Coco Velvet Int'l Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Consultantsts

03/06/2026

A very special thank you to my two Earth Angels Nurse Peters (far left) who took special care of me during the six months I stayed and Dr Jacqueline Sabga (far right).

When I was airlifted from the hospital in Kingstown, SVG to Piarco Intl I was extremely depressed, having only received the news two days before that I was afflicted with stage 4 metastastatic prostate cancer, there were six lessions on my spine, a fracture at L3 lumbar and the spinal compression which happened on November 21st in Bequia had left me paralyzed. I just wanted to be taken to a hospice to die.

When my good friend Wendy Fitzwilliam reached out to Dr. Sabga to arrange for me to be admitted to Promise House TT Dr. Sabga, clearly guided by divine inspiration suggested that I should be admitted to their Haven instead for rehabilitation and that is why I am here today still in the land of the living.

I do believe that there are still Earth Angels living amongst us.

Christopher Nathan

03/06/2026

EXIT PROMISE HOUSE TT

On December 19th I was transfered from the Sangre Grande Hospital to Promise House Haven in an ambulance, paralyzed from my chest to my toes due to spinal chord compression which I sustained during my vacation in Bequia, SVG.

Today 6 months later, by the grace of our heavenly father I was able to walk out of the facility and return to my family to face the next chapter in my cancer journey.

I wish to thank the directors, managers, doctors, nurse and caregivers at Promise House TT for the exceptional paliative care I received over the past six months which has allowed me to return to the land of the living

Christopher Nathan

24/05/2026

2006 turned out to be a watershed, pivotal, transformative year. Unknown to me, my aviation career was winding down as the government of Trinidad & Tobago was preparing to disolve BWIA West Indies Airways .international

I joined the airline's Inflight Services Department on June 01, 1984 as a Steward and received a promotion in August 1995 that elevated me to the position of Cabin Crew Officer. The photo was taken on the tarmac at London Heathrow Airport on a BWIA Airbus 340 - 300 aircraft in December 2006 (my final BWIA UK flight).

During my flying career I launched Coco Velvet Intl Fashion & Model Management in 1997 as a side-hustle with a misson to discover, develop and export local models to the international fashion capitals. I also hoped to transform T&Ts cottage fashion industry into a globally respected, economically viable industrial sector through world-class fashion education, technical training and export ready fashion merchandise produced in our Port-of-Spain fashion district as I envisioned that over time our capital city would become the region's fashion centre.

As fate would have it, in May 2006 I sent a proposal letter to the Minister of Science, Technology & Tertiary Education with a bold offer to establish a worldclass fashion programme at the University of Trinidad & Tobago. The stars aligned that year - BWIA closed on December 31st 2006 ending my 23 year airline career; the minister forwarded my proposal to UTTs President and he contacted me, offered a consultancy contract in April 2007 to set up what is now CAFD. In September 2008 The Caribbean Academy of Fashion & Design opened its doors at the JSDTI Campus with a BFA in Fashion Design degree program and two part-time diploma courses

I consider my contribution to fashion education and technical skills training in the Caribbean to be my greatest accomplishment as CAFD was the first tertiary level fashion program established in the West Indies. Young, naturally gifted, aspiring fashion designers from across the Caribbean now have the opportunity to access worldclass fashion education here in Port-of-Spain

18/05/2026

Happy birthday to our Annaya Baird .nys winner of Coco Velvet's Top Model Trinidad & Tobago and Tobago Top Model 2024 contests

Photo courtesy
Paris Fashion Week

18/05/2026

Out on d towne with the lovely UberModel Sharon Imbert

Life is short so live each day to the fullest!

12/05/2026

On behalf of Coco Velvet International models and crews I'd like to wish our Chanique Marcelin Happy 18th birthday

The moment I scouted you that fateful day in Scarborough I knew you were destined for greatness so reach for your stars and never accept defeat or mediocrity along your journey...

Christopher Nathan

Photo courtesy
Styleweek Caribbean 2025
NAPA Port-of-Spain
Fashion design
Eyewear
Make up

02/05/2026

CASA VIVA Salybia

My old home in Salybia, Toco Villa Bella Luna that I constructed from ground zero during the period 2012 to 2019 has been splendidly transformed into a holiday rental by the new owner.

Casa Viva is just 2 minutes walk to a secluded beach, for the nature enthusiasts a hike up to the spectacular Rio Seco Waterfall followed by dinner at one of the fine hotel restaurants at Queen's Beach Resort Salybia .tt

For more info:

TEL: 868 704 6943

30/04/2026

Thank you God for providing me with this amazing property in Maraval to live out my last chapter; and I also give thanks for giving me the strength to get up and down the mountain every day as I project manage earth and building works for Casa Cocorite.

The cabin is so named because the property is surrounded by magnificient, towering Cocorite Palms on the Western side and amazing views of Moka on the North.

23/04/2026

The transition from an aviation career to fashion education and technical skills training may have been divinely inspiried as I intended to continue working as a Cabin Crew Officer .international until retirement

I recall writing to the then Minister of Science, Technology & Tertiary Education in May 2006, offering to prepare a curricula proposal for fashion education at UTT even while still flying with Bwee. Months later we were informed that BWIA would be disolved on Dec 31st 2006. My proposal letter to the ministry was forwarded to Prof. Ken Julien for consideration,

I will always be thankful for Professor Julien's vision as he contacted me in Feb 2007 and offered me a UTT consultancy contract to set up the CIFD as the academy was previously called. Those early years working at the UTT president's executive office in Tacarigia and Barataria were extremely difficult as I was not computer-savvy and I did not know too much about garment construction technical training.

Professor Julien arranged for me to meet the heads of FIT NYC, Central St Martins and London College of Fashion to conduct fashion education research and he established a fashion advisory council made up of representatives of LCF, Parsons New York and leading TT fashion designers

My biggest regret though is recommending to UTT's board of governors that the fashion academy should be housed at the space occupied by John D. Technical Institute which had produced the region's finest garment technicians. In 2008 that program was discontinued in order for us to renovate the top floor of John D for CAFD

The local fashion industry inspite of considerable advances is lacking manufacturing technicians - pattern drafters, cutters, sewing machine operators etc which John D provided for decades. It is my hope that investors will recognize this opportunity and sewing institutions will be set up to support the industry in the near future

Photo Credits
Christopher Nathan - Programme Administrator, Caribbean Academy of Fashion & Design conducting a site visit for CAFD's Senior Thesis Collection 2010 at Theatre 2 NAPA Port-of-Spain

17/04/2026