Designer Island

We have launched our website designerislandlife.com finally!

We look forward to sharing with you stories of the makers of our beautiful twin island republic, Trinidad and Tobago and the neighboring Caribbean islands.

I have consistently been passionate about where I am from and even more so about becoming more aware of the creatively interesting things people are doing, writing and making from the Caribbean.

Designer island started as a school project while I was dabbling in a Communication degree at COSTAATT. While I never finished the program (due to disappointments in some aspects) the time spent was completely fruitful in tickling my interest to attempting to understand what the idea of the Caribbean Aesthetic is and this idea has been growing and coming to life on designerislandlife.com.

My very good friend Ayanna, joined me in the last year to develop the website when she came along as an editor and it is our hope that Designer Island continues to grow and be collaborative.

I've had the pleasure of interviewing some really interesting people like photographer; Alex Smailes, designer and artist; Richard Mark Rawlins, designer; Marlon Darbeau an soon to be posted jeweler and maker; Jade Drakes who we interviewed over breakfast at her home.

Designer island is not just about creatives, but about expanding the idea of who we are as a Caribbean, West Indian people and showing how it expands from spending Sunday mornings on the beach to shopping at Organic Green Market's on Saturdays, attending Fashion shows, Art exhibits, dining and being jet setting industrial designers and jewelers and store owners. It's about how the folks who maybe that don't club on and island entertain themselves, lime, hangout and sip wine at our favourite wine bars, go hiking in the rainforest and then go to work on a Monday morning. It's abut our varying passions.

I hope you enjoy our offering and leave us comments and feedback.
Get in touch with us and welcome to designer island life.

Let us so you why we're so island :)

Designer Island Life. - Check out the New Website!

We've moved!

Welcome to designerislandlife.com. 

We are very excited to share with you.

Let us show you why we are 'So Island.'

Designer Island Life.com

The Caribbean or Island Aesthetic with Ayanna Gillian Lloyd

Ayanna Gillian Lloyd is a  Writer and Blogger. 

She is currently a Literatures in English Teacher at the prestigious Bishop Anstey High School in Port of Spain Trinidad and pursuing a masters at Arthur Lock Jack Graduate School of Business studying Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

Ayanna currently writes one of my favourite blogs about Literature and Culture and is very interested in the creative industries. 

She's a beautiful smart woman and I totally admire her (and wish I had her brain!)

I've also quoted her in one of my earlier post; 'So Island, Anya Ayoung-Chee. A Sense of Pride."

Because of Ayanna absolute smarts and genuine interest in the Arts and in how to make creative industries here better I had to ask her the question, 'What does the term Caribbean Aesthetic mean to you?' 

Please check out the video and leave your thoughts by commenting! :)

'I think it's something that moves along a spectrum of influences and you can't really define it. It depends on your where you sit, where you're from, where you start, where you reach, where you going.' -Ayanna Gillian Lloyd

The recording and editing of this video post was done by Photographer; Kibwe Brathwaite

A Colour Story... 'South Sunday'

I have a folder on my desktop of over 2000 pictures of things I call beautiful. They range from clothes, shoes, interiors, jewelry and furniture to sites and scenes (local and foreign) all either photographed by myself, a friend or borrowed from the internet. It all inspires my design aesthetic in some way. I am curious about everything. I am excited to learn new things and I am never ashamed to say 'I Don't Know'.

As a Designer you should be curious about everything and have your mind and eye always ready to absorb because creativity is the connecting of things learnt, things developed, things evolved, things felt and things absorbed; A synthesis of things experienced with things new.

From San Fernando to the Temple in the Sea - Trinidad

  

Today was 'South Sunday' with my friends. We got up early and met to take a trip to South Trinidad so we can say hello to friends, eat some good food, take a drink or two, and enjoy the scenery and drive.

Besides needing the relaxation from my thoughts and the routine of the 'north'  I looked forward to taking random pictures of things, textures and colours from which I could pull colour palettes.


Not only is this a hobby of mine but also an excellent work practice that comes in very handywhen designing brands and Brand guides for clients at work.

Colour is also a great way to start my thought process in design if I'm not starting with word association or inspired by a font after reading the brand audit.

In my ongoing desire to pull ideas and inspiration from my life around me, it's so interesting to discover the colours around you that add such vibrancy to a palette, often in combinations and shades you may not have otherwise put together yourself. But nature combines them for you...

Temple in the Sea- Central Trinidad.

'I am Clearest when I Feel with what I Think. – Everything Inspires’ me.' 

Where do you find your inspiration?