Long before she was a creative director, Pearl Williams was a competitor. Her journey began on the track at Gasparillo Government School, representing the Victoria constituency. This early exposure to high-level athletics culminated in her representing Trinidad and Tobago through Texaco Sports.
This athletic background served as her professional “secret weapon.” The discipline required to compete at a national level provided the mental framework for her subsequent ventures in the corporate world. Williams didn’t move directly into the arts; she first applied this competitive edge to the high-stakes sectors of insurance and international development.
Williams’ transition into the world of pageantry was marked by a revolutionary shift in focus. As one of the first Black women to produce the Miss San Fernando Beauty Pageant, she looked past the crown to see a vehicle for social infrastructure. Her objective was far from superficial: she utilized the platform to raise critical funds for underprivileged children who lacked the transportation necessary to attend school.
By leveraging the visibility of beauty competitions to secure educational access, she challenged the stereotype of the industry. She proved that “glamour” is most effective when it is put to work for the community.
Art for art’s sake is a noble pursuit, but Williams recognized that to sustain Caribbean culture, one must master the “engine” of the market. Armed with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing from Modern Business School and Standard College in Port of Spain, she transformed cultural expression into a scalable business model.
As a mass band leader and creative director, she expanded her influence across Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the wider Caribbean, and London’s renowned Notting Hill Carnival. Today, she operates Bute’s International Group, a multifaceted firm that oversees fashion design, modeling coaching, event production, and creative direction.
In an era where diversity is often treated as a trend, Williams has been a lifelong champion of the marginalized. As the founder of Miss Heritage Caribbean and the franchise owner of Miss Plus Size Universe International, she has spent decades dismantling narrow beauty standards.
For Williams, inclusivity is a continuation of a 40-year legacy of “championing” others. Her work is not about optics; it is about providing a tangible platform and a voice for those whom society has often overlooked.
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