THE DESIGNER
Established in August 2015, Naballah Chi is a Trinidadian-based womenswear brand of attainable clothing with cultural aesthetics founded by fashion and style blogger, Naballah Chi. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Naballah Chi grew up surrounded by a family of creatives whose purpose, strength, and optimism inspired her from an early age. After graduating from The University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Naballah realized her desire for creative exploration was not being fulfilled. It was then she decided to pursue her passion for design by enrolling in a Fashion Design program at The Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. From there, realizing she could have a career that blended her love of entrepreneurship with her desire for creative exploration, Naballah launched her eponymous collection in 2015. Her artistic, thoughtful approach to fashion and style, mixed with her determination and creativity, made her instantly recognized as a rising star within the fashion industry. A risk-taker at heart, Naballah continues to break from the fashion status quo. A lifelong artist, Naballah’s focus on bold prints and vibrant colors have become her signature. Prior to launching her brand. Naballah spent seven years building an online presence through her travel and style blog. She worked as a Fashion Writer for the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian Newspaper and Editor for Hayati Magazine. In 2014, she represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Miss World Muslimah pageant in Indonesia, where she placed in the top 10. Her numerous features include BBC’s The Conversation, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, Metro UK, Buzzfeed and The Daily Mail. Since then Naballah has traveled to several countries participating in regional and global Fashion Weeks, seeking design inspiration, and creating clothing for multi-dimensional women and men.
“My mother raised us in the Muslim faith, so I had an early introduction to modest dressing before it became known as part of the international modest fashion aesthetic. But, long before then, I recognized that I had the talent to mix and match different prints, patterns, and textures. I would say that it began by recognizing the creative excitement I felt thinking about different designs, fabrics, textures, cutting, and sewing. I like the language of fashion and the open invitation to anyone, especially those of us with the confidence, courage, and ability to add our unique style and color using creativity and the effort it takes to make what we imagine real. From as early as five, I watched my mother as she made outfits for children my age, I modeled for her to gauge the right fit. Years later and old enough to use my mother’s sewing machine and see my results. I immediately reasoned that fashion meant that I would always be able to use my imagination as my starting point to look the way I imagined. Later, I gained self-efficacy through trial and error under my parents’ guidance. I learned to trust that I had a unique ability always to choose to tell the story of who I am without words. Fashion and style are symbols of my character, lifestyle, creativity, purpose, and expression. Once I agree to do a job—create a look or just assist with a design, or when I am the designer of a show, my resolve remains the same: I aim to deliver my creativity, purpose, and expression.“
THE BRAND
Naballah Chi (NCHI) is a Caribbean contemporary encapsulation of wearable art created by entrepreneur Naballah Chi. Each piece created is vibrant, energetic and memorable. The intricate detail and creativity in each garment, provides clients with exclusivity. The odds of someone else owning or wearing the same creation are non-existent. The brand’s first collection ‘Classic Woman’ was released in 2015 giving Naballah her breakthrough as a Fashion Designer. Inspired by unique style and bold prints, NCHI is tailored to those who dare to stand out. The brand’s mission is to empower individuals through fashion by showcasing global individuality and innovatively use textiles and prints to tell stories.