August 13, 2019
From T&T to New York and back, the blossoming lifestyle brand Willow & Oak is bringing a new minimal, modern aesthetic to the Caribbean.
When I first stumbled across Shandelle Alleyne-Loregnard, she was styling fashion shows for Meilingand editorial spreads for Fashion Focus magazine. Later, she appeared on my radar again as the creator of a jewellery brand named Willow & Oak with an impressively fashionable Instagram presence.
Recently, I met with Shandelle, who was comfortably wearing her brand, both the jewellery and a light cotton top in a soft beige shade. By this time, the brand had expanded to include clothing and I was eager to get to know how this young designer was evolving Willow & Oak.
“It’s made by an artist… for an artist.”
Tell us a bit about yourself…
SHANDELLE: To start with, my name is Shandelle Alleyne-Loregnard, which is hyphenated, but not because I’m married. Alleyne is my mom’s name and Loregnard is my dad’s because mom wanted to fuse their names.
Mom is a decorator, so growing up I was exposed to a lot of different things. She had me in every single creative activity she could find — string art, Chinese calligraphy, even cross stitch.
By Form 4, I discovered my love for fashion! I decided to continue Clothing & Textiles in Holy Name Convent at Form 5 AND in Form 6, I enrolled in Fashion Design part-time at UTT.
Holy Name during the day. John D at night. School then more school until the end of the first semester, when I was finally like, “Nope! Definitely cannot do both” But as soon as I finished Holy Name, I went back to UTT full-time.
What came after UTT?
SHANDELLE: New York! I went to check out the Fashion Institute of Technology with my mom and she just kept on saying, “Apply! Apply!” It was the only school I applied to. I got in and New York was such an eye opener. It changed my entire vision and my entire outlook on fashion.
Before, I felt like I didn’t fit in with the fashion scene in Trinidad because it’s so colourful here and I’m not a very colourful person. I’m not flowy or girly, so New York really kinda resonated with me and my aesthetic and my standard.
How different was FIT from UTT and how did it influence your understanding, knowledge and approach to design?
SHANDELLE: In my last year at FIT, I had a professor who participated in the Master’s Programme in Parsons and came across to FIT to create their Master’s Programme. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have had this outlook on fashion right now. New York opened it up for me but he helped me to truly understand design.
FIT shows you the business side of things. So you design and, oh yeah, that’s good, but they don’t teach you how to pull the elements together.
What he taught me was that designing a garment on a piece of paper is not going to be the same garment when you make it. It’s going to be completely different!
So he made us play a lot — play meaning get your materials and experiment… create your first concept and then play and switch and tweak. You have to design until you feel comfortable, play with the elements until you feel comfortable because it doesn’t make sense to force the paper design, you know what I mean?
That really stayed with me. It made me understand that everything wasn’t going to be so black and white, so simple, so business oriented. It allowed me to get my creative juices flowing, take them to the highest level and then bring them back down to wherever they need to be.
“You have to design until you feel comfortable, play with the elements until you feel comfortable.”
Has the difference between Trinidad and New York influenced you similarly?
SHANDELLE: When I was in Trinidad, I had one idea of fashion and where it needed to be: on the runway. I thought I had to do runway and I had to have a collection, and have to, have to, have to.
In New York, though, the environment and the people made me want to take a different course. I wanted a more minimal look and more everyday wear that was easily accessible, not stuff that was intimidating. I want you to walk into a store and feel like, ‘Yes, that’s what I love!’
Right after FIT, I did a summer internship at Tome. Then I got to work for them! They were also really a huge part of me in getting to where I am now. They do all their production in New York and all their design in-house. It’s minimal, simple, easy… because it’s made in New York, it’s expensive but accessible and sustainable with ethical practices. That’s what I want for my designs: to be able to bring them back down to the people.
So everything that was bunched up in my head, became clear and I suddenly wanted to come back home so that I could create a brand from Trinidad, not a brand in New York that represents Trinidad. I want to be able to export and help our fashion industry.
“I wanted a more minimal look and more everyday wear that was easily accessible, not stuff that was intimidating. I want you to walk into a store and feel like, ‘Yes, that’s what I love!’”
We’ve talked a lot about fashion. How did you get to jewellery and Willow & Oak?
SHANDELLE: I was never a jewellery designer. I studied clothing – strictly clothing! And then I made this choker I’m wearing.
I found this jewellery supply store, bought some sheet metal, a shears… I cut it up, gave it a little hammer and did my thing.
When I wore it to work the next day, one of my co-workers said, “I like your necklace!”
I was like, “Okay, thanks. I made it.”
And she got all excited, “Girl, put that on Etsy! You’ll make so much money! It’ll sell like crazy!”
But, as I said before, I’m strictly clothing so I was like, “No. I’m not a jewellery designer.”
I thought about it for a while and just decided to do it. I started with the choker and, in that lil summer, I got twenty-something sales. I was like, “What is going on? This is crazy!”
Was that the start of Willow & Oak?
SHANDELLE: Well, I came back home and was trying to decide, jewellery or clothing?! I was already playing with the concept of Willow Jewellery because I always wanted to go the natural route and use natural materials. It’s sustainable, ethical practices, no wastage.
But I also wanted a lifestyle clothing brand — footwear, handbags, clothing.
Together, it became Willow & Oak. When I present a collection, they fall under the Edition 1, 2, 3 brand but there are also pieces that come out in-between the collections, just because Trinidadians like new stuff all the time… So, yeah!
Do you sew all your pieces yourself?
SHANDELLE: Sew the clothing? Yes, but it’s a challenge. At first I was trying to do both — clothing and jewellery — but I don’t have time to do it all! I tried to outsource seamstresses and tailors but the quality wasn’t up to my standard. I met with so many different people and they all just gave me rush jobs. I’m thinking of looking outside – even though I don’t really want to – so I might create a lil studio for myself and hire somebody that I can work with. That way I can be right there with them so that I can maintain the quality.
Let’s take a step back. When I first met you, you were styling and you hadn’t launched Willow & Oak as yet…
SHADELLE: So, before I went to New York, I started styling and creating my own concepts. I got a few friends together — an aspiring photographer, a makeup artist, a model — and just said, “I’m going to do it!” Because I really like styling.
The first shoot I did was in Caura with Adrian Foster, who had just come out of UTT. It was his white collection inspired by The Wash Woman.
Then I did Waters of Evening, which featured this creature coming into land. There was an old, old house with sand on the stairs and the creature had a coral headpiece and big, big hair. She had on swimsuit and these weird, white shoes and a fish net and was pulling the fish net up the stairs. It was beach and land and forest and totally awesome and weird!
Then I left for New York and did a course there on styling and learning everything about the industry. So, when I came back home, I wanted to do everything, to try everything that I had learned.
Because, when I tell you, home is HOME for me! I love Trinidad and really believe in Trinidad but it’s not easy. Here, you have more work to do. Because my style is so minimal and so simple, it’s hard to do shoots. There aren’t very many designers that I can work with but Meiling took me in. I styled for her but it was just so different from New York.
I also styled Maya Cozier’s movie, ‘Short Drop.’ That was different because it was character styling, instead of editorial, but I enjoyed it. I really wouldn’t mind getting into that, as well as production design and set design. And, of course, I still pray for the chance to get back in to styling and photoshoots…
And you also ventured in to costume design for Carnival?
SHADELLE: Yes, Valmiki (Creative Director of The Lost Tribe Carnival) brought me in as an associate to collaborate on his designs. There were three of us and we were basically learning everything. We met a wire-bender, we learned how to cost different ways and different pieces and how to be cost effective, because budgeting is so important!
So, it was a real eye opener and definitely a hard transition from fashion to Carnival. I always wanted to dive into it but I was kinda scared because how do you transition from cool fabric to skimpiness? It was challenging but I’m glad I went to Lost Tribe. I don’t know what I’ll do next but I love the creativity and the fact that people are actually willing to wear the designs.
And the road experience was unbelievable! Everybody wearing your costume, everybody loving it, all of the positive feedback. Seeing it come to life and the vibe and the entire experience is just amazing.
So it’s safe to say you’d probably do this again?
SHANDELLE: I think I would. It’s difficult for me because I’m so minimal. My focus is on the detail, whereas Carnival and mas is all about the bigger design. So, it’s a transition, but I love it. I love learning new things and trying new things and growing.
Willow & Oak is fairly active on Instagram and you use a lot of imagery to develop the story of the brand…
SHANDELLE: …Because it’s a lifestyle brand. I’m not just selling jewellery or clothing but an experience. So I need images — lifestyle images — so that you can see yourself in this brand. You may not be that exact person but you love the look and want to be part of the aesthetic, so you purchase a piece of jewellery, clothing or a handbag to connect.
Let’s say you’re a messy person, the brand can help you achieve a clean, minimal look. You might not be that clean, minimal person but that one lil piece can get you closer to where you wanna be.
“It’s a lifestyle brand. I’m not just selling jewellery or clothing but an experience.”
So what’s next for you and Willow & Oak?
SHANDELLE: I honestly want to focus on the handbags – the handbags and footwear. I’m also considering a third option… home furnishings, like wall hangings, pillow cases and bed things.
And what’s the one thing you’d want us to remember about Willow & Oak – the brand and the style?
SHANDELLE: First, the Willow & Oak girl… She’s a minimalist Caribbean woman, and I use both terms because I feel like my products connect a nice range of ages. She loves unique, easy-to-wear pieces that are almost like wearable art — easy to style and easy to wear every day.
Then, the aesthetic. Although I create the piece, I want the person who purchases the piece to feel like they’ve become the artist. So style it however you want, wear it however you want — one piece or two, off the shoulder or not, I hand the piece over to you so you can do anything you want. That’s why it’s made by an artist… for an artist.
INTERVIEWER: TANYA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHER: ERROL JOHN
