Peter - daddy-to-be on top of the world

Peter Elias said he has a lot to be thankful for. Fifteen years ago, at age 22, when he decided to “become my own man” and set out on his own in the world of fashion, he hadn’t a clue of what lay ahead of him. Would there be ups, would there be downs? Would there be more ups than downs? “We all have struggles and challenges,” Peter said, the realist that he is.

When he lost his downtown Port-of-Spain fabric store to a fire in 2000, Peter was faced with finding jobs for 20 of his employees. He did. Owing more than he owned at the time, and turning that around was a tough challenge. He decided that ready-made, fashionable wear would be his focus. Peter pointed to Alison Ross, his employee who has stayed on since the birth of the business. But there were highs. His mother, Janet Sabga-Elias, has been his strength. “When I faltered in my formative years she guided me, she lifted me up... She’s a good woman, not perfect,” he said, “and she’s still there.” The framed picture of his mother shot in the 70s, a side profile in black and white, hangs above the entrance to his Ellerslie store. It’s his inspiration. His involvement in the Miss Trinidad and Tobago beauty pageants over the years has brought him overwhelming joy. Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam was icing on the cake. Beauty queens Margot Bourgeois and Arlene Peterkin attained runner-up status in their respective pageants. After “nurturing” Miss TT like a “child,” he’s throwing in the towel, at least for a while. Now resigned from the Miss TT pageant, Peter has more time on his hands for yet another “child.”

His first-born baby is due late July, early August. After ten months of wedded bliss to his wife Germaine Mouttet Elias, the couple is making final preparations to welcome their little bundle to the Elias clan. He said: “I have resigned because I wanna be a parent. The excitement and anticipation is building because of the approaching weeks.” No name has been decided upon and they’ve resolved to wait until the baby’s delivery to find out its sex. He worked out their career paths though. “If it’s a girl, she’ll be Miss 2026,” he joked. “If it’s a boy — once he’s descent and hardworking.” The pieces of the puzzle are now forming. “I just recognise that this is my main focus and real life now. This falls in line with my goals and preferences. As the time grows closer, more than anything I want is a healthy delivery for the mother and a healthy baby. That’s my wish,” said the expectant Daddy.

The newly-weds have ruled out the traditional colours pink and blue in decorating the baby’s room. It’s khaki and white. “That’s more Caribbean,” Peter said, and certainly a rarity! “The fact that I am becoming a father will make me be more clear... When I married it was about building a future.” No longer a bachelor, he has had to make adjustments. “You’re not thinking of yourself. You’re thinking of someone before you. A simple thing like calling and saying you’ll be late. I’m hoping that parenting will come natural,” he said. Good parenting, he believes, means living by example. “We both come from loving families,” he added. He summed up his wife in one word — “respect.” “I married her because of who she is. She’s dignified, classy, lady-like, lives by her word.”

Germaine and Peter were childhood friends. Germaine was a friend of his cousin who lived a stone’s throw away from his house in Woodbrook. Of course, he’s thankful to his cousin. The two vowed to never leave Trinidad. That’s a walk in the park for Peter, since here is where his heart is. He told People: “Trinidad is a beautiful place to foster a family. It keeps you closer to God. There are many aspects you’d miss if you live abroad. “Here I can serve both the richest and the poorest. People would come into the store and buy an earring for $10 and another a dress for a hundred... Trinidad is a small society and we need everybody.” That stems from his belief in the concept “six degrees of separation” — we’re all linked. All that he has achieved and the choices he has made in life, he said, was by God. “I am lucky. If I didn’t have a strong sense of self, if I didn’t have this thirst for what I do, then we may not have had these results...” However, he changed course. He said: “If I have to do it all over again I’d be a gardener. “I love gardening and landscaping, the beauty and pride. In Trinidad we have absolutely gorgeous flowers. In our garden at home we have a little bit of everything.” He would also love to go into politics. “I think I can be a good leader, and help people.” Maybe he has been influenced by his uncle Emile Elias who is one of the founding members of the Family Planning Association. Despite the ups and downs, he concluded: “The journey has been fruitful. It’s made me humble and wiser. I hope to be in the business at least 30 more years and see where that takes us.”