Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2019 | Page 72
Kuumba
Mrs. Esther Joseph
St. Lucian, Esther Joseph
or Queen Esther as she is
often called, is the face of
Kuumba Designs, a snazzy
label which elicits glances of
admiration when draped on
the bodies of her impressive
list of appreciative clients.
Perfectly-fitted garments in
timeless fashion, or limited
editions made of quality
fabrics - that’s Kuumba
Designs!
Esther has always been
creative. It is as natural to
her as the act of breathing,
and she remembers as a
child in St. Lucia, as early as
age 7, dreaming up unique
designs and even trying her
hand at creating some of
Designs
them with the
assistance of
a neighbour,
Miss Phyllis,
who allowed her to use her
Singer foot-pedal sewing
machine. At 9 years old,
a top seamstress on the
island, Mrs. Regina Edward
took Esther under her wing
and she would spend her
afternoons after school
looking and learning from
one of the best. By age 10,
using her mentor’s electric
sewing machine, she was
able to generate an income
of 20 Eastern Caribbean
dollars per month. As
time progressed, Esther
would assist her mentor
with making gowns for
pageants, weddings, shirts
for musicians, among other
things. Esther tried to learn
as much as she could and
many times she would have
been found back stage
assisting carnival queen
contestants as they got
dressed in the gowns she
may have helped to create.
Impressed by the intensity
of Esther’s interest in the
design field, her mentor
benevolently assisted her by
getting a loan with which she
purchased Esther her first
sewing machine. By age 15,
Esther was able to acquire
her own clients and opened her
very own Atelier! But, she was
eager to learn more, so at age 17,
she left St. Lucia for New York city.
From there, she was mostly self-
taught. Growing up in New York
City and California, she never
attended Fashion School, but,
armed with the most powerful
tools - a plethora of ambition
and creativity – Esther managed
to create a brand that can now
stand equally proud amongst
the biggest names in the Fashion
world.