Caribbean Lookbook’s Mel Gabriel on Fashion Evolution

by Klysha Best

After 16 years of telling the stories of Caribbean designers, Carbbean Lookbook founder Mel Gabriel is finally ready to sell their clothes. In an exclusive with Caribbean Edit, she said:
“I’m getting ready to launch Lookbook Shop.”

“Lookbook has existed on these pillars of culture, creators, community, and commerce. I never really leaned into the commerce side because I wasn’t confident enough at the time to really dive into it. And now it’s time.”

The upcoming e-commerce platform, launching later this year with a curated select of 30 to 50 Caribbean designers, represents a major evolution for Caribbean Lookbook, the media and fashion platform. But it’s not the only new project on the horizon.

In Q2, she’s also launching “Frou Frou”, a podcast dedicated entirely to Caribbean fashion. And there are “a few other things” she can’t mention yet, which she says with a smile. It’s a lot for any entrepreneur. But Gabriel is no stranger to building.

The woman behind these ambitious plans started humbly enough. In 2010, when it was called Trinidad Lookbook, Gabriel began documenting people with great personal style. At a time when other publications were doing “fashion police” embarrassment-style content, she chose a different path.

“I never liked that kind of embarrassment-type approach to content,” she says. “I rather highlight people who were dressing well and use them as a guide for those who needed help. That ethos of value-based content, where everything she creates must benefit the audience in some way, has guided Caribbean Lookbook through 16 years of evolution. The platform eventually rebranded as its scope stretched across the region, becoming the go-to destination for Caribbean fashion coverage that simply didn’t exist before.”

“I noticed there was a lot of conversation internationally and locally and reference for these major luxury fashion brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton and Chanel,” Gabriel recalls. “I always wondered why we did not have that same reference for our local designers. I just really wanted to create something that honoured the work of our people.”

Building an independent media platform in the Caribbean hasn’t been easy. Gabriel is
candid about the struggles. “There are so many challenges,” she laughs. “In the beginning, a lot of people didn’t know what to do with it. I knew I just wanted to have this thing, this space, and I wanted to have the conversations and take pictures and tell stories. But I think because I did not have a clear point of view in those early days, it made growing the platform way more challenging than it needed to be.”

Today, Caribbean Lookbook operates with no investors, no family money, no rich boyfriend, “just literal blood, sweat and tears and goodwill as far as possible.” “The good thing is that when you do good work, it multiplies,” Gabriel says. “I’ve had the good fortune of sustaining this brand over the years and having it mean something to not just me, but to other people and people I don’t even know. And that in itself is a
testament to just longevity and resilience.”

Ask Gabriel to define Caribbean fashion’s unique identity, and she offers something unexpected. “It’s more of an energy and a memory,” she reflects. “A lot of our Caribbean fashion, to me, feels like a cultural memory and retelling of culture and retelling of our history in a more vibrant, sexy way.”

That energy comes from the people themselves. “We make Caribbean style stand out globally. We have such a rich, diverse culture across the region. Every island has its own thing. But then when you blend all of these people and all of these histories and all of these stories together, you just get the best possible callaloo of style and expression.”

Yet despite this richness, misconceptions persist internationally. The biggest? That Caribbean fashion is merely “crafty.” “There’s this idea that luxury can’t really come out of the Caribbean,” Gabriel says. “There’s this misconception that it’s all sarongs and Hawaiian prints and that kind of energy, when we have some really stellar designers with strong points of view creating things that could stand on any global stage.”

Gabriel’s approach to both life and work has been profoundly shaped by her battle with breast cancer.

“I feel like everything is important and nothing is important at the same time,” she reflects. “I believe fully in living your best life and showing up intentionally, authentically, truthfully, while leaving room for your humanity and others’ humanity.”

The physical realities are ever-present. “I get tired faster than before. The side effects of the medication affect my ability to go as hard in the paint as I used to. That could also be because I’m 42,” she adds with characteristic humour. “The entire experience has been so layered and interesting, and while I am very intent on living and creating and sharing others’ work across the globe, I’m also very mindful now of my limits.” That mindfulness has transformed how she works. “I have to be very intentional about my schedule. If it’s not on the schedule, it’s not happening, because I have chemo brain.

I would not remember. I always used to make notes, but now I really make notes, and I reference the notes constantly, and I reference my calendar all the time.” Despite everything, the challenges of building alone, the physical toll of illness, Gabriel’s motivation remains focused outward.

“I just want people to win,” she says simply. “I want the designers and the creators whose stories we’re telling to win and to be celebrated. I don’t feel like I’m the only one who could do it, but that’s my motivation. Especially when I see a designer get international attention just off their strength alone. That feels really, really good. And that pushes me more and more to just keep telling stories and keep sharing.”

When asked about balancing business with creativity, Gabriel is refreshingly honest. “There is no balance,” she admits. “I also have ADHD, I think. But yeah, I just have to kind of figure it out as I go. If I’m working on a pitch deck or a proposal, I tend to lock in on just that, and it cuts into the time when I really should be writing another story or recording more content.”

Her solution? Redirecting energy when she leans too far in one direction. It’s an approach that mirrors her broader philosophy: showing up authentically while leaving room for imperfection. For young Caribbean designers hoping to follow their dreams, Gabriel offers hard-won wisdom.

“Take your time. Develop a point of view. Try to figure out what you’re trying to say with your brand. Reach out to people, network, ask questions. Be open to being wrong, be open to receiving feedback, and be open to changing your mind.”

Most importantly: “Don’t have yourself surrounded by yes-men. Your friends will always gas you up and tell you you’re the best thing since sliced bread. That’s why editors exist, to help you distil your brand and tighten up your collection before you present it to the world.”

Her own lessons learned after 16 years? “Have a niche. Take your time. And don’t hang your hat higher than your hand could reach.” The third lesson, she says with the weight of experience, is one she wishes she’d learned from day one: “I used to say Caribbean Lookbook is my baby. This is not my baby. This is a business. Treat your business like a business. And mind your business.”

What does Gabriel hope to see in Caribbean fashion over the next decade?

“Properly supported with proper regional infrastructure that bolsters the good work we’ve been doing, beyond just the lip service and old talk by governments and private sector. I want people to actively participate in the growth and success of the Caribbean fashion and creative industries. And I’d like to see designers really step up even more and create things that can rival any other global brand.”

As for the woman who started it all, she’s too busy building to rest on any laurels. With Lookbook Shop, the Fru Fru podcast, and other projects on the horizon, Mel Gabriel is proof that Caribbean fashion’s most powerful advocate is just getting started. “Caribbean Lookbook is a curated, creative, and cultural platform dedicated to telling the stories of Caribbean makers, movers, and muses,” she says, summing up 16 years of work in a single sentence.

It’s fitting that Gabriel, who started by simply wanting to give Caribbean designers a space of their own, now finds herself as one of the region’s most influential storytellers. The platform she built has become exactly what she envisioned—, a place where Caribbean fashion doesn’t have to compete for space with international giants. It has a home. And thanks to her, it always will. Now, she’s ready to help those designers sell their work, too. After 16 years, the next chapter is just beginning.