"My personal mission is to help somebody as I travel on, then my living would not have been in vain." –
Dr. Gillian Gia Curry Williams
Gillian G. Curry Williams has been a major player in the vibrant fashion industry of The Bahamas for over thirty eventful years. This comes as little surprise considering that she was the daughter of a registered nurse and an accountant, both of whom sewed and tailored clothing as an entrepreneurial adjunct to their professional callings. Gillian had already cultivated a healthy and juvenile passion for fashion and design from an early age that could only be actively fueled by her own mother’s custom-made and bespoke creations. In the circumstances, and only too naturally, Gillian was already sewing and cutting patterns for her mother by the tender age of fourteen.
Gillian, the precociously gifted young lady, graduated with a BA in Fashion Design and Pattern Making and subsequently found her first fashion business, Simple Elegance Couture, in 1987. The world of Haute Couture is a rather exclusive one. Haute couture, which is French for high sewing, designing, or high fashion, refers to creating exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is a fashion constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Not too many designers can attain the lofty heights of acclaim in this industry. But, for Gillian, assuming the role of a maestro in this industry came with a perfectly natural flair, as her use of opulent fabrics, beautiful crystals, hand-beading and elegant, one-of-a-kind bespoke custom designs were loved, admired, and sought after by pastors' wives, full bridal parties and many affluent and professional women.
In 2010, on advice and support from family members and friends, Gillian applied for two scholarships, attending The Academy of Design in Toronto as a challenge to her potential and pursuing the refinement of her natural gifts. After her first year at school, Gillian and two other students were selected to represent The Academy at the annual Creative Festival Project Runway competition. This trusted trio represented the school with distinction; they dominated the runway and ultimately won the competition. The successful completion of her first year at The Academy on the President’s List, coupled with the victory at the competition, restored Gillian's innate confidence and reawakened her seemingly lost faculty of creativity. In June 2012, Gillian graduated from The Academy as valedictorian with distinction. Subsequently, she made her Canadian debut with a graduating Fall/Winter 2012 collection appropriately named “Manifestation," an innovative and original concept Wizard of Oz-inspired.
Gillian returned to the Bahamas, dedicating herself to re-establishing her brand with the launch of her new business identity, Remilda Rose Designs, a name that was inspired by two of the greatest role models that have provided Gillian with the most eloquent examples of what it means to be a strong and purpose-driven woman. These remarkable women are Remilda Ethelyn Davis Taylor, her grandmother, and Letitia Rose Taylor-Curry, her mother.
After a bitter battle with cancer, Gillian’s father passed away in March 2016. Because of that, those who are cancer survivors hold a special place in her heart. From that resolution was born a print fabric design which is called "The Fabric of Hope". The Fabric of Hope is a beautiful, tangible yet fashionable representation and memorialization of Gillian’s personal and professional philosophy and her purpose. The Fabric of Hope is the combination of (1) Gillian’s unique floral representation of the beauty and strength of cancer warriors, their fight and ultimate victory over fear, and (2) a high-quality fabric, personally selected y Gillian, which is capable of being manipulated to become a beautiful rendition of Gillian’s creative intention. The print, comprised of flowers, brilliantly and sentimentally highlights and honors some of the globally associated colors associated with the various types of cancer.
After that, Gillian made a decision that has positively affected and changed the lives of many people, whether directly or indirectly. This decision was to produce an annual Fashion Show catered to “Embracing, Embellishing and Empowering,” saluting and celebrating the strength of cancer warriors. These warriors are affectionately known to Gillian and regular patrons of the Fashion Show as “Remilda Rose Designs Honorees”. Her show, the 2019 Spring/Summer Collection, was styled "Celebrating Life Through The Fabric of Hope". This show prominently featured the Fabric of Hope – the brilliance of the print, the versatility of its usage, the various options available as mediums for the print, and Gillian’s commitment to serving as an advocate for educating and raising awareness of the experience of cancer warriors. Gillian’s 2020 Spring-Summer/Collection, Warriors, Conquerors, Survivors, was held on November 2019 in the Grand Ballroom of the famous Atlantis Resort at Paradise Island, The Bahamas. The show has become a signature must-see event and a staple on the Bahamian social calendar.
Gillian has since incorporated the Fabric of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps people on a day-to-day basis who are battling cancer. This included providing grocery, funding for medication, and rental assistance, to name a few.
Whatever Gillian does is based on inspiration. She strives to set herself apart from the crowd by consistently tucking the twin standards of professionalism and a strong work ethic neatly under her belt. Uncommon creativity is merely second nature to her; Gillian’s work is always executed not only to a fine degree of exquisite fit and finishing but also to the point of totally reverent and exclusive excellence. Gillian, with her uncannily quiet, calm, composed, and tranquil demeanor, has arrived at her authentic destiny, and this is merely the beginning of her inevitable rise to the top of the Bahamian fashion industry, from which she will, without doubt, be propelled onto the international haute couture platform.
She is fulfilling her purpose: Embracing, Embellishing, and Empowering women to look and feel their absolute best, one creation at a time. Therein lies the inspiring saga of the lady known as Gillian Gia Curry-Williams.
Recognitions
2017- The Uncommon Leadership Award from The Women of Wealth Magazine, Atlanta, GA for the work she does with cancer
2019 - One of the Most Influential Women in Business from Professional Services Bahamas
2019 - Plitz New York Fashion Week and Harlem Fashion Week.
2020 - Launched magazine called “Hope Magazine” available for purchase on Amazon
2020 - Honorary Doctorate in Advocacy from Grace International Bible University for her work with cancer.
2021-Launched adult coloring book called “Breathe” available for purchase on Amazon