It’s Labor Day weekend, and that means all throughout New York City people of Caribbean Heritage will be celebrating. This means music will be blaring, food will be cooking and most of all the streets of New York will become catwalks for some very bossy people rocking their versions of the latest in Caribbean themed fashion. All around town you will see women “top ranking” in their “heels and ting,” and “innna alter back,” and people will be checking cause they are “hip and ting.” All of the men will be “bush and bashy” whether in their “latest Moschino and Vasace,” or in their “Clarky boot and khaki suit.” Whatever clothing we see there will be nuff fashion over style and style over fashion.

Mas Camp Fashion

No discussion about Labor Day style would be complete without a look at Mas (short for masqueraders) Camps and the fashions they create. Mas Camps as we know them in the United States originated in the Caribbean and were a fusion of the European carnival tradition and African culture. Some say the carnival tradition originated in Italy as “carnevale (to put away meat)” a way to feast on meat prior to the Lenten season which spread across Europe and then brought to the Carib and the Americas by Europeans. African culture, brought over by slaves, used elaborate mask designs, parading, and dancing and music. The first carnivals by blacks in the Caribbean were said to be parties held by the slaves in whom they mocked the parties of the slave owners. These parties which evolved in the carnivals that we know today helped with the creation of Mas camps, groups from local villages that started throwing their own versions of the balls that the settlers had thrown for themselves.

The Mas Camps started making elaborate costumes in which they infused the African tradition of using natural objects such as bones, grass, beads, shells, often with each combination having a certain spiritual force or meeting. Feathers also became a very important part of the costumes as they are considered as symbol of rising “above problems, pains, heartbreaks, illness — to travel to another world to be reborn and to grow spiritually.” Today’s designs are reminiscent of the designs of yester year.

The intricately designed costumes are made by hand and take anywhere from hours to months to design. Everyone from children to adults of advanced age participate in the making of the costumes, making this a great time to teach the youngsters about the history of Carnival. Mas Camps chose themes/sections, and their costumes are designed and created to depict the themes. Some of the most popular Mas Camps in 2009 are Sesame Flyers – with the theme of “Dazzle”, Borokeete USA – with the theme of “Chutney Bacchanal”, Hawks International – with the theme of “Neptune’s Cry”, and even the union group 1199/SEIU – with the theme “MesoAmerican”.

Mas Camp Outfits 2007

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