Afria Designs blends tradition with modern

When Sherice Beddoe-Huggins was searching for a look that embodied her personality, she fell in love with African prints. Since then she has channelled that love into Afria Designs, a fashion brand that uses African-inspired fabrics to create contemporary pieces.

“We cater for men and women and our designs are modern, unique and classy, sexy and diverse,” Beddoe-Huggins told WMN.

The Lambeau, Tobago-based Afria Designs was recently awarded a $20,000 Micro and Small Business (MSB) grant by NEDCO. The MSB programme was established by the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service to support entrepreneurs in Trinidad and Tobago.

Beddoe-Huggins, a former bank employee, was born and raised in Diego Martin. She was assigned to work at a Tobago branch six years ago, where she met and married Tobagonian Michael Huggins.

“I began sewing and designing about five years ago, and Afria Designs is now two years old.

“I began by making headbands, and scaled up to me doing my own clothes, then I started sewing for people.”

The brand is strictly sold online for now, but a physical store is in the works.

“My husband, my sister Ashana Beddoe and I are working on creating a store front that will be separate and apart from our production space and sewing studio.”

Beddoe-Huggins sources all her patterned fabrics from Lagos, Nigeria because she wants her customers to get a unique, authentic feel when they wear her designs.

“And we don’t make more than four pieces of the same pattern because we don’t want our customers to see multiple people wearing the same thing they are.”

Her goal for Afria Designs is for the brand to become a household name, and not just around Emancipation Day.

“I just want the people of TT to understand that culture can be modern and that African-inspired clothing doesn’t have to be worn on just one day of the year, but year-round.”

Follow Afria Designs on Facebook, TikTok and IG, or visit afria-designs.com.