Highlights 25 Fashion Brands with ‘Wear Jamaica’ Campaign
Riding on its tagline ‘Home of Authentic Jamaican Brands’, the 65-year-old government retail brand Things Jamaican™ is seeking to position local manufacturing brands within the Micro, Small & Medium-sized Enterprise (MSME) sector to become household names. With the backing of its parent company, Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Things Jamaican™ recently launched its ‘Wear Jamaica Fi Summa’ campaign highlighting 25 local fashion brands.
Manager of the JBDC’s Marketing Services Unit, Janine Fletcher-Taylor says from July to September Things Jamaican is highlighting the strength of a fashion identity that is already present in Jamaica. It also encourages enthusiasts of Jamaican fashion to shop and wear Jamaican clothing, resort wear, swimwear, menswear, jewellery, handbags, footwear, straw accessories, crochet pieces and other fashion items during one of the most culturally and socially active periods of the year.
“The campaign seeks to expose something that already exists,” she said.
Fletcher-Taylor noted that Jamaican fashion is shaped by the country’s climate, entertainment culture, lifestyle and creative expression. She said this is especially evident in resort and beachwear, which she described as “Easy, breezy, comfortable, and very much aligned with our climate and our environment.”
Things Jamaican is using this opportunity to connect local fashion with the wider Jamaican experience, and sees the campaign being staged during Jamaica’s high-energy summer period, which includes major parties, festivals, beach outings, tourism activity, and national celebrations. During this period, consumers are often making deliberate choices about how they present themselves and how they express culture, identity and national pride.
“The tourism, the fashion, the craft, everything is coming together. The entertainment, the culture. It’s one big pie of opportunity, but it works better when it is coordinated and when it is infused,” Fletcher-Taylor said.
Brand Development and Recognition
While ‘Wear Jamaica’ will create greater visibility and sales opportunities for the featured businesses, the campaign is also focused on helping consumers recognise Jamaican designers by name. Fletcher-Taylor said the long-term goal is for consumers to become more familiar with local brands, making them household names, and to confidently request Jamaican-made collections in retail spaces.
“We would want the brand to be such that persons can recall who they are and challenge retailers to retail their products and sell their products,” she said.
She added that local designers must also think beyond individual items and focus on building strong brands and collections that can compete in the wider fashion industry. “You cannot make a product and live on that product for 20 years. This is not that kind of market,” Fletcher-Taylor said.
Through its Technical Services and Marketing Services teams, the JBDC supports entrepreneurs with product development, collection development, brand positioning, storytelling, merchandising and market access. Things Jamaican, as the retail arm of the JBDC, provides a platform for local producers to introduce their products to consumers and strengthen their presence in the marketplace.
Fletcher-Taylor said local designers should view fashion not only as a creative pursuit, but as a serious economic opportunity. “Don’t just make things. Make it with a view that you have the potential to participate in a multi-billion-dollar industry,” she said.
Consumers are being encouraged to participate in the campaign by purchasing and wearing at least one locally designed item this summer. This may be a pair of earrings, a handbag, a swimsuit, a shirt, a pair of sandals, a tote, a straw hat or another Jamaican-made fashion piece.
“We’re not talking from head to toe, but if you want to do head to toe, sure,” Fletcher-Taylor said. “Whatever you choose to put on, we are challenging our consumers to wear Jamaica because there’s a global attraction to it.”
That global attraction is also being promulgated by the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce (MIIC) as it implements the National Craft Policy and urges local manufacturers to position their products for global exposure in order to become more sustainable.
The featured brands include Sha-Jay Williams, Natalee Samuels, Lannaman Gems, Merline Williams, Tyrell’s Craft, Tricia Handmade, Jewellery Essentials, Carl Willis, Yellowbird Creative, Sidcile, Dane McClean, Broadtail Design, Judith Daley, Bag & Pan Handmade, Annette McIntosh, Nigel Jones, Safari Swimwear, The Clothing Manipulator, Young Addiction, Zandreen Richards, Bridgette Dunkley, Vintage Chic, To the T and Treasure Beach Women’s Group, among others.
The public is encouraged to shop the ‘Wear Jamaica’ collection online at www.thingsjamaicanshopping.com or visit Things Jamaican™ locations at Devon House, the Norman Manley International Airport and the JBDC’s Corporate Office at 14 Camp Road. Consumers are also encouraged to follow the campaign for updates on featured brands, special offers and upcoming activations.
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