From Kitchen to Couture ANGUILLA-BORN SHAWN WEBSTER HOPES TO MAKE A L A S T I N G I M P R E S S I O N O N T H E FA S H I O N I N D U S T R Y
“Once you start doing something, and put the idea out into the world, you have to follow through.” – SHAWN WEBSTER 24
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ow are Air Jordans and fine dining related? For most people, there is no connection. But, for Anguillian Shawn Webster, the two came together in a surprising way. After spending a great childhood on the island, Webster left to study the culinary arts. After working in a kitchen in London for a few years, he saw his career as a chef come to an abrupt halt after an accident-related injury to his arm. As fate would have it, his need for an employment change led him to work at England’s Childrensalon, a British online retailer of designer clothing for children. As Shawn recalls, “I grew up being addicted to shoes. There is a massive urban culture for footwear, and I always loved getting
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attention for what was on my feet.” The owners of Childrensalon, George and Michele Harriman-Smith, took him under their wing. “George and Michele are really big in the fashion industry. They taught me quite a lot about fashion and the way things should be made, so I was inspired by them.” Along the way, the chef-turned-clothing designer had to overcome his share of adversity, particularly in the form of criticism from others. “I had to overcome really harsh criticism — people’s idea of what they think was wrong or right,” describes Webster. His approach? “I create the product first and then I take the criticism. Criticism is actually a good thing sometimes.” In 2015, Webster launched his designer brand of footwear, Sug-Sean, whose name comes from his childhood moniker. “When I was growing up, I was into a lot of comic books and always wanted to be a superhero. I was really hyper!” he grins. “So, I was known as ‘Sugar’, and as I got older my friends shortened it to ‘Sug-Sean’.” Manufactured by Italian manufacturer Tacetti, the brand currently consists of seven footwear designs for adults and children. Webster draws his inspiration not only from his Childrensalon mentors but also from celebrities like Pharrell. While every designer hopes to become a household name, Sug-Sean wants to capture a sense of community. “When I started caring about the way I dress, I noticed people who wanted to wear urban gear and be different,” explains Sean. “They made it seem as if when you wore that type of brand, you were part of a tribe. I remember when I bought this really expensive Le Bain hoodie, I saw a guy in a similar one and we nodded at each other. Because we were both ‘with’ that kind of brand, we felt like we were connecting. I got addicted to that feeling part of a tribe.” Now, Shawn is looking at building his own tribe around his brand, which has also grown to include clothing and some accessories. He feels he’s prepared for the ups and downs that are sure to follow as he continues his unlikely journey. “Once you start doing something, once you put the idea out into the world you have to follow through with it,” he concludes. “That’s what I’m doing.” AXA
PHOTOGRAPHY Courtesy of Shawn Webster
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