle@gleanerjm.com
