01/05/2026
While studying abroad, Brian Watler Jr. set out to find something simple, a shirt that could represent Cayman at an international festival. Surrounded by students proudly wearing pieces that reflected their countries, he realized Cayman had no equivalent that was readily accessible. That absence became the starting point of Awleh!
Brian’s first design was not the one people recognize today. He described it as unbalanced and, in his own words, “ugleh.”
Despite the favorable public response, he continued to refine it.
He reworked the Union Jack, adjusted the overall structure, and developed the design until it reached a point that felt right. Watler created the initial concept around 2013, revisited and refined the design between 2017 and 2018, and officially sold the first Cayman flag T-shirt in 2019.
: Most ideas fail early because they are judged too quickly. Brian let the idea evolve until it could stand.
Awleh! has since extended to a full suite of merch, products and collectibles.
The t-shirt represents only one layer of Watler’s broader creative practice. Alongside building Awleh, he works across performing arts, media, photography, and design, with a role at the Cayman Islands National Museum that further connects his work to cultural storytelling and preservation.
“Awleh” is rooted in a word Brian’s great grandmother used often, a variation tied to “Almighty,” woven into everyday Caymanian expression. His great grandmother was known for her connection to the land, especially her garden. Even in her later years, she remained committed to it, moving with purpose, tending to what she had planted.
Awleh! (the brand) follows the same pattern. Something planted simply, nurtured over time, shaped through care and consistency.
Brian’s journey is defined by a pattern of decisions:
• Identify what is missing
• Build the simplest version of it
• Revisit the work until it improves
• Trust your process, even if it differs from others
• Release before it feels complete
• Let the response and your standards guide the next step
That is the nature of creative work. You rarely know what something will become when you start. The value is not in predicting the outcome, but in committing to the process.
[Photos courtesy of Awleh]
Featuring: Brian Watler Jr.
Creator of Awleh!
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