Ten years after launching a clothing brand built on the words “Never Give Up,” Saint Lucian designer Marshall Celestin celebrated a London runway milestone and shared the spotlight with a fellow Saint Lucian making her international debut.
Celestin unveiled NGU Clothing’s new collection and luxury crest at the sold-out Premium Edition London Fashion Week showcase on September 19, following the brand’s second consecutive Canadian Choice Award win.
He also invited Tamla Lionel, founder and creative director of LUXATOIRE, to present her collection in NGU’s slot at the four-designer showcase. For Lionel, it was her first international runway presentation.
According to NGU, the audience at the Leonardo Royal London Tower Bridge Hotel gave the designers a standing ovation.
For Celestin, the evening brought together a decade of perseverance and an opportunity to help another Saint Lucian designer reach a wider audience.
“Ten years ago, Never Give Up was the message that kept me moving,” he said, explaining that the new collection carries that journey. “Revealing our new crest in London, after another award, was a proud moment. Sharing the runway with Tamla made it even more meaningful.”
The crest gives NGU’s founding message a new visual identity. Its crown represents purpose and ambition, the cross reflects Celestin’s faith, and two lions symbolise courage, strength and leadership.
The collaboration with Lionel took shape after NGU appeared as the featured designer at Export the Runway in Saint Lucia in 2025. Celestin left that event convinced that more local designers were ready to take their work onto international platforms.
The Government of Saint Lucia and Export Saint Lucia supported both designers’ participation in the London showcase.
Founded in 2016, NGU has previously appeared on runways in New York, Paris, Milan and Dubai. The brand won Canadian Choice Awards in 2025 and 2026 and has received seven FACES Ottawa Awards nominations for Best Clothing Brand. Celestin has also earned five nominations for Best Fashion Designer.
As NGU enters its second decade, Celestin hopes the London presentation will help open more doors for Saint Lucian fashion. Lionel’s international debut gave that ambition a concrete starting point: two homegrown brands sharing a runway, with one established designer helping another take her first step onto the global stage.
