Saint Lucian Entrepreneur Anselm Mathurin Debuts Island-Inspired Fabric at New York Fashion Week

Saint Lucia: From Calabash Condos in Saint Lucia to the New York Fashion Week runway Anselm Mathurin’s journey has been anything but traditional. The former telecom executive turned property manager is now making waves in the fashion industry, after debuting his island-inspired fabric at New York Fashion Week this month.

Anselm Mathurin’s journey initially began 3 years ago with him sketching an idea while he was still managing nearly 20 rental properties in Saint Lucia. Initially after few of his ideas were seen, few of his tenants began asking for his sketches for keepsakes.

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After spending time travelling and observing other countries Mathurin, a former telecom executive, observed how other Caribbean countries embraced their own motifs in cloth. The Bahamas with its Androsia prints and Grenada with nutmeg-inspired patterns. He noted that while he appreciated the madras pattern, it is not uniquely Saint Lucian.

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So he had set out to create another pattern, and began with the pattern of his own company’s logo, the calabash tree.

With his goal aligned with the Calabash Condos ethos: Caribbean minimalism, slick, light, easy on the eyes.

When Export Saint Lucia announced its call for submissions for the Export the Runway show, Mathurin saw it as the perfect opportunity to finalize his very first collection. His designs featured minimalist silhouettes, including pantsuits, crop tops, and caftans, all crafted to flatter the figure while highlighting simplicity and a natural elegance.

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However this was no ordinary show as in the audience was a New York Fashion Week scout who took note of Mathurin’s creative designs and issued an invitation for him to participate in the fall’s line-up, which wrapped on September 16.

The Saint Lucian designer showcased his collection in the sustainable fashion category, which was curated by Nigerian designer Naomi Alabi.

Mathurin noted that he felt intimidated as he saw high fashion and creative expression which were almost art installations, which left him to wonder where he fitted in. but all those questions evaporated when his designs stepped onto the runway, as just like how it was perceived back home, his line felt like a refreshing change to the audience.

His presentations reportedly also included accessories by the celebrated calabash artisan Andrew Mondesir, who  collaborated with Mathurin who gave him credits for his designs in hope to work together again in the future.

The positive reception of his collection has already led to inquiries for future international shows, with Mathurin viewing his debut at New York Fashion Week as just the beginning. He described the pieces presented as “pilot designs” for what lies ahead.

“My goal is to develop a print that’s truly indigenous, offering our people more choices,” he explained. “We are the calabash, the rose, the marguerite, the Amazona versicolour [Saint Lucia’s national bird]-all these symbols that make us uniquely Saint Lucian.” He humbly concluded, “I might be a creative, but I wouldn’t call myself a designer.”