Words are inept at adequately describing the immeasurable beauty that Chloe Foskett possesses. Her unblemished, incandescent skin paired with her refined stylistic sensibilities have effortlessly steered her in the direction of fashion design as her career of choice. Despite there being a strong co-relationship between having great style and being a fashion designer, a distinction must be made between the two. Style is a cultivated taste level that is ultimately a reflection of one’s character, which uses clothes as a medium of communication. Fashion Design, on the other hand, is a detail-oriented art which requires technical execution of aesthetic concepts applied to clothes and accessories.
Foskett is the founder and lead designer at Coco Wo and Coco Wo Kids. She was born in the UK but spent most of her childhood and adolescent years in Barbados. Her unending sense of Caribbean pride and connection to the region, is engrained in all her work. Chloe’s design style fuses design concepts of active wear into chic , versatile pieces that can be worn in multiple contexts and still be appropriate. She is a self-taught fashion designer who takes pride in creating handmade pieces for her fast growing client base of female fashionistas. She works tirelessly on improving her craft, but don’t let the pristine aesthetics fool you; Chloe is just a down to earth girl with a big dream and an even bigger heart.
Chloe’s creativity and love for self expression is not confined to fashion design as she engaged in the performing arts of contemporary and modern dance during her secondary school education. In each facet of her creativity Chloe, has been incredibly blessed to have progressive young women supporting and encouraging her. Afiya Johnson and Eshekaya Johnson were critical in Chloe’s development as a dancer and by extension as a creative. As Chloe’s artistic focus diverted a bit from dance to immerse herself into the intricacies of fashion design, the Johnson sisters who are actually twins went on to become professional footballers for Queen Park Rangers Women FC. Chloe’s existential blessing of bonding with like minded, ambitious young women continued when she connected with Yoki Cruz and co-founded Mellow August. We were happy to catch up with the incredibly gorgeous and multi-talented designer to converse about her journey thus far.
CARIB VOXX: What compelled you to want to learn the craft of fashion design independently?
Chloe: “I studied Textiles throughout school so I gained a basic understanding when it came to sewing and clothes making. I started off making swimwear. Spending majority of my life in Barbados, I was living on the beach in swimwear and it was always a dream of mine to have my own pieces made. With the knowledge that I had, I decided to start designing and making swimwear – mainly for myself. Living in England, there wasn’t a big enough demand for swimwear, and because I also had a love for fashion I thought, ‘Why not make my own exclusive pieces that no one else had?‘ I started off solely making outfits for myself, and over time people were asking me to make them bespoke outfits. I decided to turn it into a business full-time.”
CARIB VOXX: Many persons from the older generation may feel that you are not qualified to pursue a career unless you have received formal education in that field. Your existence as a designer definitely disproves that, but would you consider studying fashion design at an institutionalized level?
Chloe: “It’s definitely something that I would consider. I would also consider doing short, intense courses that could propel me a step further in my career. I learnt the basics of pattern cutting, grading and sewing at school; however, anything more complex, I’ve taught myself. There are so many resources online now that I have utilized to improve my knowledge.”
CARIB VOXX: Share with us some of the inevitable challenges you had to overcome in order to have a blossoming career as a designer.
Chloe: “When I first started designing, I was still working full time in another job. This was incapacitating me from reaching my full potential and in that moment, I decided that I had to take a risk and pursue fashion design full-time. I’d also say money was definitely an inhibiting factor. I was okay ideating all the designs but creating these pieces in bulk can be so expensive. So I started off with small quantities and then re-invested the money I made from that to buy more fabric. I started receiving orders in my DMs on Instagram and organically the business grew from there. If I knew what I knew now, I would definitely recommend doing a lot of market research, create a business plan and be consistent!”
CARIB VOXX: How long have you been designing and who are some of the designers that you seek to emulate in your work?
Chloe: “I have been designing and making clothes for about 5 years now. One of my inspirations is Conna Walker, owner of House of CB. She’s achieved so much at such a young age, having stores in multiple countries which is something that is in my plans.”
CARIB VOXX: Evidenced in your work is an appreciation for “form fitting” active wear that is still comfortable. Where did your love for active wear come from? Did you play any sports growing up?
Chloe: “My latest pieces have been more ‘form fitting’ but sports was not necessarily an influence on these designs. During the lockdown in the UK for Covid-19, it had a significant effect on my business as my previous collections were designed to wear for formal dinners, parties or special occasions. Obviously, because of the heavy restrictions we had, there was no longer a demand for these pieces. I decided to design summer ‘lounge wear’ pieces that you could dress up or dress down – multipurpose!”
CARIB VOXX: Describe the ideal Coco Wo woman?
Chloe: “She’s confident, sexy, smart, strong-minded and in general just a boss woman.”
CARIB VOXX: Why did you feel it was necessary to start a kids line of Coco Wo?
Chloe: “It wasn’t something I initially thought about, until my friends and family were asking me to make some outfits for their kids. I’m currently in the process of sourcing materials and designing a new kids collection.”
CARIB VOXX: Do you envision yourself branching off into any other facets of fashion design such as swimwear or even carnival costumes?
Chloe: “Definitely. I set up, conceptualized and launched a clothing brand with my best friend Yoki called Mellow August (focusing on day to night-time outfits); and we will also be branching off into swimwear. I’m hoping to bring both of my brands to Barbados in the future, and set up a boutique there. One of my main goals is to actually be a carnival costume designer. My friend Cheyenne & I are designing a section for a band at Notting Hill Carnival for 2021 so keep your eyes peeled for that!”
CARIB VOXX: When you are in Europe pushing Coco Wo and Mellow August, what is the thing you miss the most about Bim?
Chloe: “I miss absolutely everything. I miss my friends, the beaches, the food, the parties, everything. Of course, I really missed Crop Over this year!”
CARIB VOXX: Last but definitely not least, what’s your favorite beach in Barbados?
Chloe: “I would say Mullins Beach is my favorite, mainly because that’s where I spent my childhood so I have a lot of memories there. Carlisle Bay, down by Boatyard is also one of my favorites!”
