Humbled and blessed. That’s how local designer Shanice Taylor is feeling today.
Taylor has been crocheting for just seven months but she has already achieved a goal that other designers have only dreamed of.
Hailing from Rihanna Drive, Bridgetown, St Michael, a stone’s throw away from the childhood home of international recording artiste Rihanna, Taylor has made a crochet piece worn by the superstar herself.
In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, Taylor explained how she made it happen.
“It all started during quarantine when I approached Melissa [Rihanna’s best friend]. She usually comes and spends some time with my neighbours, so I just approached her one day and asked if she’d mind wearing one of my swimsuits and she said, ‘Sure.’”
Taylor said Melissa agreed. She then asked her if she could make a dress for her, which she did. She explained that the singer and her best friend were on the island when it was approaching Rihanna’s birthday so Melissa said she would give Taylor’s dress to Rihanna for her birthday.
The photo of Rihanna wearing Taylor’s design was featured on the Vogue website on Tuesday.
“When it got posted I wasn’t even checking social media, one of my friends saw it and was like, ‘Shanice, Shanice this is the dress.’ I then got on social media and saw … To be honest, it was really surreal, I couldn’t even believe it myself because I never in a million years expected my dress to go so far,” she said.
She told Barbados TODAY that while still in shock over how it has blown up, she has gotten thousands of requests and has plans to continue crocheting.
“I hope it goes really far. I’m just going to keep doing it and hopefully it takes off from her,” she said.

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I have ways loved Rhianna, I love her even more now
Congratulations Ms. Taylor!
Sister, I hope you go far in your new business. Good luck.
So happy for you.
Nuff respect to you. It shows what a young person can do. We need more people like you to move Barbados forward.
William Parker
Beautiful; well done.
Unbelieveable talent…in just seven months !!!! so when will (YES) the youth entrepreneurship scheme and the BTI fund get involved. She has requests for items..Who will bell the cat and set up a venture capital company that will provide items for this niche market, or will this opportunity pass us by like the black belly sheep made items and the sea island cotton projects ?? and then complain there is nothing to do..no work for our people !!!
So awesome!!
The work of looks great and who better to rock it right than RiRi!
Congrats Shanice!!