Written By Simone Smith
“How one woman’s passion reshaped beauty, style, and self-worth—one hat, one heart, and one bold step at a time.”
It began not with fabric, or thread, but with a question: What if beauty didn’t need permission?
In a world obsessed with perfection and profit, our Woman Empowered, the visionary behind Château Neuf, chose a different path. Today, her name is whispered in fashion circles from Toronto to Paris, but her journey didn’t start with glitz. It started with grit.
Before she built a brand that draped crowns on queens, she was simply a woman navigating the sharp edges of society’s expectations, and like many women, she learned to stitch confidence where the world tried to unravel her. Her answer to adversity? Creation. Her rebellion? Elegance with a purpose.
Château Neuf is a love letter to women who have been told they are too much, not enough, or somehow in between. With every handcrafted accessory, Navern sends a message: “You are enough, exactly as you are.”
What does it take to make beauty revolutionary?
The path wasn’t easy. Building a luxury brand with a conscience in a fast-fashion world was like swimming upstream. She faced the noise of doubt, the weight of expectations, and the silence that often greets women entrepreneurs, especially those of colour. Yet, she pressed forward, choosing integrity over shortcuts and sustainability over trends. She worked with youth, educated communities, and forged partnerships with fair-wage organizations, proving that fashion can be fierce and ethical.
In 2022, her efforts were recognized when Château Neuf won the Creative Star Award. A year later, they were nominated for Environmental Sustainability by the Brampton Board of Trade testaments to a mission much larger than aesthetics.
Our Woman Empowered work transcends runways. When Château Neuf joined global efforts supporting women in Iran and collaborated with @6IXAcademy’s ARTivism project, the brand stepped fully into its power: fashion not just as adornment, but activism. From pop-ups at Brampton City Hall to African Fashion Week in Montréal, from styling Tracy Moore to launching couture collections on Toronto’s Golden Runway Tour, Château Neuf became a platform.
So, ask yourself: “If you had to choose between conformity and authenticity, what would you wear?” For our Woman Empowered, the answer has always been bold, unapologetic self-expression.
The pinnacle of her journey (so far)? Being selected to host the World Hat Walk for Brampton as part of London Hat Week 2025. A moment of global recognition, yes, but also a deeply symbolic one, because hats, like confidence, must be worn with intention, and no one wears them quite like her.
Yet, the real triumph isn’t in awards, or magazine spreads (though there have been many—Moevir Paris, Shuba, Women Empowerment Awards, to name a few). It’s in the quiet moments: a teenage girl learning about sustainability and seeing herself in our Woman Empowered (which is why we do this). A woman discovering that she, too, can be soft and powerful, stylish and sustainable. That her worth doesn’t hinge on the world’s mirror.
The Toronto Caribbean Newspaper is proud to present our Woman Empowered Feature, Navern Nash Longshaw.
“It started with me fashioning myself…”
“I was born in Jamaica and migrated at age 10 to Canada. My mom was already here, and she brought me to Canada with my younger siblings,” Navern shares with me. “It was challenging; we had to adjust to the weather, the food, and the culture. Our daily activities changed; in Jamaica you say good morning, but here, if you did that, people looked at you strangely.”
“Growing up, being an artist, or any type of creative wasn’t encouraged. Your parents told you to go find a job. I did that, but beneath it all was something that continued to call to me. It started with me fashioning myself. I was always my own person, so even though my art wasn’t encouraged, I always migrated back. I would style my children, and my home the way that I wanted, and as my children got older, then I started styling myself more.”
“I remember I had to go to the Black Business Expo, and I wanted to see people’s reaction, so I made four sets of earrings. People took notice right away and began to encourage me to start my own business.”
“Empowering women to me is about helping other women feel good about themselves. When I started the business, I saw that it was a great way for women to express themselves. Sometimes my husband asks, ‘Who do you think is going to buy this? Do you think you are in Paris?’ Navern shares with me chuckling.
“If I can help one woman see themselves in a different light, I know that I am serving my purpose. A woman has the potential to be more; it is about liberation. Many women feel set in a role. When you know yourself, express yourself, it is powerful. I own my own identity, and this is why I do what I do. I think women could give back if they were able to express themselves.”
“Every woman is special, and that person doesn’t have to have a social status. Every woman is beautiful. Every woman is my idol.”
“What has been a challenge for you Navern,” I asked.
“One of the biggest challenges is finding time for myself. I get very caught up with what I do. Everything has to be perfect, and this can be time consuming. I pay attention to detail, and that can be a blessing and a curse.”
I always ask my Women Empowered Features about how they would encourage young women in this day and age.
“I would tell a young fashionista to run with it. Don’t get distracted by what other people are doing. Stay focused on what is in front of you. Don’t lose sight of your vision and don’t look back.”
“I always put God first. Sometimes we want to give ourselves all the praise, but if it wasn’t for God, I could not do it. I do this every time I can, because I am who I am because of him.”
Navern’ story is one of resistance and reimagination. It’s a challenge to the industry and an invitation to all of us: What if we built beauty from the inside out?
Navern continues to design, educate, and uplift proving that true luxury lies in purpose. Her legacy is still unfolding, hat by hat, story by story, woman by woman. To every girl who’s ever doubted herself, Navern has only one message: “You are bold. You are fierce. You are enough. Wear that!”
