In Conversation With Naballah Chi
Caribbean Sustainable Fashion Designer and entrepreneur on Creativity for Climate Action
Naballah Chi is a UNESCO Transcultura Award-winning Fashion Designer. Photo courtesy of Naballah Chi.
Naballah Chi was awarded the Grand Prize for Best Fashion Collection at "Fashion in da House"in Havana, Cuba (May 2024). This award is part of UNESCO's Transcultura Programme, supporting Caribbean cultural industries. Photo Credits: UNESCO / H. Bejerano
I fell in love with fashion long before I understood its power.
Growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, I was surrounded by vibrant fabrics, bold colours, and the rhythmic pulse of Caribbean culture. My earliest memories are of sitting beside my mother as she worked as a seamstress, watching her hands turn simple cloth into something artistic. Through her, I learned that fashion could speak without words. It could tell stories, protect culture, and reveal identity.
As I grew older, I realised that creativity within fashion came to me with a startling ease. It felt natural, instinctive, and effortless, the way water rolls off a duck's back. No matter what other paths I tried to follow, life always found a way to bring me back to fashion. That pull felt like destiny. People often say that when you find your passion, you find your purpose. I believe that fashion is where my creativity, values, and desire to do good in the world meet.
But my love for the craft eventually collided with a difficult truth.
I have always moved through life with a sense of higher purpose, so I knew that whatever I created needed to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. While I loved being creative, I struggled with the superficiality and vanity that often define the fashion world. The industry can feel like a cycle of trends and applause, and none of it ever fulfilled me. I never cared for vanity metrics or fleeting recognition. What mattered to me was impact. I wanted my creativity to create real and lasting change.
The deeper I became involved in fashion, the more clearly I saw its flaws. I was already grappling with the tension between creativity and vanity when I learned about the devastating impact the industry has on the environment. Everything shifted. It felt like a light bulb went off. The same inner voice that once questioned whether fashion was too vain or harmful became a turning point, pushing me toward a solution.
I knew that creating beautiful clothes was no longer enough. More meaningful work needed to be done. I dove into research, documentaries, and countless studies, while also turning inward to examine my own role as a fashion creative. Fashion’s contribution to environmental degradation was undeniable, and I felt a responsibility to be part of the solution. That was when fashion became my activism.
"Fashion in da House" Havana, Cuba (May 2024). Repurposes upcycled materials and showcases hand-painted techniques. Photo Credits: UNESCO / H. Bejerano
I began transforming discarded fabrics into garments that honoured Caribbean heritage, weaving Indigenous techniques and ancestral stories into every piece. In alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, my eponymous label, Naballah Chi, began its mission to reduce environmental harm while innovating culture. During this period, I trained local workers in sustainable production techniques, creating employment opportunities while advancing community education around ethical and environmentally responsible practices.
In 2024, my work was recognised on an international stage when the UNESCO Transcultura Programme awarded my collection Best Sustainable Fashion Collection in Havana, Cuba. The award affirmed what I had always believed: fashion can carry purpose. My winning collection utilised organic and repurposed fabrics, zero-waste patchwork techniques, and design elements such as detachable and reversible pieces to extend the life of each garment. Circularity guided every part of its creation. When you look at how nature operates, everything is regenerated. There is no waste in nature or in the way ecosystems are built. I wanted my work to mirror that truth.
Yet my commitment to sustainability extends beyond design.
As my voice grew, so did opportunities to share it. I began partnering with local and international lifestyle and travel brands that aligned with my values. I create digital content as another form of advocacy for sustainable living. These partnerships merge my love for storytelling with my commitment to environmental responsibility, and I inspire audiences to rethink how they consume and engage with the world.
In 2025, upon recognising a critical gap in Trinidad and Tobago’s textile waste management and fashion infrastructure, I founded the Naballah Chi Textile Recycling Initiative (NCTRI). This project collects and recycles textiles, educates communities, and transforms waste into new products. Through NCTRI, I launched an educational campaign that reframed waste as a possibility, inviting my community to imagine transformation instead of disposal.
Today, I remain devoted to reimagining fashion as a force for cultural preservation, environmental justice, and meaningful change. I invite creatives, innovators, and dreamers to bring their magic and innovation to the spaces where we need them most.
Fashion is more than glamour and exclusivity. It is a pathway to healing and a tool for rewriting our collective consciousness.
Find Naballah Chi on Instagram @naballahchi.
