Hope Blake Wade was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She is a graduate of Alpha Academy in Kingston, Jamaica; New York City Technical College and Cooper Union College in New York.  Hope spent her early years in Port Royal, the historic town in Jamaica where she frolicked among the world’s historic site of the former Buccaneers.  The daughter of late Mavis Blake and Superintendent of Police Eustace “Gussie” Blake, Hope was always an outgoing, artistic and creative person. She has excelled as an actress, poet, graphic designer and fashion designer.

Hope started the Hope Wade Designs fashion company in 1991, with the motto “If you can describe it, I can design it”.  She is the Producer/ Creator of Rockland Fashion Week in Rockland County, New York. Famous for using burlap (crocus bag) and the Jamaican independence bandana colors, her couture fashions are practical for every woman.

She has received numerous awards for her creativity and community involvement. In May, 2021 she received the first ever Woman of Distinction Award from the State Assembly of New York for outstanding leadership in Rockland County, New York where she resides and operates her business.

In June 2019 HOPE WADE DESIGNS was invited by Pulse Management in collaboration with Fashion One TV of NIGERIA to showcase her designs at Caribbean Fashion Week (CFW) as a master designer. Hope has graced the runway of CFW from 2011-2013 and 2015 to outstanding coverage and her designs have been on the front page of every major newspaper in the Caribbean as well as on tv internationally and in Vogue and Hudson River Valley magazines. Also, in June 2019 her design house was chosen by Harlem Fashion Row in collaboration with NIKE for the first Designer Retreat for Designers of Color.  She has designed several gowns for the Miss Jamaica World, Miss Jamaica Universe, Miss Jamaica Nation and Miss Intercontinental pageants, and her gowns have been worn in international competitions at Miss World in China in 2018 and Miss International in Egypt in 2017.

Academy and Grammy Award winner, singer Darlene Love is a devotee of Hope’s designs and has worn Hope Wade Designs to perform for former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House and for David Letterman. The gown that Ms. Love performed “Christmas Baby Please Come Home” on the final David Letterman Christmas show in 2014 was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

In June 2018 Hope was ordained as an Evangelist in New York by Community Christian Church living out her life of service to God and her community.  Her high school, Alpha Academy presented her with the Woman of Excellence Award in 2018.

Hope is the current President of Alpha Academy Tristate Alumni Association in New York where she brings together alumnae of the high school and raise funds for current students. She is also the President of JAMCCAR (Jamaica Civic and Cultural Association of Rockland), sits on the Board of Cooper Union Alumni Association, and is a member of the Village of Nyack Business Council

She is married to Paul Wade and they have one daughter Jasper who is a sophomore at Syracuse University.

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