One of the enduring images from any trip to Santorini, Greece, is the famed flying dress. The silk material billowing in the breeze against the backdrop of azure blues and blinding whites of the Greek island is pure magic. It’s an experience that Chrisan Hunter envisioned partaking in when she finally took her dream trip to the southeastern European country.
The 27-year-old is from a small community in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and by her own admission ‘obsessed’ with travel. Pre-pandemic, she worked as a wedding planner at a local resort but, like many others, lost her job during lockdown. Initially, she considered doing pared-down weddings and elopements. But then the idea to create the flying dresses from her dream location started to take shape in her head.
“We don’t have anything like this in Jamaica. So I was like this is a good thing,” Hunter shared with Travel Noire about those early brainstorming sessions. “Plus, I always wanted to do stuff for my birthday, like photo shoots and stuff like that. And we have a lot of that in the Caribbean, where you just go to your dressmaker, and you make something. But you don’t really wear that outfit again after you do that photoshoot, or after you wear it to that event. Why not just rent it? So then I did that.”
HerDress Jamaica offers custom-made and designer dress rentals for any occasion — birthdays, engagements, maternity, anniversaries, or just vacations shots. The dresses span a vibrant range of colors and sizes, all the way up to 3X. Orange and yellow are consistent crowd-pleasers because they give off a more tropical vibe. Prices start from $250 up and are based on the photographer’s rates.
“We mostly do photoshoot packages. It comes with the dress included, as well as the photographer, the edited image — everything is done for you. And then if they want additional services, like makeup, or location or driver, all of that [can be arranged]. It’s a full-service thing.”
The response has been overwhelmingly positive and has grown considerably in less than a year of operation. But it’s not just Jamaicans taking advantage of the unique photo op. Hunter has clients coming in from the United States thanks to the close proximity.
“They’re like, ‘I wanted to do this in Greece. But when I realized it’s in Jamaica, I said, Okay, I’m gonna come here.’ And then of course, they’re Black people supporting Black people. I’m a small business. I’m a Black woman. So they’re like, ‘hey, that’s even better.'”
Hunter is already working on expanding her sartorial options, but she’s taking her time and doing research to best serve her clients’ needs. She’s also hoping to invest some more time in another one of her passion projects — weddings.
“I’m ensuring that I get this business off the ground and settled in first before I start anything else. But it’s something that I definitely will be doing because weddings are one of my passions. Even when I was doing it before at the resort I always loved the big weddings, but the small ones have a special place in my heart.”
Book your own rental at HerDress Jamaica during your next visit or follow them on Instagram.
