In a remarkable underdog story that has captured global sustainable fashion circles, 18-year-old Barbadian designer Trinity Rose and her brother Zion Rose, a multi-hyphenate model and actor, have taken home the top Zero Waste International Competition award at the prestigious E.D.W.A.R.D (Ethical Defender of the World) Awards, capping a stunning rise just 18 months after Trinity first picked up a sewing needle. The award was announced at the grand climax of the Sustainable Fashion of the World summit held in Panama City on July 26, an event that unites cross-sector leaders from sustainability, education, innovation, culture, and creative industries to advance actionable eco-friendly solutions for the global fashion industry.
Trinity, a self-taught designer who only launched her practice in February of the previous year, says her unexpected international win still feels surreal. The young creator only learned of the competition days before the submission deadline, making her first-place finish among thousands of global applicants all the more notable. Her journey into fashion began with a humble gift from her aunt, artist Sheena Rose, who gave Trinity a sewing machine to nurture her early creative spark. Her first projects were lumpy, ill-fitted garments for dolls, but constant encouragement from her brother kept her refining her craft through early missteps.
“Zion was the one who pulled me out of my creative shell when I was starting out,” Trinity explained. “He kept telling me to keep trying — if a piece didn’t work out, just start over and try again.” Her path to the Panama competition opened unexpectedly during the 2025 CARIFESTA cultural festival, where she connected with Jose Alexander, the lead organizer of the E.D.W.A.R.D Awards. Alexander challenged the novice designer to create a full 10-piece zero-waste collection for the competition, a request that initially caught her off guard.
“I told him straight away that I’d never attended fashion school, never had any formal training in design,” Trinity recalled. “But he told me that most great designers don’t learn their craft in classrooms, and pushed me to just give it a try. Our dad has always told us to just say yes first, and work out the details later — so that’s what I did.”
Central to Trinity’s design philosophy is a commitment to unlocking creative potential from discarded and pre-loved materials, a approach that sets sustainable fashion apart from the conventional fast fashion model. “Traditional fashion requires you to source all new materials to get the look you want, but zero-waste design lets you lean into real creativity,” she said. “You take something old, something that would otherwise end up in a landfill, and transform it into something entirely new and unique. One of my favorite pieces from the collection was made from an old thrifted curtain, instead of buying four or five yards of brand-new fabric.”
Zion echoed this ethos, creating his own award-nominated accessory from upcycled cardboard, scrap fabric, and discarded bag straps. Beyond designing, Zion walked the Panama runway in one of Trinity’s most striking creations, a spaceman-inspired ensemble that he calls the highlight of his career so far. “Walking out onto that international runway, with all those eyes on you, it felt like I was on top of the world,” he said. “I felt like a star, walking in that suit. It was such a proud moment, especially knowing how many hours my sister put into building every single piece in the collection.” Trinity was quick to shut down any assumptions that her brother got the spot through family connections, noting that he earned his place on the runway through raw talent and professionalism. “It was a completely merit-based selection — no nepotism here,” she said. “I reviewed all the available models, and I chose Zion for his confident walk and natural charisma.”
The sibling pair’s work is managed by their father Corie Rose under their family-run brand Trizon Productions. Corie, who traveled to Panama to watch his children walk the international runway, says the moment left him overcome with emotion. Even with his normally calm, even-keeled demeanor, he couldn’t contain his shock and pride when the first model stepped out. “I was trying to film the show with two cameras, but my hand just dropped — I was so blown away that I stopped recording,” Corie recalled. “We’ve been working quietly on this for just over a year, and to see my kids walking that runway was just out of this world. I never expected it.”
The family-run brand already has its sights set on global expansion, with a target audience of young, eco-conscious consumers who want stylish, sustainable clothing options. Trizon Productions is already in talks with distribution partners and manufacturers to scale up production, and the brand has already earned significant international traction: the siblings have been featured in major global fashion publications, secured coveted window display spots in Parisian boutiques, and earned top honors in the prestigious Broadway Artists Alliance program.
Trinity is also exploring plans to bring a major international sustainable fashion event to her home country of Barbados, pitching a new concept of fashion tourism that would draw creators and visitors from across the globe. Following discussions with Colombian fashion industry leaders, Trinity is developing an eco-friendly showcase that leverages Barbados’ stunning natural landscapes, from its coastal shorelines to its rolling inland terrain. “Film tourism is already a big draw for the island, but fashion tourism focused on sustainable design could be the next big thing,” she explained. “We could bring in international designers, models, and fashion lovers from across the world to experience everything Barbados has to offer while celebrating zero-waste design.”
While the family has not yet released full details of their upcoming projects, they confirmed that scaling production and expanding their global reach are their top priorities right now. “We want to keep this momentum going, strike while the iron is hot, and keep building our brand,” the teen designer said. “Mass production that stays true to our sustainable values is one of our big goals, and we want to get our designs in front of audiences across the globe. You’ll just have to stay tuned to see what’s next.”