If you’ve been checking the trends in cultural fashion in the recent ten years, you will notice that madras has become a bit of a hot item in the US Virgin Islands. It is a cultural staple that has gone from niche to runway, and it starts with one designer and a life-long dream. Designs by Regal is reshaping the cultural fashion landscape of the Virgin Islands with her bold and unique creations. Her name is not only a brand; it’s a statement.
This ambitious mother of five, entrepreneur, and creative force to be reckoned with started sketching outfits from catalogs as a teenager. Her mom let her choose a couple of outfits from the JCPenney and Sears catalogs each season, which sparked her love for fashion and combining different pieces. As Regal got older, she started following Teen, Seventeen, Sassy, and Right On magazines, where she imitated sketching the models’ poses into her design creations. She’s been sketching, etching, and designing since high school, and today she’s a contemporary couturier whose pieces capture the essence of Caribbean culture. Her journey has been a labor of love.
Her work is not just about fashion; it’s about creating an appreciation and pride for the Caribbean culture through bold and innovative designs.
“Living here in the Virgin Islands keeps me connected to the culture in real-time, allowing me to always come up with new ideas that flow with the current local trends.”
One of her contributions to cultural fashion is her use of madras fabric, it was not a locally popular fabric when she began using it in 2018. Still, with her continued efforts, it has gained exposure on an international level, even being featured in Paris as the primary marketing art for their annual “Madras Day.”
Regal’s story has had challenges, but she continues to push the education and history behind it, explaining that it is our own Caribbean-identifying print. Since starting her work in 2012, she has been dedicated to amplifying the use and education of madras. In 2019 she held her first fashion show, featuring a capsule collection of eight custom apparel pieces and madras jewelry in the Simply Sophisticated Launch Troupe.
This show was the boost of exposure that catapulted her work and presence as a cultural influence in the Virgin Islands. What sets her work apart from other designers in the community is her ability to create a fashion and jewelry brand originating around cultural events and traditions and use it to create a greater understanding of the Virgin Islands history uniquely.
Her impact on the Virgin Islands community goes beyond fashion design. She has the desire to see fashion education go beyond clothing construction and includes training in merchandising and branding. By doing this, students will have a higher chance of creating a brand upon completion, making a more significant impact on the cultural influence of fashion on a larger scale.
“If we have more designers embracing madras fabric and reclaiming it through fashion as the Caribbean’s fabric, it will distinctively mark our place in the fashion industry internationally, bringing attention to its cultural significance to us.”
Elevating the international position of the Virgin Islands in fashion represents only a fraction of her drive and motivation. Setting an example for her children and showing them they can chase and achieve their dreams is a large part of why Regal is changing the face of cultural couture. Moreover, other rewarding aspects of being a designer have been seeing the influence in real time, being recognized by the younger generation, and knowing in her heart that she played a part in making Madras trendy in modern Virgin Islands fashion designs.
“Growing up in a Hispanic family, I was not exposed to much of our Virgin Islands culture that wasn’t Quadrille or Moko Jumbies, and I did not learn much about it in our public schools. I wanted to bring exposure to the culture, highlighting what I feel is an underappreciated fabric and a unique part of our Caribbean cultural history.”
Regal’s work and presence in the community do not go unnoticed, and she has made exceptional creative contributions to the culture. She actively engages with local elementary and junior high schools to promote our culture. Presentations on madras and fashion and training sessions on crafting Moko Jumbies, sewing ties and bows, and other crafts that will pique their interest are provided. To further promote the culture, she integrates posts on madras and Virgin Islands history on her social media pages with her designs, gaining support and followers and increasing exposure. She has recently initiated two creative cultural classes, Paint N’ Wrap and Sip N’ Wrap, that offer a fun and educational experience. Paint N’ Wrap provides a wooden, lady face-shaped canvas to be painted with instructions and wrapped with madras fabric. At the same time, Sip N’ Wrap offers education on traditional and contemporary headwrap styles.
Her proudest achievement is her work with the USVI Festivals. Over the last three years, she was tasked with creating fashion design concepts for the Crucian Christmas Festival posters. She believes her work has set the standard for the St. Croix Festival. She hopes her designs will continue to inspire others to embrace our culture.
There is no denying that Regal has become a cultural ambassador and has more to offer the Virgin Islands creatively and professionally. The self-taught couturier knows what it takes to start a business from the roots to tip because her passion became her purpose. A word from Regal herself, “Trust in your vision even if it’s way ahead of its time. No one will believe in your dream as much as you… until they do.”
Regal Christopher is a fashion designer, owner, and creative director of designs by Regal from St. Croix, USVI.
Social Media Handles: Facebook @designsbyregal, Instagram @designs.by.regal
Email: designsbyregal@gmail.com
Website: www.designsbyregal.com
High School Dreams to Contemporary Couturier