When Selina started The Pretty Little Sunflower in October 2020, she didn’t set out to build a business that would one day make Trinis laugh, reminisce, and feel proud of who they are. She simply wanted to make ends meet during one of the most uncertain times in recent memory. Her corporate job contract had just ended in the middle of the pandemic, and with opportunities scarce, she had to find another way to support herself. What she had was a little bit of equipment, a big imagination, and a family full of entrepreneurs who had always encouraged her to chart her own course. From that combination, The Pretty Little Sunflower was born.
The Pretty Little Sunflower is an online-based print-on-demand company that offers apparel, accessories and home décor infused with a touch of Trini humour and plenty of local love. From t-shirts, hoodies, crop tops, totes, and aprons to throw pillows that add personality to any room, the brand captures the essence of Trinbagonian life in every design. Some prints are witty and light-hearted, others nostalgic and familiar, but all of them celebrate the language, spirit and everyday moments that make local culture so special.
Selina’s concept is simple but deeply meaningful. She wants her pieces to connect people, to spark conversations, and to remind them that we’re all living similar stories in this little island we call home. Imagine someone having a long week, slipping on a t-shirt that reads “Lemme get two with slight and ah ease up please, thanks!” before heading out for the day. Someone on the street reads it, laughs, and instantly shares an unspoken moment of understanding. To Selina, those tiny moments of connection are what make it all worthwhile. Her goal has always been to create prints that are funny, relatable, and comforting, the kind that brighten a stranger’s day or help someone feel seen.
The name came to her quickly. The Pretty Little Sunflower was inspired by her love for the flower and her desire to create something that felt warm, friendly and inviting. She loved that it rolled off the tongue and evoked a sense of joy. The yellow and black colour scheme she chose was reminiscent of major fashion names like Forever 21 and Pretty Little Thing, an intentional decision to blend a familiar aesthetic with local charm. The name appealed especially to women, evoking the image of a store you’d love to browse with your friends, light, cheerful and full of happy energy. Selina admits she has sometimes thought about changing it to something more reflective of her Trini-inspired designs, but it feels like home, and for now, it remains part of her identity.
In the beginning, Selina worked with what she had, a simple heat press that her parents had bought for a faith-based brand they never launched. She started creating Christmas designs: snowflakes, reindeer, and plaid prints that looked like something straight out of a Hallmark movie. But she quickly realised something was missing. None of it felt like us. Nothing about those prints reflected the warmth of a Trini Christmas with ham, sorrel, pastelle and parang in the background. She wanted something that resonated with home, something that people could wear proudly because it represented who they were.
That spark led her to design her first local collection, a tote bag printed with the names of popular beaches in Trinidad, arranged in a playful checklist style. It was her way of bringing the girlies a beach bag that felt personal, fun, and uniquely local. When she followed it up with another design that read “Lewwe make a beach press nah,” it became an instant hit. People loved it because it felt like them. Her prints started conversations, and customers couldn’t get enough.
But behind the laughter and clever prints was a steep learning curve. Selina’s early designs were time-consuming and risky to produce. She had no formal background in printing and was still figuring things out on her own. Her first “Ham Sorrel and Pastelle” Christmas print, she now laughs, was far from perfect. “Looking back, I don’t even know how I was comfortable offering that for purchase,” she says, smiling at the memory. But every mistake was a stepping stone. After a few months, she saved enough to invest in HTV printing equipment in May 2021, her first major milestone. That purchase changed everything. It gave her greater control over quality, more creative freedom, and the ability to grow her business sustainably.
As her designs evolved, so did her vision. In October 2022, she launched The Pretty Little Sunflower website with the help of another local business, Eislett Technologies Ltd. At first, she tried to build it herself, but quickly realised that her time would be better spent focusing on her craft. Partnering with Eislett turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made. The website transformed the brand, giving it a professional edge, streamlining her operations and freeing up precious hours. It also gave customers across Trinidad and Tobago, and beyond, easier access to her growing product line.
Then came one of her most memorable moments yet. In late 2023, she was featured on TTT’s 6 p.m. news as part of a segment highlighting young entrepreneurs. The crew met her at her very first pop-up shop at Price Plaza, where she was surrounded by her colourful creations. Seeing herself on national television, talking about something she built from scratch, felt surreal. “It was mind-blowing,” she recalls. “To see how far I’d come from printing my first batch of shirts on the floor of my home to being recognised for it, it was a full-circle moment.”
By April 2024, her journey came to another turning point when she stocked her first retail location at Caribbean Collection C3. It was a major step, not just in visibility but in creating an in-person shopping experience for her customers. For the first time, people could walk into a store, touch the fabrics, see the prints, and experience the brand beyond a screen. That one opportunity opened doors to more retailers. Within a year, The Pretty Little Sunflower expanded into three additional locations: Caribbean Collection in Gulf City Mall, Caribbean Collection in MovieTowne Port of Spain, and The Happy Gourmet in Valpark. 2025 became a year of remarkable growth and the promise of even more to come.
While The Pretty Little Sunflower is now Selina’s full-time job, the entrepreneurial lifestyle comes with its own challenges. Being your own boss sounds liberating, but it also means there’s no clocking out. She admits she’s still learning to create boundaries between business and personal life. “When you’re an entrepreneur and you come from a family of entrepreneurs, it’s hard to shut your brain off,” she says. “But if you shut down, so does your business.” One of her goals this year has been to rest intentionally, to slow down enough to appreciate the world outside of work and to remember that her wellbeing is vital to her creativity.
Of all the lessons she has learned so far, perseverance stands out the most. Selina knows what it feels like to question everything, to wonder if the long hours, the slow sales, and the sacrifices are worth it. There were moments when she thought about giving up, moments when the idea of a real job seemed easier. But she pushed through. She learned that success is rarely immediate and that patience, grace, and resilience are the true markers of entrepreneurship. “Things will almost never go the way that you want, but you must learn to press on despite it,” she says. “Learning to be okay when sales are slow or engagement is low takes practice, but it develops character and appreciation when you finally hit those goals.”
When she offers advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs, she doesn’t just say start, she says start and believe in yourself enough to see it through. She knows from experience that the first idea might not work and that success takes time, effort and faith. It took her two and a half years to see real profit and growth, but every delay, doubt and detour shaped her into the businesswoman she is today. “If you told Selina from 2020 that her products would be in stores, or that she’d be on the news, she wouldn’t believe you,” she admits. But here she is, with a thriving brand and a loyal customer base who wear her prints with pride.
To Selina, a brand is not just a logo or a name. It is a personality. It is how people feel about you, how they connect with you and how you show up in their lives. “A business is built for profit, but a brand is built for people,” she says. It is a philosophy that has shaped every decision she has made with The Pretty Little Sunflower. Her brand evokes loyalty because it feels human. It is witty, relatable, and real.
As she looks to the future, Selina feels inspired by the growing local brand community in Trinidad and Tobago. She is proud to be part of a movement that celebrates small businesses and encourages people to shop local. She believes there is still much room for growth, especially in creating more education and resources for entrepreneurs, but she is optimistic about the direction things are heading.
Selina’s journey is proof that something beautiful can bloom from difficult beginnings. The Pretty Little Sunflower started as a necessity and grew into a brand that embodies the resilience, humour and creativity of the Trini spirit. Every tote, t-shirt and throw pillow tells a story of perseverance and pride. Through her designs, she has built more than a business, she has built a community rooted in laughter, love and local identity.
For Selina, The Pretty Little Sunflower is more than her job. It is her joy. It is the laughter that echoes through a shared joke printed across a shirt, the pride that comes from seeing her work in stores, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing that something she created brings light to others. It is a reminder that even in the hardest times, something bright and beautiful can still grow, just like a sunflower turning its face toward the sun.
