Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, has defended the government against accusations of intellectual property infringements levelled by New York-based Guyanese Fashion designer, Marrissa Wilson.
These accusations surrounded the recently launched ‘ORIGINS Guyana Fashion Festival,’ an initiative launched recently by the government which seeks to promote and enhance Guyana’s fashion industry.
In a live statement on her facebook page, Minister Walrond stated clearly that the brand was developed by a team of “Guyanese industry practitioners and event organisers assembled by the Ministry to develop the government’s investment in support of Guyana’s fledgling fashion industry.”
This commitment by the government to the fashion industry, she highlighted, amounts to over $2.6 billion in 2024, with another $3.6 billion allocated in the 2025 National Budget.
The minister explained that Wilson’s team was in communication with local representatives and representatives based in the United States.
“In that meeting, the goals of the ORIGINS Guyana Fashion Festival were first shared, and there was a meeting of minds on the goals and on a general approach about how Marissa, her Brand, and her Team could participate,” the tourism minister explained.
Minister Walrond further stated there was no settled scope of participation from Wilson’s team, and as such, her team provided a 3-minute video to be shown at the launch and “to have the ORIGINS brand included in some of their images. The images were never used, but the video was shown during the launch event on March 26, 2025, at the Railway Courtyard, and Marrisa Wilson was mentioned in the remarks from the podium.”
Some aspects of the fashion festival, according to the minister, were already being handled by other fashion creatives, thus explaining why there were still ongoing discussions as to the scope of Wilson’s participation.
“It is during these deliberations that Marissa responded with the erroneous and mischievous video that has now been reposted by several others,” the minister stated.
The tourism minister praised the designer’s work, defining it as “outstanding,’ but expressed disappointment that “someone of Guyanese roots, who had an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the industry here, quickly choose to go public with distortions, exaggerations, and lies in response to our effort to include her and her team.”
She explained that Guyana is emerging as a “force in fashion, creativity and culture,” pointing out that “The Government of Guyana is firmly of the view that Guyana is not just a land of natural beauty and economic potential”
Minister Walrond praised the work of local creatives and all involved in making the fashion showcase a reality, even pointing out that President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali is intent on promoting Guyana’s fashion potential on the global runway.
“As such, this festival is a visionary initiative, spearheaded by His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, to give our designers a global platform. It is a declaration that Guyana’s fashion industry is ready to shine, and we invite the world to take notice,” Minister Walrond expressed.
The minister made it clear that the government intends to work to deliver a world-class event for creatives to showcase their art in the coming weeks.
“We will remain committed to the task and continue to work to deliver a world-class show in May. It is unfortunate that Marissa Wilson and her team have chosen this route and thereby denied themselves the opportunity to be part of this groundbreaking event, for and on behalf of our creative professionals and aspirants alike,” she said.
The highly anticipated ORIGINS Guyana Fashion Festival is a visionary initiative that will be held from May 2 to 4, 2025.
It aims to give local designers, models and artists within the fashion industry a global platform to showcase the country’s rich heritage through fashion.
Activities such as seminars, workshops and training sessions will be conducted to introduce upcoming Guyanese designers to the fashion industry.
The ORIGINS Fashion Festival will be celebrated under the theme “Foundations of Guyanese Fashion.”
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