CARIFESTA XV showcases collaboration, creativity and connection – Barbados and Tobago via Saint Lucia

CARIFESTA embodies the spirit of regional integration, and Aya Styler stands as a clear example of that vision. When Tamieika Fletcher launched Aya Styler, she did not set out to build a solo brand. Instead, she stitched together a network of islands, universities, artists, and customers that now stretches from Barbados to Miami.

Fletcher, who studied Business Management at the University of the West Indies (UWI), started the jewellery line as a hobby. Customer feedback quickly pushed the company toward a Caribbean-centric focus, as buyers abroad asked for pieces that would let them “carry a piece of home everywhere they go”.

The first formal step toward regional collaboration came when Fletcher sought support for a Caribbean tour. She brought on two UWI student interns and, during a stop in Saint Lucia, met Alexia Daniel–now an employee–through Daniel’s mother. The encounter strengthened Aya Styler’s ties with UWI and expanded the brand’s international reach. Since then, word-of-mouth has driven interactions with more than 100 customers across the islands. Fletcher credits the tour with “increasing brand interaction and spreading awareness organically.”

Looking ahead, Fletcher plans to deepen regional integration by hiring additional UWI students and partnering with Caribbean artists and influencers. For CARIFESTA, content creator @thisrealmama promoted Aya Styler on both TikTok and Instagram, a move Fletcher hopes to replicate at future festivals. Beyond the region, Aya Styler is preparing for Miami Swim Week, the next target for brand exposure, while continuing to source raw materials from China and add what Fletcher calls “a Caribbean flair” to every piece.

Yet the road has not been smooth. Fletcher says her greatest challenge is convincing industry gatekeepers that fashion tourism is more than a side attraction. “We are trying to move the conversation from vendors to branding,” she explains. “Creativity through fashion can display high-quality tourism.” Central to that vision is the Tropical Collection, the line that first distinguished Aya Styler as a brand. Fletcher designs every item herself, leaning on innovative patterns and marketing strategies to set the label apart from others in the market.

As the company charts its next steps, new collections, new festivals, new collaborations, Fletcher’s message is clear: Aya Styler is not simply selling jewellery; it is building bridges across the Caribbean, one carefully crafted piece at a time.

(PR)