Tom Ford, Donatella Versace, and the late Gianni Versace and Alexander McQueen all made names for themselves in fashion capitals literally and proverbially thousands of miles away from Trinidad and Tobago. But there, during Trinidad Carnival 2024, the Rogue carnival band danced through the streets of Port of Spain wearing chic masquerade costumes named in their honor.
Every carnival season a team of fashion and production designers develop an aesthetic for a new motif that carnival troupes embody during the two-day parade. This year, Jules Sobion, Rogue’s band leader, decided on “En Vogue”—a nod to the aforementioned designers, whose work has graced the pages of Vogue countless times, and also to the Oakland-born R&B-and-soul trio that rose to prominence in the ‘90s.
Joel Geoffrey
Masqueraders who jump-up with Rogue, are loyal to Caesar’s Army, a brand that established a reputation in the Soca community for producing a series of immersive J’Ouvert events and festivals. This year, Sobion was committed to rebounding from a challenging 2023; supply chain issues led to erroneous costume sizing. “I kept thinking about ‘V’ because, well, we think in Roman numerals,” Sobion says, adding that 2024 was Rogue’s fifth year on the road. As he speaks on the phone from his office in Port of Spain, a steel orchestra practices outside for Panorama 2024, the national steelpan competition. “They’re playing the same song over and over,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s driving me crazy or driving me to be more passionate.”
Caesar’s Army, which partnered with Tribe, a Trinidad and Tobago carnival stalwart, leans heavily into the uniform aesthetic. Sobion desired a theme that celebrated a milestone year and signified overcoming setbacks. “And I think, En Vogue! It triggered the lyrics in my mind, ‘free your mind, and the rest will follow.’”
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