A day in the life of Claudia Pegus - Living a fashion designer’s dream

The Claudia Pegus touch is indeed golden. This couturier, after receiving numerous decorations for creative excellence over the years, one of the most recent being the designation ‘Master’ at this year’s Caribbean Fashion Week, is an inspiration to women who need look no further for a definition of success and sheer strength. What does Claudia Pegus’s typical day look like? Wake up before the sun for greater personal success. This old adage appears to hold true for Claudia, who lays claim to early morning as the favorite part of her day. The dawn offers a breathtaking view from her Fort George home, which singly makes the early rousing worthwhile.

6:30 a.m: Time to get moving

With the mind fully awake, the body must follow suit! Claudia jumpstarts her days with physical activity at the time some of us are just jumping out of bed. Daily, she alternates among the gym, yoga, and walking, but prefers the last over the other two routines as she gets both fitness and inspiration from it. “Walking stimulates my creativity,” she admits, as she usually conceives her show-stopping creations while trudging up steep hills on early morns. She indulges in a good book—a serene prelude to the busy day.

8:00 a.m: What’s going on out there?

Back home, she refuels. On the menu is always a healthy breakfast of grains, fruits, vegetable juice, or black tea. “I don’t put any junk into my system,” insists Claudia, who enthusiastically describes herself as “very health conscious.” While having breakfast, she also feeds her hunger for knowledge, flipping through channels to discover what the rest of the world is up to. “I’m an information junkie. I need to know what’s going on out there!”

10:00 a.m: Get this show on the road

10 a.m. marks her arrival at the office. “Usually my day is packed with supervising production, management, dealing with clients, telephone calls—and on top of all that I’m on the computer all day because I’m a computer fanatic…” What a neat summary of a work day crammed full of activity! Her atelier on Warren Street is cozy and artistic—the place where her ideas come to life. Her seven-person staff works assiduously to produce the signature couture garments under her supervision. They accommodate, on average, five or six clients a day (by appointment only). Claudia serves a distinguished clientele, but relishes the opportunity to let her imagination run wild when she puts together a collection. “This area of fashion allows creativity to be uncontrolled,” and the catwalk affords her the occasion to ‘go crazy’. She takes a very active role in the presentation of her designs. Before a show, Claudia personally shares the stories behind the collection with the runway models who she entrusts with the duty of translating that story for the audience.

Somewhere Between 1and 2 p.m : A Power break?

“I don’t like breaks in my day,” says Claudia, about why she opts to have lunch at work. Following on from a healthy breakfast, lunch is no less wholesome: a choice of meats, vegetables, and salads. “A woman can be beautiful at any size; beauty comes from within,” she says, but obviously places a premium on good health more than anything else. She admits to coffee being her one irresistible weakness. Luckily, her java boasts the benefits of antioxidants. And true to form, this self-professed ‘health and information fanatic’ is well aware of that fact!

After lunch till 6 p.m: Last lap at work

Claudia’s scope of work extends far beyond her studio at Woodbrook; she has her eyes fixed on the research and development of the fashion industry—both regional and global. Regionally, she sees immense growth potential which she accredits, in great part, to Caribbean Fashion Week—the annual event showcasing the best regional designers, pitting them against their international counterparts. Claudia currently serves on the board of the School of Fashion and Design, and the Caribbean Fashion Industry Forum. She also chairs the Fashion Designers Association of Trinidad and Tobago, and offers internships as her personal contribution to the development of the industry in which she already has an indelible influence.

6:30 p.m: What’s next?

Claudia leaves work still full of energy. Despite her success and constant travels, sweet T&T is still home.

7:00 p.m: The quest continues…

The remote assists her navigation through CNC3, BBC, FOX, TV6, CNN… in her pursuit of information. “I’m like a sponge…I love absorbing news. It’s very important to me.” As it has done to many of us, the American election campaign has commanded much of her attention lately.

She squeezes her 10-minute dinner prep in-between channel surfing. She uses fresh herbs from her kitchen garden (which she personally tends) to flavor her pot, and to top it all off, she adds her nightcap: a glass of wine.

9:00 p.m: The end is nigh

Her day ends as it begins—with a good read. It’s clear that her passion for reading only intensified during her stint at the University library for 7 years before she took the leap into the fashion world.

Between 10:00 & 11pm: Bedtime already?

Finally, bedtime rears its head. Had we not been naturally designed for this restorative period, Claudia might have kept on going! In six short hours, she will once again greet the day and pick up where she has left off. And so ends a typical day for Claudia Pegus, but her exemplarity resonates. She recognizes the progress of women in the business arena and in the bounds of sisterhood. Caribbean women still face challenges in the business world and her advice is: “Be sharp. If you want to go into an area of business you have to study that business or you will be eaten by the sharks.” Again, her reference to knowledge can’t be ignored. On the flyleaf, she leaves a message for all Caribbean belles: “I like to see women nurturing women. It is important to see women with presence, who can stand on their own two feet with or without a man.” Well said. Well done.

- Pilaiye Cognac