The Rise of RepJa
Published:Monday | June 17, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Krysta Anderson, Gleaner Writer
RepJa has spent many years building their dynasty from the ground up. Authentically showcasing Jamaica and its culture in their unique designs, the company has made an indelible mark on both the local and international fashion industry. The creative band of three, Omar Thomas, Andre Allen and Prince Graham representing team RepJa sat down with the Flair to speak about their professional journey thus far.
Random Move
Their career came into being quite randomly at the end of 2007, according to Graham, who took us down the company's memory lane. He explained, "We were watching a dancehall music video, and we thought to ourselves, 'Wouldn't it be cool if we could put that image on the actual dance our shirts?' So we decided to do it, just for fun. Everything else after that happened by sheer luck."
The trio, all from Jamaica, migrated to the States, but stayed true to their roots. It was in upholding their principle that the name RepJa was born, Representing Jamaica in their lifestyle, that is, their clothing. Their concept was random and so, too, was their name. The brand, a lifestyle brand, is all about what is going on in Jamaican music and culture. Most designs are random influences of American designers fused with the Jamaican street culture, "We didn't like the generic red, green and gold Rasta colours, and we certainly didn't like the bad quality of Jamaican shirts being produced by other local designers. We wanted to capture the diversity of Jamaica, so we brought that out in the design concepts, as well as bringing top of the line quality to the table," the representatives asserted.
Local celebs endorsing the RepJa brand include Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Konshens, Mr Lex, Gyptian, Shaggy, Charlie Blacks, ZJ Liquid, I-Octane, Bunji Garlin, Wiz Khalifa, Mya and Chris Brown, among others.
RepJa, the Caribbean lifestyle street wear, can be contacted at www.repja.com or on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook with the handle @repja.com for more information.