![]() Only in 2011, we put a package together, with a K2K T-shirt, a beer mug, and a thank-you note – and “please open” on the top! We made seven boxes. Kathy: In 2010, Karen started drawing the band, and no one saw the designs for a whole year. Caroline: So what happened after you designed the band? And we’re actually trying to make that statement now. It brought tears to my eyes last night, because we said we hope to be true geniuses like Peter Minshall, and to find ourselves. Our mum found a book we did for Form 5 on Peter Minshall. People say the band has a Peter Minshall finesse, and to be honest I’m honoured. Kathy: And we want to be our own image! With K2K, we call it a kind of hybrid, mixing fashion with mas, present with traditional. ![]() When we started, Roger asked whether we really wanted to do this – the hard work, the politics… but it’s been such a journey, starting from the story, to the production, to trying to understand the Trinidadian work ethic…! You might see a face or two, maybe the designers or the band leaders… but outside of that, there are all these people that make it possible. But one thing this process has taught us is how many people it takes to make a band come to fruition. I don’t think we celebrate the talent and people we have on the island until they’re gone. Vieira’s stories and the wealth of knowledge that he has … It’s phenomenal. F or example Geraldo Vieira, Ernesto Jardine and Ann-Marie Akeung for the headpieces. Kathy: We’ve been working with some amazing people through the process. We don’t really like to be out there… If the band could have been out there on its own without people knowing who we were, we would have been happy with that! We documented how we were feeling, what we were going through, and then now we’re at a point, what we call in the band “Saraswati”. Working on the band has been therapeutic for Kathy and I. The colours are bold and we didn’t mix and match a lot of shades or colours. Karen: The band was supposed to be called “Tears”! Every step of the way has been an emotional journey, a whirlwind… When we first wrote the story for “The Waters”, our mum encouraged us to make it less negative t hen Roger Roberts from 3canal read it, and encouraged us to fine-tune it. I think 2010 was really our lowest point, and that was when Karen drew out the whole band. ![]() Kathy: We designed a section in Poison in 2006. Karen: Then all of a sudden it morphs into a whole band! Our last year at Howard, we started designing Carnival costumes… Kathy: And every time we get homesick, we draw. I woke up in the hospital with an oxygen mask on. I had little to no sleep, and I passed out and thought I was having a heart attack. Karen: After being there for five years, we were really wondering where we were doing. It’s been gruelling, though of course it’s a real growth experience. Kathy: We interviewed for an internship at an investment bank, where they took just three Trinidadians, Karen and I being two … and we’re still working there. Karen: Every summer we wanted to come home, but Mum kept encouraging us to broaden our horizons and explore opportunities…. Kathy: We wanted to study art or architecture and got in to Cornell…but the scholarship was too small… So we kept applying, and got in to Howard which offered a really good scholarship … I studied business management with a minor in finance, and Karen studied international business and marketing. 214 Shares An interview with the twin designers behind K2K Alliance & Partners Caroline: How did the Carnival band start up?
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