Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

VI raised Curtis Callwood chases passion to launch Florida based couture store

VI raised Curtis Callwood chases passion to launch Florida based couture store

A desire to chase his dreams and a passion for fashion has led Designer Curtis Callwood aka 'CurtisC' down the path of owning a high-fashion Couture store.

Before starting Callwood Couture LLC in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Callwood recalled that as a young lad at the BVI High School in the early ’90s, he had to petition the school board to allow him to do Home Economics instead of the technical subjects traditionally sorted for men.

Raised on Tortola


‘I grew up in Baughers Bay right there in Tortola, the country area among women especially who loved to dress, and my passion for the design field I wanted to continue to making women especially look and feel their best,” he said.

“The Initial challenge was, attending high school where it was the norm or the tradition for females to do Home Economics and Boys to do technical subject, I had to basically petition the board and prove myself that this is something that I actually want to pursue,” Callwood told Virgin Islands News Online (VINO).

More potential roadblocks he recalled, was a stigma that he as a man was not supposed to go into the design field based on cultural norms of the time.

“I know a lot has changed, but there was always a lot of backlash,” Callwood told VINO.

He said; however, he was inspired by the vibrant Caribbean heritage and culture of the country area, “all I was surrounded by was the splendor of nature, so I decided to incorporate that into my work,” he said.

Teachers planted the seed - CurtisC


Using that inspiration to craft his skills; however, still did not come easy. Callwood recalled said it was the teachers at his high school in the Virgin Islands that were instrumental in helping him develop his design skills.

Teachers such as Judith Vanterpool, Ruth Frazer, Dianne Davies and Eideen Smith he said planted the seeds in his life, “these actually taught the basics there,” he said.

Callwood eventually relocated to the USA and pursued a BSc in Fashion Design and Marketing at the American Intercontinental University where he was able to learn a lot more technical skills and gain outside mentorship from Sir Gregory Brown of Gregory’s Designs who taught him to perfect his craft and work.

“I do believe that we are all individually blessed with unique gifts and talents and there is a space in the industry or home, or wherever you are to showcase this,” he said.

Callwood said while in the VI, for years he was unable to access career resources and a scholarship to pursue his passion of becoming a designer, which also included a dream to make the VI the Couture capital of the entire Caribbean region.

“I think all of those years cultural norms that have been perceived as something that would not benefit the country has slowly begun to shift perceptions,” he said.

Follow your heart - Callwood to young designers


For upcoming male fashion designers, he said, “I would say follow your passion, follow your heart, never allow someone to impose their perception of what should be and what is considered the norm,” Callwood said.

He also spoke of the oppression as being somewhat hindering and has been something that has affected him for years, however, despite this he followed his dreams despite the backlash and obstacles he had to overcome.

“In the end, it's going to be worth it," Callwood said.

Dreams to design for celebrities


‘My desire has also been to design for the red carpet, so that’s one thing I am pushing every day,” he further said as he shared hopes to dress celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna Fenty, and Fantasia Barrino.

In closing, Callwood thanked God for giving him the ability, “for without him we are nothing!” He also thanked parents Dennis and Cherel Callwood of Brewer's Bay, siblings; Debbie, Denise, Derise, and Courtney as well as "my entire Callwood family and friends for their years of ongoing love and support”

More thanks were expressed to close friends Mrs Odette Samuel Todman, also Hon Alvera Maduro Caines (R6), HoA Speaker Hon Jullian Willock, and Umi's ‘Debbie’ for the career support.

He also expressed gratitude to friend/mentor Andrew Cox of CBN Virgin Islands and Kareem Nelson-Hull and Franka Potter for their support over the years and he acknowledged models; Nigeria-American Funmi Okusi (NY), who will be the face of the Callwood brand, and his nieces Ashantae and Ashlee Maduro.

Dress designed for mom to wear at his 2008 highschool graduation.

Curtis and sister Deborah Maduro and Strayer University Graduation in 2018.

Face-masks designed by Callwood Couture LLC.

Dress Designed by Curtis Callwood.




Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×