It’s Saturday night on the West Coast of Barbados and Drift Ocean Terrace Lounge is full to capacity. Patrons come out in numbers to view and experience paintings from some of the most talented visual artists in the island of Barbados at 6PM Splash. The unbearably long lines caress the pavements of Holetown, stretching around the corner of Drift Ocean Terrace Lounge going up the street. 6PM Splash is not only known to showcase compelling visual art but it’s also a fashion-forward event. Women are clothed in their finest linen and gabardines, intent on making indelible fashion statements. In the midst of any crowd; beauty defined by substance and purpose will always stand out. Beauty substantiated by dynamism is always more alluring; therefore it was no surprise that Zhané Padmore caught our eye.
Her ease of reference in conversation is apparent, even to an onlooker. The people around her are deeply engaged and seem to be listening attentively to every word she utters. An unforeseen visit from the police to shut down 6PM Splash early, paired with my uncertainty as to how to pronounce her name delayed us from having a chat on that night. A few days later we caught up with the multi-potentialite, so she could give us her road map to the formidable circle of competence she has developed for herself.
As we convened days later and began to familiarize ourselves with each other, Zhané starts by teaching us how to pronounce her French name at my behest. “It Is pronounced (Juh-nay) but don’t worry; I’ve heard so many variations of it” she said in a light hearted and pleasant manner. As Caribbean society evolves, traditional gender roles are being questioned and restructured daily, primarily due to the emergence of women like Zhané. The former Miss World Barbados (1st Runner Up) is no stranger to the sentiments that beauty queens and beauty pageants are inherently superficial and lacking in substance. She states frankly, “I totally dispel this notion and stereotype because being a beauty queen is far more than just focusing on physical appearance. If anything, the physical appearance is the icing on the cake. The true essence of a beauty queen lies in her intellect, ability to have a stance on social issues, what she believes in and her ability to relate to people from all walks of life in society.“
It is understandable why Zhané Padmore would have strong disdain for such a notion based on the premium she places on education. Zhané Padmore who has a Bsc. in Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship didn’t just use her degree as a conversation piece. She is the owner and operator of Cultured By Zhané, a brand specializing in bold handcrafted accessories made in Barbados. Padmore reveres her education and she expresses that:
“Obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship has helped me to acquire key skills that I needed to start and continue to grow my business.” Even with all the preparation she received from her education, she was still very transparent about the fact that the way things aligned for her was a bit uncanny. “Cultured by Zhané started as a true trial and error in 2016. I was always a lover of fashion, and I love experimenting with bright colours, prints, and bold statement pieces. The first neckpiece that I ever made, I actually wore it to a Rally event. I figured that as it wasn’t an event to truly dress up for so this would be the perfect time to sneak a wear of it. Prior to this first neckpiece that I would have made, I had no experience in sewing; I would just watch my Mom create garments in her free time.”
“She taught me how to sew and the first piece was created. As I wore the piece and took photos I received several compliments, as well as requests to recreate similar pieces for admirers. I then decided to take this endeavor more seriously, registered the business and since then, I’ve been creating statement handmade pieces incorporating various African and Caribbean inspired prints that are carefully made to suit each client’s personal style. We currently offer not only neckpieces, but earrings, belts, headbands and bracelets.”
As Padmore rightfully expressed, physical appearance should be just the icing on the cake but it would be remiss not to acknowledge the delightful delicacy of a woman she is. Though she acknowledges these benefits, her persistence towards redefining what it means to be multi-faceted forces her to be expansive. She is more focused on the character development traits that athletics and the performing arts provided for her. “Having started dance from the age of four, being a dancer has definitely taught me how to be a critical thinker. Being able to effectively communicate a story through body movements by way of choreography requires learning and practicing techniques, body and spatial awareness, agility and background knowledge on the subject matter being portrayed through movement.
“Some performances even require you to do some further research so that you can be in full character to evoke the message to the audience. Apart from that, prudent time management skills and setting priorities have been crucial in developing discipline in my life. Having to balance personal and professional life with rehearsals and performances can be daunting at times, but planning out my week in advance and scheduling based on priorities makes it much easier.” Everything Padmore does has a sentiment of nationalism to it; so in addition to being a national swimmer she also represented the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc by performing on the Wendy Williams Show with Riddim Tribe, as well as the Barbados On The Water Festival in Toronto, Canada.
In order for culture to effectively evolve, we need individuals who reconstruct our concept of success. We desperately need more individuals like Padmore who refused to have their light confined to one facet of life. The antedated notion that you can only be good at one thing is one which Padmore abhors and she expresses that in her closing remarks with us. “I would constantly receive comments saying, “You are going to end up being a jack of all trades and a master at none!” or, “You have to choose one, you can’t do it all!”. My parents always encouraged me to put my best foot forward in every endeavor and I’m truly grateful that I stayed true to that core principle. That foundation and ambition has stayed with me all my life, and I can never see myself being tied to one skill or one talent. I believe that if you are passionate in anything that you do, by all means go for it! Devise a plan that works for you where you can balance all of your pursuits while prioritizing your mental health and do whatever makes your heart and soul happy! There are indeed seasons where you would place more attention on one venture more than the other, but you can absolutely have multiple interests and passions and make great strides in each. Stay true to you, stay focused and committed to your dreams and goals!”
