Limegrove Aiming to be the 'Fashion Capital of Barbados' - The Advocate - April 26, 2010

THE promotion of local fashion, as part of the overall promotion of local culture, is a major focus of the developers of the Limegrove Lifestyle Centre in Holetown, St. James.

Speaking to the media last Friday following a tour of the commercial and residential portions of the project, head developer, Paul Altman, stated that as part of reaching out and providing assistance to those persons involved in emerging areas of economic activity, the local "Fashion Alliance" will be given a base at Limegrove.

Altman stated that he would like Limegrove to become the "fashion capital of Barbados", noting that this is one of the aspects of local culture that has considerable potential to be a significant revenue earner for the island, and therefore needs to be supported by those with the ability to do so.

Limegrove is described as a mixed-use lifestyle centre, providing patrons with a range of establishments to shop in, be entertained, and dine, and for those who choose to, also reside.

It is expected that the centre, which is scheduled to open just in time for this year’s winter tourist season, will be very popular among visitors to the island, offering high-end shopping with brands such as Cartier, Ralph Lauren, and Louis Vuitton being housed there.

Being situated in a commercial space alongside these brands, therefore, puts local designers in a position to be seen and hence recognised by this particular market, which therefore greatly increases their capacity to improve their level of sales and earn foreign exchange for the local economy.

The fact that the management of Limegrove is committed to ensuring that the centre is always alive with activity also increases its attractiveness to visitors, who are looking for various ways to spend their time while on the island.

Altman indicated that the main centre has a nightclub, two cinemas, restaurants, bars, as well as three courtyards, which will all have active programmes.

"We have a function planner for those three courtyards, which will bring into play music, art, film, as well as fashion... so we will have functions planned every night of the year within those three courtyards," he said.

As a result, the developer believes that the centre has the capacity to earn endless amounts of foreign exchange because of its wide-ranging appeal.