{"id":22420,"date":"2024-09-02T05:56:40","date_gmt":"2024-09-02T09:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/multi.nycnewsnetwork.com\/brooklynbuzz\/?p=22420"},"modified":"2025-02-13T09:40:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T14:40:26","slug":"weekend-mas-camp-promotes-inclusive-eco-friendly-costumes-for-west-indian-day-parade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/brooklynbuzz\/weekend-mas-camp-promotes-inclusive-eco-friendly-costumes-for-west-indian-day-parade\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekend Mas Camp Promotes Inclusive, Eco-Friendly Costumes for West Indian Day Parade"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Brianna Robles<\/a><\/p>\n

If you end up on Eastern Parkway on Monday for this year’s West Indian Day Parade, you will likely spot hundreds of masqueraders reppin\u2019\u00a0Monday Mas, a Caribbean masquerade band,\u00a0organized by\u00a0I AM CARIBBEING<\/a>, a cultural organization headquartered in Flatbush.<\/p>\n

For the past three\u00a0years, founder Shelley Worrell and others have hosted Mas Camp, a three-day workshop for those looking to customize their masquerading outfits for the parade. This year it takes place from Friday, Aug. 30\u00a0through Sunday, Sept.1\u00a0at the group’s\u00a0headquarters at 1399 Nostrand Ave.<\/p>\n

The masquerade band pays homage to traditional Monday wear worn in Trinidad and Tobago during Carnival, a celebration of freedom held throughout Caribbean countries. For countries that celebrate Carnival for multiple days, Monday wear is an ensemble worn on the\u00a0more casual day.<\/p>\n

\"i-am-caribbeing-costumes\"
This year\u2019s band theme is \u201cSailing Di Parkway,\u201d an ode to Sailor Mas, a traditional masquerade costume. Photo: Brianna Robles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

This year\u2019s band theme is \u201cSailing Di Parkway,\u201d an ode to\u00a0Sailor Mas<\/a>, a traditional masquerade costume originating in the 1880s when British, American and French ships sailed into Trinidad and\u00a0Tobago.<\/p>\n

The mas sets, including Captain Stush, Sail Master and Bush Ahoy, come with a bodysuit, bottoms and other accessories like a fanny pack, fishnet gloves\u00a0and captain hat. Masqueraders are able to buy a full set or pieces of a set to then decorate them using beads, glitter\u00a0and paint\u00a0during Mas Camp.<\/p>\n

The Monday Mas band is an ode to body positivity and Caribbean culture, Worrell said. In past years, many women would have to make alterations for their costumes to fit. Instead, they changed manufacturers to include sizes from small to 3XL, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just felt like that’s not something that I wanted to see for the community,” Worrell told BK Reader.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted everyone to feel welcome, and [feel] like their sizes and their bodies were seen as important. So, for us, it was very, very important to have the sizes run up to a 3XL, or as large as we can get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Traditional Carnival attire includes a combination of colorful materials, beads, sequins and feathers that can cost upward of $1,000 for some bands. However, Worrell created the attires,\u00a0all under<\/a>\u00a0$200, in hopes of offering masqueraders an alternative option that is more sustainable.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything that we have is reusable \u2014 the hats, the bathing suits, the pants, you can use them outside of Carnival,\u201d explained Kenya Cummings, I AM CARIBBEING\u2019s program and operations manager.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarnival is just for that moment, and you can’t really use it again so we try to make it something where people come back,\u201d said Cummings.<\/p>\n

Kiola George, a Guyana-bred masquerader who has been with the organization\u00a0for two years, said\u00a0she’s most looking forward to the vibes and high energy felt during the parade.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is able to showcase their body and feel free and liberated,\u201d said George. \u201cAnd mas is a celebration of our bodies around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond masquerading, I AM CARIBBEING\u2019s mission is to pay homage to Brooklyn\u2019s diverse Caribbean culture.<\/p>\n

This year, the group is collaborating with other local businesses like\u00a0Allan\u2019s Bakery\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Kigan<\/a>\u00a0Joseph\u00a0from\u00a0Bounty Rum St. Lucia<\/a>\u00a0to support other Caribbean businesses and spotlight smaller countries like St. Lucia, which often get overshadowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe carnival community is one part of our community, but we do our best to connect with local businesses,\u201d explained Worrell. \u201cFor us, it’s really important to also have a small business and commerce community development part.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about I AM CARIBBEING and to join Mas camp, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Brianna Robles If you end up on Eastern Parkway on Monday for this year’s West Indian Day Parade, you will likely spot hundreds of masqueraders reppin\u2019\u00a0Monday Mas, a Caribbean masquerade band,\u00a0organized by\u00a0I AM CARIBBEING, a cultural organization headquartered in Flatbush. For the past three\u00a0years, founder Shelley Worrell and others have hosted Mas Camp, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5904,"featured_media":22421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,524,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-brooklyn-events","category-whats-buzzin"],"yoast_head":"\nWeekend Mas Camp Promotes Inclusive, Eco-Friendly Costumes for West Indian Day Parade - Brooklyn News and Events<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/brooklynbuzz\/weekend-mas-camp-promotes-inclusive-eco-friendly-costumes-for-west-indian-day-parade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Weekend Mas Camp Promotes Inclusive, Eco-Friendly Costumes for West Indian Day Parade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By: Brianna Robles If you end up on Eastern Parkway on Monday for this year’s West Indian Day Parade, you will likely spot hundreds of masqueraders reppin\u2019\u00a0Monday Mas, a Caribbean masquerade band,\u00a0organized by\u00a0I AM CARIBBEING, a cultural organization headquartered in Flatbush. 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