News
Life’s a Bēchë for TCI’s Cyprianna Jackson
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, August 22, 2022 – Over a decade ago, Cyprianna Jackson left the Turks and Caicos Islands to study pre-medicine and ended up with a Master’s degree in Epidemiology. Today she is making her mark in the fashion industry, having launched a scintillating beachwear line: Bēchë.
The tropical designs do a remarkable job of fusing whimsy and sophistication for attire which has captured the attention of iconic fashion magazines, including British Vogue.
Hers is an interesting journey and in a one on one with Magnetic Media, Jackson explained to how one goes from an aspiring doctor to an epidemiologist to internationally acclaimed fashion designer; the journey may surprise you.
“Honestly I don’t have any background in fashion apart from being a consumer.”
Jackson, who is a stunningly beautiful woman herself, is clearly a lover of all things gorgeous; she explained, She had never aspired to become a fashion designer but always had a love for beautiful bikinis and with the advent of Instagram in her college years in Florida the love grew.
“That is truly all of my experience in fashion. I can’t even say I have any family members involved in fashion.” She said.
But once Ms. Jackson came home to the Turks and Caicos from college, her supply of bathing suits became basically non-existent.
“So I’m going around and I see that there is no swimwear stores and the hotel boutiques that did sell swimwear were from these really expensive brands all over the world even Australia and the US— there was nothing that I think complimented the Turks and Caicos. There was nothing that was inspired by or even resembles who we are, the colors, the culture of who we are and the people,” she shared.
Realizing that the Turks and Caicos culture was not on display for the locals or visitors Jackson set out to change that and to show the soul of the Turks and Caicos through swimwear. That inspired her to create Bēchë which she was determined would not just be cute clothing.
“It’s not just swimwear but also storytelling of the TCI and our culture through each of the collections so that we are like a walking history lesson.”
And Jackson has managed to do just that, in the five years since Bēchë launched the brand has released three
collections; the flagship collection with Turks and Caicos lettering and coat of arms imagery, the Maskanoo collection in celebration of the yearly Christmas event in the TCI and the Reef collection in celebration of the Island’s reefs, part proceeds of which go to the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund.
“Physical inspiration is definitely how aesthetically pleasing my country is with our native flowers, beaches, and trees but I think apart from the things we can see physically I do, do some deep diving.” She explained,
That ‘deep diving’ includes inspiration from the undersea reefs and coming soon, the Turks and Caicos’ history as a salt producing nation.
All three collections are filled with pieces that are undeniably inspired by Jackson’s homeland. The brand was a hit at home and it wasn’t long before the international community started to take notice.
“I absolutely love that Bēchë is getting the attention of various industry professionals whether it be magazine photographers or even different production companies,” Jackson said
That attention has landed her in some of the top magazines in the world including Vogue, Condé Nast and Sports
illustrated and many other smaller features as well as the premier swimwear show Miami Swim Week.
Jackson was scouted by a company and invited to participate because they were so impressed with her work.
“Flying Solo out of New York City reached out because they work with, on an annual basis, fresh new designers. They showcase at Paris Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week, and this is their second or third time doing Miami swim week so they were scouting swimwear brands from all over the world and it just happened that they selected Bēchë as a ones to watch for 2022/2023 and that landed me a slot in their showcase.”
The exposure from Miami Swim week was “exponential,” Jackson said.
“From a design perspective it was a whirlwind. It was so great to network with like-minded creatives, do press interviews and just have people experience Bēchë and see it on a runway and international stage and to have people know it and inquire about orders. It was just a great experience”
But Jackson is determined Bēchë won’t peak here as she still has big dreams for the company. She hopes to make
Miami swim week a yearly occurrence for and in a decade Cyprianna wants the brand to at least have its own storefront and smaller stores in the US as well as contracts with retail chain stores to put her brand out there even more.
“I hope to take Turks and Caicos with me-– that’s the main purpose of the brand ” she explained, This philosophy has been a long-standing one as even before she started Bēchë and throughout her success one thing that has bothered Jackson is the lack of TCI owned businesses on the islands.
“There were just gaps that I was identifying in our cultural presence in the community I was noticing that there’s not much of a cultural representation of who we are. I realized that you know if it’s more of a social problem that we have because I wasn’t identifying much local brands in general.
I was familiar with at the time Konk Apparel and the Wellington Collection— but there was nothing that was a standing piece of fashion from a Turks and Caicos Islander.”
She has advice for Turks and Caicos Islands youth looking to start up a business of their own on the islands: “My biggest takeaway truly is that it’s achievable, one of the issues for young people and returning students is that being from a small country we think there’s a ceiling.”
Cyprianna Jackson, whose mother is Sabrina Green, the TCIs Human Rights Commissioner explained that there were many discouraging barriers to being an entrepreneur on the Turks and Caicos Islands but she hoped her success was a beacon for other islanders with idea.
Jackson hopes it encourages them to focus on the bigger picture and the wider world noting that if she had depended on the TCI market alone she would’ve shut down years ago.
Finally she maintained that belief in a dream was the thing that would push it furthest and encourage them not to be
afraid to stay away from people who reacted negatively to their dreams.
“Long-term dedication is the key to making anything successful, Surround yourself with people that motivate and push you and believe in your dreams as well.” She stressed.
You can see Jackson’s designs at www.shopbeche.com .
News
Bankers’ Association President Samuels Finds Residents Hungry for Housing Financing at policy launch
Dana Malcolm
Staff writer
#TurksandCaicos, August 11, 2023 – Despite the Government’s attempt to create more affordable housing for residents with the creation of the new Housing Policy, many say they left the launch feeling less hopeful than they went in.
After the event, one resident expressed it was time to speed up a government-operated mortgage scheme, and those inside the launch event had a similar lack of faith in their ability to secure bank-backed mortgages.
Marcus Samuels, Head of the Banking Association, was hit with questions about how the Association would seek to help residents secure mortgages to purchase these new government homes, considering how difficult residents on both sides of the employment spectrum (private and public) found it to get approval for loans.
The pre-prepared question was met with applause from the ample audience who had gathered to hear about the programs.
“Homeownership isn’t rocket science, ” Samuels said, stressing that once residents came prepared with knowledge about their own paychecks and the size of the loan they could be offered they had a good chance of success.
Necessary information included:
- Level of income
- Level of previous debt
He also said the cost of housing could be lowered for buyers if the Government decided to decrease or forgo their taxes.
“There are some fees that we genuinely cannot move, like the Government stamp duties, which is usually one percent on the transaction. Thankfully, the Premier is here— the ball is in his court.”
Zhavargo Jolly, Event Moderator, fielded concerns shared by residents, including that the proposed cost of homes in the example (just over $ 200,000) was lower than the usual market value in the country.
There was also a concern that the mortgages seemed geared toward double-income homes, which was not the case for all residents, alienating single mothers, fathers, and other single-income earners.
While Samuels came prepared with calculations for a hypothetical $230,000 home that he said proved residents could be able to own a home with a down payment as low as $12,500 the audience was unconvinced. When he questioned them about whether residents believed they could afford a home after laying down the calculations the answer was still a resounding ‘no’.
Following the event, Bishop Coleta Williams, Chaplain to the House of Assembly, also spoke on the programs expressing concern that residents would be paying back the loans for years to come.
Residents, in the comments of the live video which was carried on Facebook, expressed being disappointed that more representatives from the Banking Association weren’t present at the meeting when arguably one of the biggest roadblocks to housing is financing.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, August 11, 2023 – Many Turks and Caicos Islanders are spending unsustainable amounts of money on housing, according to data gathered by the Housing Department via the National Housing Needs Survey, emphasizing the need for affordable homes.
Dominique Durham, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development
“Respondents of that Survey provided that the majority of households spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing expenses. Now, as a rule of thumb, especially in America, if you spend more than 30 percent of your income on housing, it is deemed not affordable,” Dominique Durham, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, revealed.
He shared other significant data collected that showed the dire state of the housing market locally, including that nearly a quarter of residents live in damaged homes.
“It also revealed that 21 percent [of respondents] are living in homes in need of repair and 69 percent are looking to purchase a new home within the next five years,” Durham said.
Despite the intent to buy a home, the survey also revealed that many Turks and Caicos residents thought the housing market needed more affordable options for them to be able to bring that dream to fruition.
The majority of residents (32 percent) voted for the Government to create more options for affordable housing when asked what would best improve their housing needs.
Other popular suggestions included:
- Creating Government housing loan programs (25 percent)
- Housing subsidies (15 percent)
- Home improvement/refurbishment programs (11 percent)
All of those suggestions voted on by residents have made their way into the Housing Policy as either short-term or long-term programs.
Jamell Robinson, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development
“Long-term projects include inclusionary zoning, large-scale housing through public-private partnerships, and eventually, we will be establishing a National Housing Authority and Trust whereby we hope to lend at affordable interest rates. We also are looking to roll out help-to-buy schemes in the near future as we appreciate that an issue is also access to financing,” he said.
The Government is aiming to use these suggestions, voted on by residents, to fix the gaping hole in the market, but even with these new programs, there’s one thing residents say they need to purchase homes– better pay.
Jamell Robinson, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, was hit with the question of whether the Government would start to pay residents more so they could have more cash to afford housing.
The minister said step one was increasing public cash flow (with a pay and grade review for the public service now being conducted), and step two was upskilling all individuals to make them more marketable in the private sector.
“Our Job– is to ensure that our citizens as Turks and Caicos islanders can add value to themselves so they can participate more in the open market, and one of those ways is by making the community college free so you can access higher education– in a free open market which we have here, it’s hard to dictate to the private sector what they can pay a specific individual so we want to grow our individuals to make sure that they can level up,” he explained.
The Housing Policy launched on July 27th in Providenciales.
Caribbean News
Trinidad & Tobago Emancipation Day Marked with Major Events Attended by Prime Minister and other Dignitaries
#TrinidadandTobago, August 11, 2023 – Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley and Mrs Sharon Rowley attended the Distinguished Open Lecture by His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, The Asantehene at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus last evening (Thursday 3rd August, 2023).
The Asantehene is the Guest of Honour in commemoration of this country’s 2023 Emancipation celebrations.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for Tunapuna, the Hon. Esmond Forde, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Senator the Hon. Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Hon. Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister of Education, Dr. the Hon. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister in the Ministry of Education, the Hon. Lisa Morris-Julian, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, Dean of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, Professor Mark Wuddivira and Lecturer Department of History, Dr. Debbie Mc Collin were also in attendance at yesterday’s lecture.
Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley and Mrs Sharon Rowley also visited the Desperadoes Pan Theatre at George Street, Port of Spain last evening (Wednesday 2nd August, 2023).
Dr Rowley welcomed His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, The Asantehene and his delegation to the pan theatre where His Majesty was treated to various aspects of Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival which culminated in a performance by the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and a demonstration on the playing of the national instrument for the Asantehene.
“They now see Africa, not through European eyes, as a dark continent, but as the cradle of human civilisation, citing the discoveries of its great empires. They talk of it glowingly, as the world’s fastest developing economic region in the 21st century, having just overtaken Asia, and of its six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world and of its minerals, critical and indispensable to the technologies of the 21st century green economies.
Today, recognising the pain of the Middle Passage, and the centuries of colonial brutality, I salute the African community, a people, who through grit and determination, is on the march, striving for further discovery and self-realisation, searching, and transforming themselves for the challenges of the 21st century.
Let us all reflect and educate ourselves as we celebrate African Emancipation Day 2023.”
Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley
Prime Minister of The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
on the occasion of Emancipation Day 2023
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