From an accountant to a fashion designer, Isy Obi has turned her big dreams into reality, having established an internationally acclaimed design brand known for blending fashion and storytelling with wearable art.
With 13 collections to her name, the award-winning local designer is now celebrating a milestone 10th anniversary with the launch of her latest collection.
The anniversary collection will feature a new ‘Storyteller’ collection based on the designer’s original folktale and artwork, ‘Lekki and the Heron’.
“We wanted this collection to celebrate the incredible journey we’ve had with our clients, collaborators, and supporters, including all the local talent and young Caymanians we’ve been privileged to work with,” Obi, the brand’s creative director, noted in an announcement of the anniversary collection.
‘I had to carve my own path’
Obi started her career as an accountant but had a big dream of becoming a designer. Like so many dreamers, Obi didn’t have a clear vision at first of how to get there.
“I didn’t really have a clear idea of the actual business side of the industry or, indeed, who I really was as a designer,” Obi told the Cayman Compass.
Obi didn’t have formal training as a fashion designer, but her mother gave her the push she needed to pursue her dreams.
“My mum was both a fashion designer and a PhD-level scientist, so I’d grown up around an amazing woman who was able to balance the two careers. So, I just assumed that I would be able to do the same,” she said.
“I had no idea of the ride that was in store for me! No one was doing what I was doing in Cayman, so I didn’t have a model to follow. I had to carve my own path in figuring out how a tiny, emerging design brand from a small Caribbean island could do what I wanted it to do.”
The women-driven resort wear brand has received many accolades throughout the years, including ‘Designer of the Year’ at Phoenix Fashion Week, ‘Excellence in Fashion Innovation’ from Caribbean Style and Culture Awards and the ‘Bronze Star for Creativity’ from the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. It was also the first Caribbean fashion brand, she said, to be featured on a US home shopping channel.
For Obi, one of the things she is most proud of this year was being involved in the first-ever ‘Beyond the Scar’ runway show with the Breast Cancer Foundation.
“It was an honour to help create what might be the most feel-good runway show ever. Our models were inspiring warriors, survivors, and breast-cancer thrivers. Watching the women strut down the runway feeling beautiful, feminine, and special in Isy B., embodied everything I wish for the women who wear Isy B. At the moment, I felt the rightness of being exactly who I am and what I do, and it was magical. I’ll never forget it,” Obi said.
“Learning this took me a while, but the greatest highlights haven’t necessarily come from the external accolades and awards the brand has won over the years. The greatest highlights for me have been the privilege of coming up with a concept in my imagination and then bringing it to life in a way that people respond to. I love seeing people enjoying what I have created in Cayman and worldwide.”
She added, “I wanted to create pieces that make the women who wear them feel their best. That continues to be the intention that guides me today, and the brand has stayed true to that intention.”
‘More than just about fashion’
Obi believes, when it comes to her success over the years, it’s her “storytelling design” aspect of the brand that is unique in the industry.
“It’s also very much a part of my creative process. Each design starts life as an original story or folktale inspired by the Cayman Islands. I then illustrate the stories and then work with my design team to develop the illustration into textile prints for my designs. This creative process allows the Isy B. brand to bring something fresh every season,” she said.
She added the brand has always been about more than just fashion.
“Our customers are at the forefront of everything we create, contributing to our success,” she said.
“They love connecting with us through the folktales and the unique designs in the Storyteller Collections. In turn, the Cayman-inspired folktales also give us a contemporary platform to share some of Cayman’s culture, heritage, and traditions through our designs.”
Milestone anniversary collection
To mark the anniversary, Isy B. will host pop-ups and styling workshops around the islands throughout December, including a special VIP event on 7 Dec. for Isy B. Insiders.
“The new collection includes a curated selection of signature resort wear pieces that have defined Isy Obi’s journey and embody the designer’s fashion philosophy,” Obi said. “Each item showcases attention to detail, luxurious fabrics, stylish silhouettes and fit, demonstrating the designer’s commitment to quality craftsmanship and visionary style.”
Obi said she is really “proud” to be celebrating 10 years and all the brand has achieved.
“We are a thriving, small, women-driven business in a highly challenging industry. Isy B. has been one of my most marvellous adventures to date, in every sense, and I love being at the helm of it.”
Looking ahead and in keeping with her brand’s commitment to business practices that minimise environmental impact, Obi confirmed in her 2025 ‘Lekki and the Heron’ collection, “over 50% of our production is made from sustainable materials, and our goal is to continue to do even better”.
With the Isy B. Fund launched this year, Obi said they have committed a portion of profits yearly to offer micro-grants to local groups and individuals actively involved in environmental projects in the Cayman Islands.
“This will be one of our focus areas in the future, to find ways to continue contributing to and caring for the islands that have been a source of inspiration for our Storyteller Collections.”
For current or future designers, Obi advised, “Be yourself, and once you’ve figured out who that is and what you’re about, let that be part of the creativity you offer the world. What you’re doing may be different from what everyone else is doing, and your path could look very different, but if you stay true to who you are creatively, you can never be led astray.”
She added, “Also, learn to cultivate your design eye, travel, immerse yourself in art and culture, connect with creatives from different disciplines and always be open to new ways of doing things.”
The collection is available for order on the Isy B. website and at local retail outlets.
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