I have to admit…I’m obsessed with the Caribbean! I don’t know when it started exactly but it’s a delicious obsession I’ve carried for a long time. Perhaps it all started quite simply with the intense love I have for my island home of Jamaica and the ensuing patriotic pride I developed in middle school, a love that led me to want to learn more about that region of the globe whose beauty and mystique relentlessly fascinates me.
Sugar Cane Baby was born after a three year birthing process. My dream was to provide a funky, hip, and stylish way to display island pride for not only the countries that are most popularly known on the international stage but for every single island in the Caribbean, from the smallest (did you know one island is only 5 square miles?!) to the largest, from the English speaking to the French speaking, Spanish speaking, Dutch speaking and the many mixes in between. I long grew tired of looking at the usual suspects in terms of touristy, souvenir tshirts and longed for an alternative that wasn’t typical or stereotypical. We West Indians are a proud lot and love to ‘show our national colours’, but we are also into ‘style and fashion’; therefore, a merger of the two was not just a desire, it was an imperative.
As a mother, the quality of the clothing I buy for my children is just as important as the design. With that in mind, it was essential for me to make sure that all Sugar Cane Baby items are made with the finest quality materials. There is no compromise on quality here! I have nothing but the utmost respect for the people and the lands of the Caribbean, and I’m proud to be a child of that small yet intoxicating region. It is our sincerest hope that whether your connection to the area is by blood or through sheer curiosity, you will feel proud to dress your little ones in Sugar Cane Baby wear.
Sundra Oakley, Founder, Sugar Cane Baby