Shannen Kaylia Henry is among those at the forefront of paving a path to Caribbean climate resilience. She leads The Kaylia Group — an international consultancy fuelling sustainable innovation in the fashion industry. And in 2024, she founded the nonprofit Council on Sustainable Fashion & Design of Grenada (CSFDG) — an organisation that’s already joining like-minded artisans and environmental advocates across the Caribbean. The goal? Using sustainable design practices to positively impact the climate resilience of our islands.
Henry was born in New York to Grenadian parents. Fashion was how she and her mother bonded, with regular trips to Saks Fifth Avenue and Vera Wang for her mother’s fittings. She also developed a passion for environmental science — especially after experiencing the beauty of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. She also visited Grenada periodically during her childhood, where her grandfather was a cocoa farmer.
After completing undergraduate studies in biology in California, Henry moved to Paris to pursue a graduate degree in international business management with a minor in sustainable development. During an internship in southern India, she witnessed the direct impact of the textile industry on the environment.
“Seeing the piles of textiles burning, rivers that are stained with textile dyes, and the harsh working conditions,” she says, “was a transformative experience.” It motivated her to use her science background to drive innovation in sustainable fashion.
Henry founded The Kaylia Group and eventually settled in Biella, Italy — a town in the foothills of the Alps, famous for producing luxury textiles. It was under the umbrella of The Kaylia Group that Henry founded CSFDG — an idea that was sparked while visiting a hotel giftshop in Grenada.
“Not one item in the shop was local,” she says. “I know there’s local talent here. They could be investing in that talent.”
Henry also saw an opportunity to train designers in circular product development — using sustainable methods and materials to create durable, repairable, long-lasting products that can be repurposed and recycled. The approach is the heart of CSFDG’s mission.
Henry is also building a community of climate-conscious entrepreneurs across the Caribbean and its diaspora
She started building a relationship with the fashion design programme at the TA Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) in Grenada’s capital, St George’s, and quickly realised she needed to prioritise immediate needs — like finding a sponsor to provide mannequins, a resource the programme previously lacked.
Henry also learned the students didn’t have access to Wi-Fi, and reserved a space with a steady internet connection twice a week. “I needed to give them access, a sense of agency,” she says.
Henry then developed the Kaylia Couturier Programme, one of CSFDG’s flagship initiatives. Offered to women in particular through an application process, the 12-week programme takes place in Grenada and guides local designers through developing a full collection.
Workshops led by Henry and other international fashion experts include sewing and pattern-making skills, the use of regenerative textiles, package development and more — all while emphasising the importance of patience, precision, and quality.
The couturier programme is supported by the Fashion Impact Fund, an initiative of the PVBLIC Foundation, allowing selected designers to participate free of charge. The first class of five students — which graduates this August — includes a crochet artist and swimwear and leisurewear designers.
On a grander scale, Henry aims to show the positive impact of sustainable design on the climate resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which includes the Caribbean archipelago. Defined by the United Nations, these islands are linked by their remoteness, dependence on ocean resources, reliance on imports, and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
Henry’s team is working to address the reliance on imports by training local artisans to create high quality goods using sustainable materials, so that people buy lasting, locally made products that can be repaired, repurposed, or recycled.
Henry is also building a community of climate-conscious entrepreneurs across the Caribbean and its diaspora. CSFDG now has more than 50 members and ambassadors representing multiple disciplines, all connected by the goal of shaping a sustainable creative economy.
Henry says homegrown innovation is the key, not “international agencies coming up with solutions that aren’t good fits for these very localised places.”
One of CSFDG’s members is Ayana Benjamin, CEO and founder of the brand Ayana B Joy. Born and raised in Brooklyn but with ancestral roots in the islands, Benjamin is a jeweller, fibre artist, and glassblower who uses recycled glass and inspiration from the ocean to create one-of-a-kind pieces. She’s committed to sourcing hyper-local “waste” like glass bottles to create high quality products that are then sold in the same locations.
Benjamin heard about CSFDG through social media and immediately contacted Henry. “It was a dream come true,” she says. “I was able to work on my packaging and the educational part of my jewellery, and it brought me home [to Grenada] more.”
Benjamin’s current studio is in New York, but she hopes to open a location in Grenada soon and teach glassblowing to other artists. Sharing their skills and knowledge is a catalyst that unifies CSFDG members.
This past December, CSFDG hosted its first masterclass on regenerative tourism. Cocoa farmers, hoteliers, and others collectively explored how businesses could use tourism efforts to preserve culture and revitalise their communities.
This August, Henry and CSFDG will host the second annual Sustainable Impact Hub in Grenada, welcoming business owners from across the Caribbean to participate in workshops in ocean-focused sustainability.
The event will delve into how microplastics are impacting the local aquatic ecosystem, and also highlight companies that have found innovative (and profitable) solutions to recurring problems.
So, what can we do to help? We can spread the word about these efforts and support organisations like the CSFDG through volunteering or financial contributions. And we can shop locally — for locally made goods. In fact, you can shop the CSFDG collection online (csfdg.com/shop) or in person at their new shop, Cannella, at the Mount Cinnamon Beach Resort at Grand Anse Beach, Grenada.