#galleryyuhself/shoes

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Galleryyuhself - A history of BATA and its establishment in Trinidad and Tobago.

From the Facebook page of Dominic Kalipersad - The Bata Company began exporting shoes to Trinidad in 1930 and two years later, it established shops on the island.Bata continued selling its shoes to Trinidad customers even after the Second World War, and the company ceased operations on the island in 1993.It sneakers, called Bata Bullets, were a hot seller for schoolchildren, probably due to the economical price, but they were not considered cool by the fashion-conscious.

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                  Pay Less for simple, straightforward advertising

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BATA in Trinidad early history

The first factory.

This is the story as I know it. Vlasta Kacal (my grandfather) came to Trinidad from Czechoslovakia in 1933 to set up and run the first Bata stores. His older brother, Vaclav, was a more senior Bata executive who used to travel throughout South America buying leather etc. Vlasta went back to Czechoslovakia in 1936 and got married, bringing his wife back to Trinidad. Sometime around that time, he purchased about 20 acres of land in Petit Valley in the area called Garden City. The land is now occupied by Pinewood Gardens and Chateaux Village. At that time, he was criticized by the POS establishment for building in the bush. Sometime during or to the end of WW2 

Vlasta got an opportunity to buy a full set of high quality woodworking machines - Wadkin-Bursgreen (still need to get more on that story). I believe that year that woodworking started was 1942 because in 1987, we held an exhibition in the Westmall atrium entitled “Kacal 45”, and I was told that it had been 45 years since the family started making wood products. He then set up his workshop in the location of what is now Chateaux Village. Note that the existing factory run by a Frenchman at the back is not the same place as thought by some. That came much later on.

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~Galleryyuhself~ From the Facebook page of Angelo Bissessarsingh’s Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago

Tomas Bata was the founder of the Bata Corporation, it is one of the leading shoe companies in the world to this day. In the early 1930's, two hundred pairs of shoes were shipped to Trinidad and Tobago and that was to be the beginning of Bata's very successful presence in this country. The company continued doing business here until 1993. Some of their more popular shoes were the Bata Bullets and the Bata Flip Flops.

Fun fact:Bata was a pioneer in the use of corporate aviation. The company had it's own aircraft which were used for attending meetings at its subsidiaries around the world. The aircraft was also used for transporting skilled workers to factories when needed.

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~Galleryyuhself~ You can’t have heaven without Satan.

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                                     The shoe always fits                    

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~Galleryyuhself~ The religious gimmick to sell shoes is breathing new life into the product.

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~Galleryyuhself~ Found on the Angelo Bissessarsingh Virtual Museum.

Habibs was a local haberdashers in Trinidad and Tobago.

text... Do you remember back in the 1960s and ’70s when bell bottoms trousers were popular with men and women of all ages ?These "bell-bottoms" were often just very wide-legged trousers, rather than shaped trousers that flared below the knee used in design of sailors' uniforms in 1817. The new uniform design allowed the young men who washed down the ship’s deck to roll their pant legs up above their knees to allow the wearer to work in bare feet .. As part of their survival training, sailors were also taught to remove their trousers while floating, tie the leg bottoms in a knot, and then use one of several methods to inflate the trousers with air. The inflated trousers served as extra flotation device while awaiting rescue.

Then in the late '60s, Hippies Got Their Bell-Bottoms From Navy Surplus. In the '60 and '70s, the young famously rebelled at just about everything their parents valued. Long hair, bright flamboyant colors, and sexual liberation all came in defiance of the status quo. Bell-bottoms were a part of that opposition. Bell bottom trousers worn with platform shoes soon became the popular fashion statement of 70sBy 1979 bell bottom trousers became less fashionable as slim fitting trousers became the vogue.

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~Galleryyuhself~ A striking image for male fashion brand Ecliff Elie Limited.

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Officially established in Trinidad in 1992, Ecliff Elie Limited specializes in luxurious men’s apparel and Resort wear. The label continues to evolve, presenting an elegant, contemporary style for an ever changing, increasingly complex fashion market.Vision- To build a respected brand that is globally recognized as being birthed from intricate couture embedded in Caribbean origins

Mission- To create designs entrenched in innovation and quality that allows our clients to fall in love and support our legacyFounding date1992

AwardsCaribbean Fashion Designer – Male 2010

Luxury Menswear Male Accessories Shoes and Bags

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Galleryyuhself  * 2015 in images * The University of the West Indies promotes Ministry of Design * Veteran Journalist Raoul Pantin dies * A look at some Trinidad Guardian newspaper covers * Terror attack in France over Islamic  cartoon drawings * Caitlyn Jenner debuts * Hilary Clinton may be a shoe in for first female president of the United States * Tee shirt merchandising for local towns * Donald Trump is not going away.