MacFarlane's Design Studios is the premier design and theatrical event company in Trinidad & Tobago. The front face of this organization is Brian MacFarlane, internationally recognized Concept Designer / Artistic Director, who is the 2010 recipient of Trinidad & Tobago's prestigious Chaconia Gold Medal in the sphere of Carnival arts & culture.
Since 1984, MacFarlane's Design Studios has been creating vanguard designs for malls & events in Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, and more recently, Guadeloupe & Martinique. In addition, the design and décor were developed for the visits of General Colin Powell and Rudolph Giuliani to Trinidad & Tobago, as well as both the Coronation Ball for Miss Universe 1999 and the 5th International Conference of Gas & Energy producing Nations on the only occasion that it was staged outside the Gulf States. Theatrical presentations were choreographed for the visits of both Prince Charles of England and the King & Queen of Spain, and Brian MacFarlane was appointed Head Designer/Artistic Director of the 5th Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting n Port of Spain, Trinidad in 2009.
As a Carnival bandleader, Brian MacFarlane is well admired for his great contributions and involvement in Carnival. "MacFarlane Carnival" has won the Large Band of the Year Downtown title for the past 6 years, large Band of the Year Uptown title for the past 5 years, and won both King & Queen of Carnival on numerous occasions.
This design house is renowned for the production of quality international standard designs, creating mood and character through a variety of the following media –
Year Founded 1984
Principals - Brian Mac Farlane (Conceptual Designer/Artistic Director) and Robert Mac Farlane (Managing Director / Financial Comptroller)
Ownership - Private
Address - 17 Alfredo Street Woodbrook, Trinidad & Tobago
Phone - 868 625 8931
Fax - 868 624 9489
Email - macfds@gmail.com
Website - macfarlanedesignstudios.com
Manpower - We employ approximately twenty competent, dedicated multi-talented & skilled personnel in our operations and also provide employment for dozens of contractor employees with adherent knowledge of fine craftsmanship.
Mission Statement
Emphasis on attention to details, innovative design and a visionary approach with the commitment to excellence.
Publicist Caribbean Ltd., Caribbean Money Market Brokers (CMMB), Columbus Communications – Flow – Port of Spain & Chaguanas
British Gas and Scotia Bank Booths - Queens Park Cricket Club
Many medium and high-end homes throughout north Trinidad
Living Waters Community Hospice
In 2009 Brian MacFarlane was selected as the Head Designer for the Summit of the Americas held in April and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November both held in Port of Spain, Trinidad. At both events we were responsible for the production of the opening ceremonies which included over nine hundred performers in each event. Our scope of works included the sourcing of all the performers, the choosing of the music, the choreography, the design of the costumes and the sets for the entire one hour show. These Ceremonies were viewed by millions of people throughout the world
Also in 2009 the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago requested Mac Farlane Design Studios to do a "carnivalesque" presentation for the arrival of the King & Queen of Spain.
The annual success of each Yuletide portrait is represented in the professional execution of elaborate Christmas scenes, Santa's grand workshops, Polynesian and Caribbean scenarios, designed and constructed by the Studio for the country's most prestigious Malls. In most recent years; we decorated Westmall, Gulf City Mall and Gulf City Mall Lowlands Tobago. Our Christmas Mall designs have gone beyond our local borders and we have designed and decorated Malls in Barbados, Martinique and Guadeloupe. This year 2011 we have received a request to design one in French Guyana as well
Mac Farlane Design Studios' strong working relationship with the corporate sector has led to its becoming the first choice among companies eager to stage one of a kind events We have undertaken landmark award ceremonies including the launches of the oil and gas platforms built in Trinidad and Tobago to date A brief list of our corporate clients includes British Gas, bpTT, EOG, BHP Billiton, TSTT, Guardian Holdings, PCS Nitrogen, RBTT and CMMB
MacFarlane Carnival has also been actively involved with Carnival over the past twenty seven years, not only with its designs being implemented and displayed in Trinidad and Tobago but also in Canada, England and Australia Our first King of Carnival was portrayed by Junior Regrello which won South King of Carnival for portrayal "Prisma Man of Colour" We continued to design and make Kings and Queens of Carnival from that time until 1994 Our costumes have the distinction of always placing in the top four of their respective competitions. Further International recognition was achieved when in 1994 the costume entitled "The Conquest", designed by Brian Mac Farlane, secured first place in both the Trinidad and Tobago National King of Carnival Competition and the International Carnival King of the World Competition held in that same year with entrants from over 38 countries In recognition of these achievements Brian Mac Farlane was awarded best Carnival Designer by the National Carnival Commission of Trinidad & Tobago.
In 2000 Mac Farlane designed and made the Junior Carnival Queen Costume which broke a record for winning in every competition it entered. The year 2001 – our King "Bharath ka Suryodaya" from the band Culture Shock came 3rd at the Dimanche Gras Show. We also did at the same show the theatrical presentation for Denyse Plummer's tune "Nah Leaving" which assisted her to obtain the prestige title of Calypso Monarch 2001.
Over the years we have designed kings, queens and worked with all forms of mas It's natural then that we should design and lead our own presentation
2005 – "The Washing by Fire by Water", which copped band of the year medium category title and created great hope for the future of original mas in Trinidad and Tobago.
2006 - Our creation "Threads of Joy" won several accolades: Band of the Year Downtown, on the Greens, at the Renegades competition and 2nd place at the Savannah We continued our carnival tradition of hand crafting costumes for the theatre of the streets in our 2007 portrayal "India: The Story of Boyie" which was the first ever portrayal of an entirely East Indian large band. This creation surpassed our efforts of 2005 and 2006 and received the top awards at all of the Carnival venues at which it was viewed. Our 2007 presentation again copped Band of the Year Downtown, and on The Greens of Piccadilly In addition "India-The Story of Boyie" received the prestigious award of Band of the Year at the Savannah and was the highlight of the Champs in Concert.
2008 –The carnival band "Earth: Cries of Despair, Wings of Hope" was an innovation for carnival in which, for the very first time, adults and children were brought together on the streets and at the various venues to portray and present theatre together Macfarlane Design Studios did the design of all the costumes of both the adults and children. In addition we designed the King of Carnival for 2008 which was portrayed by Jha Whan Thomas as "Pandemic Rage" from the same band Our 2008 creations equaled or surpassed our previous presentations and garnered the top awards at all the carnival venues including the coveted "Band of the Year" title both downtown and uptown to add to the "King of Carnival 2008" crown.
Also in 2008 the United Nations office in Trinidad and Tobago, in acknowledgement of our concern for environmental issues which plague our planet, a concern shared by the United Nations itself and which is the focus of its climate change and environment outreach, signed a Memorandum of understanding with us regarding our presentation of "Earth: Cries of Despair, Wings of Hope"and the message which this production conveyed about our planet.
2009 - Brought further confirmation of our creative excellence The presentation of Africa – "Her People, Her Glory, Her Tears" achieved unprecedented acclaim garnering not only our fifth consecutive band of the year title downtown but also a third consecutive Band of the Year title at the Queen Park Savannah as well as repeat King of Carnival plus this year's Queen of Carnival titles
2010 – Accomplished the Beaver Trick for the Large Band of the Year Title at the Queen's Park Savannah with our winning portrayal of "Resurrection, the Mas" and garnered the Downtown title of Band of the Year in the Large Band Category for the Sixth consecutive time.
2011 – Once again MacFarlane captured the Band of the Year award in the large band category making this our fifth time in a row We also copped the Downtown title with our carnival tradition of hand crafted costumes for the theatre in the streets portrayal "Humanity "Circle of Life", making this his seventh successive year.