Through an artist’s eyes, the world is a rainbow of endless inspiration, movement, and stories to be told. Luxury Resortwear Designer Isy Obi of Isy B. Design is no exception.
I first met Isy during MunaLuchi’s 2023 Coterie Retreat in the Cayman Islands. As our gifting partner for the event, I was enamored by the playful patterns dancing across each of her designs.
From colorful sarongs to bathing suits, tote bags, notebooks, and more, each pattern featured vibrant flora and fauna, strong feminine silhouettes, and motifs of the Caribbean. I would soon learn each custom design echoes the folktales of her Nigerian, British, and Caymanian roots.
I am Nigerian, British, and Caymanian. I am a proud blend of all three in my life and general outlook! I love to explore my multicultural background in my art and designs and use my designs to tell the stories of each place I come from.
– Isy Obi of Isy B. Design
Isy’s love for the arts began during childhood. However, her path into fashion and design wasn’t a natural choice.
“Like many creative kids from an ethnic or immigrant background, art and design were not included in my choices of potential careers,” Isy admits. “At the most, you had your passion as a hobby on the side while pursuing a “proper career” – the cliched doctor, lawyer, or accountant. I chose to be an accountant by the way.”
Embarking on a career in finance was more stable than pursuing fashion full-time. The idea of juggling a stable job with a creative passion on the side wasn’t so unusual. Isy’s mother, a Ph.D.-level scientist, was also a fashion designer in her spare time.
Isy recalls, “After her work day, my mum would come home and go into her studio to work with her seamstresses and machinists.”
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Isy pursued art and design on the side.
She began by trying to follow the conventional path in fashion design. Often looking ahead to the latest trends and silhouettes for design inspiration over her own, it wasn’t until she discovered the magical world of prints and patterns that she immersed her love of art into her designs.
My passion came alive when I brought my love of art and storytelling into my design through the prints and patterns I create. Combining all the things I love has allowed a different energy to flow into my work.
– Isy Obi of Isy B. Design
After years of suppressing her creativity, Isy finally decided to chase her dreams.
Leaving behind the success and stability of her career in accounting, she officially launched Isy B. in 2015. Today, her company is a thriving eco-conscious luxury resort wear brand catering to the Caribbean and beyond.
Over the years, Isy B. has garnered numerous local and international awards. This includes being named the ‘Lifestyle Designer of the Year’ at Phoenix Fashion Week and receiving the bronze star for creativity from the Cayman Islands National Arts and Culture Committee in 2019.
In 2024, she started the Isy B. Fund. The initiative strives to give back to the islands that have been, and continue to be, the inspiration for Isy B.’s designs.
Most recently, on May 18th, 2024, Isy B. was a participating designer in The Breast Cancer Foundation of the Cayman Islands Beyond the Scar fashion show at the Hotel Indigo ballroom. During the show, 10 women and breast cancer survivors strutted across the catwalk, celebrating their beauty and strength styled in Isy B. and other designers.
Isy describes the experience as one of the most moving and powerful things she’s ever done. “My heart was filled to bursting!” she exclaims. “I was so proud of our models.”
Looking back on her decision to start her own company, Isy smiles. She has no regrets.
“I realized one day that I have only one short life to live, and I wanted to make it meaningful by doing work that lights me up,” she explains. “I’d spent many years being very successful in careers I didn’t much enjoy. Eventually, the pain of staying on the traditional career track became more significant than the fear of heading off on my own path and starting my own business.”
To live and flourish in one’s purpose is the dream. I can confidently say Isy Obi is living out her dream in real time.
Keep reading below for our exclusive Q&A with Isy on her latest designs, inspiration, and more.
This article was first featured in Issue 32; purchase a print copy on our Muna Shop.
- Featured Designer: Isy B. Design
- Location: The Cayman Islands
- Blog Series: Behind The Brand
Why “Isy B.”?
My namesake, Isy, is the short form of my Nigerian name, “Isioma,” loosely translated as “Wisdom” or “Good luck” in the Ibo language. When I was a kid, my mum called me Isy Baby, which she shortened to Isy B. So the brand name is a subtle tribute to my mum and my family.
Looking back, when did you know it was finally time to pursue your dreams full-time? What challenges did you face after?
I look back at when I decided to leave my stable career with awe and appreciation for my younger self and my courage in doing it. I’d achieved a very senior role at the company I was working with and had been offered the option to progress to partnership. But I knew in my soul that this wouldn’t be the right step for me. So I turned it down and resigned to pursue my dream of starting my own business.
My biggest challenge was stepping into the unknown and believing that I could achieve what I had set out to achieve. I also didn’t realize how much of my identity had become rooted in the stable career that I’d resigned from. Ultimately, I had to relearn who I was without the safety net and structure of a regular job and the security of a regular salary.
I had this big dream of creating and being a designer. I was determined not to feel intimidated by all the other designers in the fashion industry who’d had years at prestigious fashion schools and/or fashion industry experience under their belt. All I knew was that I wanted to create pieces that make the women who wear them feel amazing, and that intention continues to guide me today.
Let’s talk about your latest Storyteller collection influenced by Cayman Islands folktales. Tell us more about your inspiration, the color palette, and the materials you used.
My inspiration definitely comes from living on the islands. The Island folktales I write are simple and whimsical but often convey a potent message through my designs. I choose each color palette to reflect the feeling and mood of the story. I collect colors wherever I go and love exploring relationships between different colors.
My new Orchid collection, for example, was inspired by the national flower of the Cayman Islands, the banana orchid. The banana orchid features a beautiful and unusual deep purple color in some of its markings, and I knew I wanted to bring this into my story palette. The challenge was selecting other colors in the palette that would work well with this key color while expressing the story’s mood. It’s an intuitive process that I enjoy!
What is your creative process? And as an artist, how do you fuel your creative energy and combat your inner critic?
Each collection begins with the story I write. I never plan for them, and I write many stories (writing is another passion), but I will usually know when one is meant to be for an Isy B. collection because the wisdom contained in it feels right.
I hand-draw the main artwork illustration from the story. This process starts by creating my mood board, which constantly evolves as I add new ideas and remove concepts that no longer work. Then, I begin a series of rough pencil sketches as I try out different ideas and elements, intending to capture the essence of the story as a whole. It’s often fascinating to see my progression from the initial rough draft as I start to understand what the artwork wants to be!
Once I have developed the finished artwork, I work with my textile design team to digitize the artwork for use on fabric. We also develop different prints and patterns from the main illustration that will be used in various garments and products.
My creative energy is fueled by being open to inspiration wherever I am.
I love to travel because my intuition is even more heightened when I’m in foreign places or having new experiences. Using my sketchbook and phone camera, I record everything I see that interests me.
I also fuel my creative energy by getting enough rest and taking frequent time-outs. This is the best way I’ve found to calm the voice of my inner critic. When I am tired, rushed, or stressed, I lack the awareness to sort out fact from fiction when my inner critic kicks in. But if I’m rested and calm, I can see the inner critic for what it is, which makes all the difference.
On your IG, you have started a marketing campaign called Show Us Your Isy B. What was your vision for this campaign? Why is working with diverse women (of all body types, skin tones, and personalities) important to you?
I know that self-image is a huge issue for so many of us. We’re asked to compare everything about ourselves to an unrealistic and manufactured ideal of beauty, and when we can’t match up to it, we feel like we have somehow failed as human beings.
In living with the daily challenges of being a woman at this time, we often forget or don’t have time to look after ourselves, and, most importantly, we forget to see how amazing and beautiful we are.
This is one of the reasons I’m careful about selecting the models I work with. They are all everyday women I admire and respect, and they represent the spirit of Isy B. They also show my customers who I have in mind when designing the collections.
The women I design for come in all different and unique body shapes and are all beautiful. They are also feminine, intelligent, resilient, courageous, and kind.
My vision for our ongoing campaign is to encourage women to look at themselves with fresh eyes and appreciate their own unique beauty.
Sustainability and eco-friendly fashion are becoming even more important for consumers. How is Isy B. staying eco-conscious with its designs and products?
It’s important to me that Isy B. continues to be a responsible brand. We’re constantly researching and testing new materials and production methods that help us minimize waste and over-production. For example, we produce just one limited edition collection a year, and our designs are created to be timeless and last season after season.
Furthermore, in 2024, we launched the Isy B. Eco Fund, into which we reserve a proportion of Isy B.’s annual profits to offer grants to grassroots and established local environmental groups to help support their projects in the Cayman Islands.
At our 2023 Coterie Retreat, you attended and showcased some designs and products from your latest Storyteller collection (and also gifted us some lovely bags!). How was that experience and why should other designers attend MunaLuchi’s Coterie Retreat and/or partner with MunaLuchi?
I was blown away by the Coterie event and by the MunaLuchi family as a whole. I’ve rarely seen business done in such an open-hearted and generous manner, all for the benefit of attendees and participants. It was evident in the high energy of the event in the Cayman Islands and in the love and loyalty of the attendees, many of whom return every year.
It was a pleasure to work with the team and network with a wide range of attendees from different backgrounds. I was able to showcase my collections to prospective buyers from across the globe and make valuable connections with people I may not have otherwise met. It was a rewarding experience for the Isy B. team and one I look forward to repeating.
What advice would you give designers just starting in their careers or to your younger self? How have you overcome adversity in the fashion world?
It’s so important to be yourself, and once you figure out what you’re about, let that be part of your unique offering to the world. Staying true to what makes you unique can become your NorthStar, guiding your decisions and giving your life meaning.
What you’re doing may not look like what everyone else is doing or says you should, but just continue to trust that your soul knows what is right for you.
I’ve come to understand that the service I want to offer is to support women, make them feel beautiful, and remind them of how amazing they are. I find great fulfillment and creativity in that service.
What does the future have in store for Isy B? Share any exciting updates or events we can support you in.
I’m currently enjoying working on the new collection for 2025. Additionally, this year is all about giving back and supporting the community that has supported us. I’m also excited about expanding the projects that the Isy B. Eco Fund can get involved in.
Looking for more Behind The Brand features?
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Vendors:
- Featured Designer + Luxury Resortwear Brand: Isy B. Design
- Makeup & Hair Artists: Stylebar Cayman by Sonia Sajnani
- Grand Cayman Photographer: Filtrip Visuals
- Grand Cayman Family Photographer: Lisa Reid Photography
- Photographer: Vicki Rowe Photography
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