CARIBBEAN luxury accessory designer and brand consultant, Kedella Thea Jhenella Isaac has always had a taste for the finer things in life.
She used to pore through fashion magazines, including Vogue, and memorise all the latest trends to hit the runways at Paris, London, New York and Milan Fashion Week. By the time she was a teen, Isaac was her family’s stylist, the one who put together outfits for everyone whenever special occasions rolled by.
The only thing she loved more than fashion was travel; each trip she made to the US as a teen was a reconnaissance mission. Isaac walked the streets, observing what people were wearing and how they were accessoring their outfits. Whatatever was trending on the fashion scene was within reach – that is, if you could afford it.
Once the plane landed at Piarco International Airport, Isaac was faced with the reality that hot fashion trends took a lot longer to hit stores and the streets here at home. What was the young fashionista to do?
“I wasn’t seeing what I wanted so I decided to start my own brand,” said Isaac.
Starting her own business was a bold move but prior to doing so, Isaac already had two years of experience making her own handbags with the support of two talented seamstresses — her mother and her aunt — who both studied needlework and dressmaking professionally.
In 2017 Isaac officially launched “Jhenella Isaac Luxury Handbags” along with her first collection of all white luxury handbags, made with materials like snake skin and fur, at an all-white cocktail party. She followed that up with her mermaid collection which was equally successful.
Her love for travel inspired her to produce trendy passport holders which quickly sold out. In less than three years after the official launch of her brand, Isaac had more than 10,000 clients locally and regionally.
“I was so proud that I had cultivated a brand that made women feel special,” she told Her Magazine.
It wasn’t enough to be a fashion disciple; Isaac went on to study Luxury Brand Management and did an MBA in Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She also earned a fashion certificate from the Parsons’ School of Design in New York. In 2019, the entrepreneur was a Forbes Under-30 Global Fellow.
While Trinbagonians do have an affinity for beautiful things, luxury items come with a higher price tag, especially since Isaac’s personalised handbags are one-of-a-kind and are handcrafted using expensive materials.
It’s Isaac’s dream to see her handbags in a luxury retail window display abroad. At a UN summit on Free Trade in Abu Dhabi last year, Isaac made connections with people from all over the world who expressed an interest in her strong and luxurious handbags. Positioning her brand on the international market involves changing her approach to doing business and producing outside T&T. While she wants to scale her brand, it’s more important to Isaac that she maintain her standards.
The 30-something recently returned from London and Paris where she looked into expensive but doable options.
“I’m optimistic that I can do all things through Christ. I’ve been on this journey since 2017, there hasn’t been a time when God hasn’t taken my hand and brought me over on the other side,” she said.
While she works hard to turn her vision for her brand into a reality, Isaac, who is a business consultant for premium and luxury brands, continues to travel not just for pleasure but for inspiration.
She advises all up-and-coming entrepreneurs out there not to be afraid to take the road less travelled.
“Go after what your heart desires,” said Isaac. “If you have an idea, find a mentor who will guide you. Your idea doesn’t have to be new or grand, it just needs to be something you are passionate about. Whatever it may be – just give it your all.”
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