Following the lift of COVID restrictions in the region, I pondered my next move as an entrepreneur. The concept of ‘pivoting’ had become like this new thing. Everyone was trying to figure out how to grow his or her business or start a new business. Entrepreneurship was seemingly on an all-new rise as big companies were having a record number of layoffs.
The lockdown experience left me with one unwavering thought…
‘We as Caribbean people really need to be more intentional about shopping locally and investing in our people. There is indeed power in placing focus on supporting Caribbean production, taking stock of our consumption of goods, and encouraging local generational wealth. ‘
I have yet to meet a fellow Caribbean national that was not impacted by the slowdown and lack of access to mainstream brands. A number of us had been introduced to Caribbean brands that we had not yet heard of. My favorite example is the Barbados brand, ‘Beep’ versus the global UK brand ‘Lysol’.
Then I thought about this movement that I have been trying to build for the last several years. I thought — ‘why do we rely on mainstream brands so much when there is probably an equivalent somewhere in the Caribbean’. Naively or not, I ask the question, why is it so difficult to commerce between the islands? Why aren’t more Caribbean brands more widely distributed throughout the region? Where is the investment in Caribbean brands?
Who could forget the Black Lives Matters Movement that boldly took over the airways? A movement that sparked conversations of diversity, equality, and where black people spend their dollars. Bank of America pledged $1 billion over four years to address racial and economic inequality. Social-media influencers turned over their Instagram accounts to Black business owners. Just about every major publication started publishing articles about black-owned brands to know and support. Retailer Nordstrom now dedicates a whole section of their website to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging. Finding Black Owned or Founded Brands and other ethnic group-owned brands has never been easier. Most recently Grenadian designer Fe Noel celebrated the availability of their brand in Target.
I am inspired and can see the power in narrative taking shape.
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Turning my attention to who should be on the cover of this special magazine issue, I realized it had to be BVI designer Kristin Frazer. Now a two-time cover girl for Caribbean POSH, for the past 15 years, Kristin has been investing and reinvesting in her Trefle brand. And has become one of the most notable designers in the region. A young woman from a small island with extremely big dreams. Kristin continues to be an inspiration to everyone around her, especially her creative mentees and entrepreneurial besties.
Be sure to subscribe and follow Caribbean POSH as we share more of Kristin’s 15 years of Trefle Designs.
#ShopCaribbean … shop Trefle and other Caribbean brands. Because where people spend their dollars does directly influence power. So, if we as Caribbean people want to see our economies improve, it has to start with us investing more in ourselves.
Imagine a Caribbean region where – governments invested in business development programs for small businesses, encouraged exporting of locally made goods, firmly protected against the disenfranchising of local people. And where the inclusion of women is taken more seriously.
I have been hosting the POSHgirl POWER Brunch in the British Virgin Islands for the past six years. People often ask me, why just women or why am I doing this? For me, it is so much more than a brunch. The mission has been to elevate Caribbean people in business, women in particular. I believe that by supporting more Caribbean-owned brands, we as Caribbean people can help create greater economic growth within the region.
Through fashion, beauty, and other creatives the poshgirl movement is now embarking on a full destination event that I hope will build on this narrative of Shop Caribbean for years to come. A narrative that will involve more women with a seat at the table.
xoxo