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Divas delights

BY ARETHA WELCH

Out of adversity sometimes comes great fortune, and entrepreneur Janis Greene knows this all too well.

Making herself comfortable in a slinky black ensemble as she sat on a chair in her store, Divas Delights, in St Clair, Greene smiled and almost with an air of mystery said: “God works in mysterious ways.”

She was referring to a personal disaster which occurred in her life shortly after 2001, but which she now calls a blessing in disguise.

After living comfortably in the USA for three decades, Greene’s life was disrupted when she was laid off from her job as a manager at Corning Inc (makers of fine crystals), following the economic backlash of the September 11 terrorist attacks which rocked America.

“At first it was like, what is a 50-year-old woman supposed to do? Where and how will I start over? The attacks created this large-scale disaster but many micro-tragedies emerged also. So many company cutbacks, economic downsizing, it was rather sad and scary.

“I had to do some soul-searching, re-think my comfortable life.”


Greene said she always had plans to return to T&T to live, but not quite this soon. She looked at the disaster surrounding her as a sign to return to a place that she loved, to do something that she loved. Fearing that being away from her homeland for so long might create some problems for her in readjusting, she went back to school and armed herself with a degree in business management.

For Greene, who never neglected her country of birth, but made frequent visits, the move back home proved to be not as tough as she anticipated. “When I needed somewhere to be sweet, sweet T&T was here for me,” she said.

Following her heart, she left her parents and siblings behind.

With a “good financial package” from her American employers, Greene, single with no children, and a business degree to her name, packed her stuff and returned to T&T earlier this year.

“I decided to invest in something I loved: fashion.

“I came back here, got an apartment and launched my business, Divas Delights on September 5,” she said proudly.

Greene is in the business of keeping women happy by providing an array of items which most females — and especially divas — would adore. Her store is decked with clothing, handbags, accessories for every type of woman.

“I actually do believe there is a diva in every woman. We all love to have nice things and be pampered from time to time,” she said.

Admitting she might have taken a risk by investing all her money in the new business, Greene, with a slow tilt of her head and a faraway look in her eyes, maintained her confidence.

“I know I will be successful ‘cause I am not only about the business but I have a dream to create a place where women of every shape and size, even if it’s for one night only, can feel like a real diva and that’s what Divas Delights is to me.

“My store is a little exotic haven, where a woman can douse herself in all the things that make her happy — nice chocolates, soft fabrics, pretty jewelry.”

Located at 4a Alexandra Street, Greene’s boutique is the newest hot zone for local fashionistas such as media personality Maghella Moreau, who spoke highly of Greene’s elite fashion sense when WomanWise encountered her at the store.

Greene said her fashion senses have been tingling since she was a teenager and now she has finally given in to the urge to immerse herself in everything that says “savvy, trendy or hot.” And she also plans to share it with others.

“I have always liked dressing up. It makes me feel like a different person. Maybe it’s because I don’t like the way I look. Maybe I just love to try different things. It’s open to individual interpretation, but truth is I have always loved getting dressed up.” Over the years, she said, the compliments she received when she dressed further spurred her on.

She’s been to Paris, Scotland, all over Europe, all the time training her eye on the what’s hot and the what’s not of the fashion world.

“What makes Divas Delights different from some other fashion boutiques, though, is the fact that I shop with the client in mind,” Greene said. “The feedback from my first shipment was, ‘the sizes are too small for some Trinbagonian women.’ So I adjusted the sizes that I requested in that shipment and now I carry a great range of sizes and fashions for everyone.”

The store carries well-known American brands like XOXO, Bebe and Calvin Klein, Godiva chocolates, even perfumes by Versace, Elizabeth Arden and Eternity.






Age: 50

Marital status: Single, “looking for the right man.”

Residence: Long Circular, St James

Alma Mater: St James Secondary

Siblings: A brother in Queens and a sister in North Carolina, USA.

Future plans : I am preparing my store for Christmas, getting that festive fashion and flair for my customers. Lots of silver, gold sandals, candles, picture frames, just nice stuff to get for yourself and your loved ones.

I would also like to get a bigger place for my store, so women can just come in droves to get quality items that make them happy and help them feel beautiful.

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