October 21, 2016 Five years ago, I met my family in Trinidad and Tobago for the first time. Rounding the final curve of my 20’s, I arrived on one of the most festive days of the year, Carnival Monday. On display was the grandest and wildest show in the country, perhaps the entire Caribbean. After […]
October 01, 2016 “Hand-painted signs are such a unique and beautiful aspect of our culture. A culture I would like to see continue and thrive. But I also understand some of the challenges that the regional corporations face that may lead them to remove signs before their date has passed, as fallen, outdated signs lead […]
September 14, 2016 “I wanted to see if an architectural way of making could be developed that reflects the nature of Trinidad Carnival.” The culture, the rhythm, the people, the accents and even the language… Across the Caribbean, no two are the same. And how we experience these unique variables differs even more as a […]
September 19, 2015 Nestled almost secretly in the shade of a pink poui tree, on the southwestern corner of Carlos and Roberts’ streets in Woodbrook Port of Spain Trinidad is The Frame Shop. Peeking in through the glass of the large door invites the tingle of excitement throughout your body that can be compared to […]
May 23, 2015 Fashion especially in the Caribbean has mainly been a female playfield. While menswear designers like Millhouse, Ecliff Elie and a few others have been carving their own niche it’s not generally an area most young fashion designers are attracted to, but in the last 10 years the fashionable man has been making […]
March 29, 2015 Using clay the way a painter uses canvas, Designer Island 2014 Loves List maker Adam Williams, uses simple forms to describe social and political stories on their surfaces. From the basic forms of collectible cups and wares to the rare allure of sculptured commentary, Adam’s patience, emotion and intent are molded to life, warmed to vibrant […]
August 31, 2014 We’re inspired by beautiful things and even more so, we’re inspired by seeing our multi-faceted reflections in those beautiful creations… The beauty of her Caribbean surroundings and heritage inspired interior designer, Toni Suratsingh Crockett‘s, decorative pillow collection. Earlier this month, Toni hosted a gathering of friends and supporters at the Verandah Restaurant, Rust […]
July 27, 2014 In a quiet, little studio in north-west Trinidad, Aisling Camps creates beautiful knitwear for her fashion line, ‘Aisling Knits’. Creative and climate-friendly cottons and bamboo… Engineering elegance into pieces that range from delicately oversized sweaters to edgier silhouettes, it’s knit wear for and from the Caribbean. We talk about her life transitions, her […]
The Designer Island Instagram Profile Series features the work of Caribbean photographers who use Instagram thoughtfully as a means to display their work, show their lives and travels or to make a statement about the Caribbean as they see it. We’re kicking it off today with a profile of Marlon James, a Kingston-born photographer whose work […]
