Fashion influencer and creative activist, CW Abeniade, is set to launch a Barbados edition of her transformative initiative, On the Streets with Abeniade, aimed at using fashion to uplift underserved communities.
The project, developed in partnership with the Barbados High Commission to Ghana under the leadership of High Commissioner Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, will spotlight individuals living with disabilities and those facing economic hardship. It seeks to restore confidence and visibility through styling, storytelling, and skill-building while promoting Afro-Caribbean and African cultural exchange.
Planned activities include styling and mentorship sessions, the creation of a co-designed fashion line, and creative workshops aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Reduced Inequalities, Quality Education, and Decent Work.
Her Excellency Bynoe-Sutherland praised the initiative, describing it as “a brilliant idea and a much-needed intervention” that Barbados was proud to support. She also commended Abeniade’s focus on disability inclusion. “Who walks through the door of an Embassy with a mission to find partners in Barbados working with people with disability? Who does? Abeniade does,” she said.
The High Commissioner noted that the partnership was in line with Barbados’ strategic priorities of trade and commerce, especially given the fast-growing fashion and beauty industries in Nigeria, Ghana, and Barbados. “We love working with young people and have been intrigued that this progressive fashion and style influencer CW Abeniade is not just interested in Barbados, but in our People with Disability,” she added.
According to organisers, the initiative will also expose Barbadian designers to Nigerian and Ghanaian fashion activism, creating opportunities for collaboration across the Atlantic. Partnerships are currently being sought in both Barbados and Ghana to expand the reach and long-term impact of the programme.
CW Abeniade said her mission was “simple yet profound: to remind people they are seen, they matter, and they belong.”
