Trinidad Carnival 2023 has been dubbed the ‘Mother of All Carnivals’ by seasoned revellers and masqueraders all over the world. Plane tickets are being booked and hotel accommodations are going fast, as the home of Carnival prepares to resume hosting the most mesmeric show on earth. The socio-economic contribution that Carnival makes to the Trinidadian economy is unmatched and that revenue stream has been duly missed over the last 3 years.
The evolution of Carnival isn’t solely oriented around the latest soca songs or the riveting designs of Carnival costumes. The business of Carnival is evolving as well and the asymmetry services needed to create a holistic carnival experience are finally manifesting before the public’s eye. Road Royalty Carnival is one such business venture designed to create a comprehensive carnival experience specifically for female revellers in Trinidad Carnival 2023 and the incomparable Achsah Henry is the woman behind this new Carnival experience.
“This year people are getting to see a different side of me, in regards to my business and entrepreneurial ambitions. Growing up seeing my parent’s passion for the entertainment business, gave it a special place in my heart. I just love seeing a campaign come to life but I don’t say yes to a job unless the brand really connects with me. Even though Tribe is a mega-brand, I wouldn’t have come on board if I did not believe in what the brand has to offer. When I come on board with a brand, I am going to give it 100%”
In any facet of business, the ability to show proof of concept will inevitably affect the business model’s sustainability. It will also shape how the brand is perceived by the public. Carnival is woman and Achsah Henry’s dominance of the space as a model and dancer is tried, tested and proven. Carnival bands from all over the region and the diaspora are in constant pursuit of Achsah, to model their costumes because they know her track record is impeccable.
“We want Road Royalty Carnival to take away the stress of trying to find access to carnival essentials and women can trust me because they would have seen the work I have done in the industry before this venture. I have great relationships with all the key designers and artisans that will come on board to help women feel more beautiful in this experience. What is carnival without women? “
Her prodigious reputation as a talent within the space helps to create a solidified feeling of brand trust. She could be easily extolled as one of the greatest Carnival models of her generation and it’s hard to deny that if anyone knows anything about being ‘Road Royalty’ it really would be Achsah Henry.
“Road Royalty is my brainchild that I started ideating on Ash Wednesday after Carnival 2020. So many people were asking me questions about the logistics of where they could find certain accessories and services. When I sat down and thought about it, I reconciled with the fact that on carnival Monday and Tuesday, I really do feel like a queen on the road and not every woman has the opportunity or access to know where to go. We want to make it happen for them.”
The Road Royalty Carnival package includes hair & make-up, transportation from beauty to the road, breakfast, VIP benefits, Monday wear, photography, videography, tanning, bronzing and personalized styling consultation with Achsah. As is customary with every entrepreneurial venture Achsah embarks on, Road Royalty Carnival is oriented around empowering women by making them feel pampered and catered to through an elevated carnival experience. Road Royalty is available exclusively to Tribe masqueraders playing in frontline and Individual costumes.
“I’ve always been passionate about empowering women so this platform felt like an alignment with my ultimate purpose. I feel obligated to help women feel their utmost best in this celebration of life. Carnival is euphoric and this is my chance to give all the women an opportunity to feel like true queens on the road. Not that they don’t feel like queens already but we want to elevate the standards with a new level of luxury, efficiency and VIP treatment.”
Female empowerment is an overused buzzword in modern marketing and we felt it was important to test the veracity of Achsah’s claim about wanting to uplift women through Road Royalty Carnival. In closing, she shared some touching anecdotes from her personal life that fueled that desire.
“I had really low self-esteem growing up and I always saw myself differently from how other people saw me, not necessarily meeting the popular standards of beauty as a teenager. I had bigger legs than what was considered attractive at the time. I had hair that I couldn’t necessarily manage because my mom is Caucasian and my Dad is black so I didn’t have all the tools to navigate dealing with my hair at the time and I was teased a lot about this growing up. It took me a long time to look in the mirror and say that I am enough. I feel like I was destined to have the platform I have acquired because I’ve always wanted to uplift and empower women. When I started out modelling, I was always a bit self-conscious because I didn’t have what was considered to be the “ideal body type” – I have thick legs, I am curvy and I don’t have the flattest stomach and I love that now Carnival is embracing all body types with regards to modelling. Representation is so important. In the Carnival realm, there is a perception that only the hot gals get access to certain things. I even hate the term hot gal because it excludes some women. Every woman is a hot gal and every woman is royalty.
