Associate Editor Aileen Mack joined Dockwalk in July 2018. She is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. If she’s not at a concert or coffee shop, she is lost in a book, movie or a YouTube rabbit hole. Email Aileen at aileen@dockwalk.com.
Former Chief Stew Randi Barry launched her clothing brand Bravo x Romeo in 2021, creating unique pieces using limited-edition fabrics and blending timeless and contemporary resortwear styles. Bravo x Romeo will soon be presented on the international stage with its upcoming collection to be showcased at Paris Fashion Week 2023 at a venue near the Arc de Triomphe on October 1. The collection will be a celebration of the brand’s signature style, featuring a range of statement pieces including bold prints, intricate embellishments, and unexpected textures.
“I am thrilled to be showcasing my latest collection at Paris Fashion Week,” Barry says. “It’s an honor to be a part of such a prestigious event, and I can’t wait to share my vision with the world.”
She was selected as a designer for an artists’ collaborative runway show “Ones to Watch” by Flying Solo, a platform that has showrooms in New York City to showcase up-and-coming brands. After taking a few days to process the news, she’s excited for the experience and opportunity to be seen by press, buyers, and potential clients.
“It’s also a story about coming to believe in myself after putting my dreams on the shelf for so many years,” she says. “Getting selected to show is terrifying but also incredibly encouraging. I’ve said yes to many other people’s ventures and many other people’s dreams and it feels good to say yes to trusting myself.”
It’s a full-circle moment for Barry as she joined yachting to pay for fashion school and then returned to yachting after as she enjoyed the creative side as a stew and crew chef. She balances her day job of crew placement with this passion project that takes up all her spare time. Bravo x Romeo currently has a small collection of Spring/Summer 2023 looks for sale online, including some featured on the runway at FLIBS and her best-selling wrap dress that her friend Francesca wore on season eight of Below Deck.
For Paris Fashion Week, she submitted her collection to a panel for review, and after showing them photos from her debut show at FLIBS, she was accepted. The collection will be for Spring/Summer 2024 and will bring the resortwear aspect that is part of the brand DNA, along with nautical themes.
Each collection starts with a mood board and a developed theme, which Barry pairs with a good amount of trend forecasting and researching styles and fabrics. At press time, she was in the sampling and pattern development stage that comes before going into full production, along with creating samples in her studio in Fort Lauderdale.
She has a lot of work ahead of her, but is taking everyone along for the journey. Join her on social media: @randiatsea and @bravoxromeo on Instagram, @randiatsea on TikTok, and @RandiBarry on YouTube.