Roell Gomes has his eyes set on the world’s fashion capitals – Paris, Milan and the likes – but for now he is busy growing his brand, an unmistakable Roell Gomes brand, and preparing himself for the big outing. He knows that to get what he wants would be an uphill battle, but then again, his burgeoning success as a designer in Toronto after a brief jaunt there, has given him a taste of a successful career.
He is not sure what caused him to like fashion, and he insists it has nothing to do with the fact that his Mom, Yvonne Gomes, is a career seamstress and his Dad, Wavell Gomes, is a career tailor.
From their home in Mabaruma Township, the Gomes’ churned out everything from school uniforms to business attire for public service workers.
But it’s not like he sat next to their machines and carefully eyed how they cut and stitch the pieces to fit.
He was busy with school – at North West Secondary – and because of his love for fashion would often envision how he could take a piece of fabric and construct well-fitted garment.
One day, an aunt dropped off a bag of scrap material at the Gomes’ house and mandated that it be given to Roell.
He grabbed three pieces of the fabric and decided he would put together a pair of casual trousers for himself. It didn’t fit; but that’s where the challenge began. He had to get it to fit right.
And so, at the age of 17, using an old Singer machine, he started work. He would put together his friends’ school uniforms – pants, shirts and even the ties – and also suits for his sisters to wear to their jobs.
Later, he succumbed to the lure of Georgetown and enrolled at the Government Technical Institute to study computer science. On the side, he made curtains and business suits. His business came from his friends, and those who they would spread the word to.
With a drive to succeed, Roell enrolled at Brown College in Toronto, Canada, where he just completed a two-year programme in fashion techniques and design.
His stay in Toronto has helped shaped his outlook for the future – once a client gets their first piece from him, they keep coming back, and that tells him he must be doing something right. And that adds to the clients he gets from sharing out business cards at events he goes to, or even on the streets of Toronto. His specialties are evening gowns and bridal wear.
He enjoys the changing seasons of Toronto, as it gives him a chance to experiment and push beyond the boundaries he had set up for himself.
For the immediate future, Roell, now 27, eyes an internship with a design house in North America. He hopes this will serve as a stepping stone to further studies in fashion, and to being a designer to be reckoned with.
But wherever he goes, he wants his label always to identify with where he is from.
“I want people to know that ‘Gomes’ name and when it is mentioned, people must know that I am from Guyana.’
When Roell is not dreaming up his next big design, he is out at karaoke competitions on the weekend, and/or cooking for friends at home.
