Words by Tami Tsansai—
Our LargeUp crew couldn’t help noticing a new phenomenon in dancehall. It seems the business bug has bitten, with a growing number of Jamaican deejays taking charge of their careers, and profiting from their individual brands via new fashion ventures. I-Octane, Mavado and Konshens are already on board with the trend, so we thought we’d give you a quick overview… pree dem nuh?
Konz 876 by Konshens
Just when we thought he was giving us his all, Konshens, who previously announced an apparel line for females called Oh-K, hits us with Konz 876—a new line of high-top (Game Changers) and low-cut sneakers (Subs, named for his own label Subkonshus Music)—for the “konfident,” we presume. After all, he did say “we don’t need VIP area, anyweh we deh a VIP,” right? Retailing at USD $129 with worldwide delivery and online ordering, things appear off to a great start for the “Do Sum’n” artist. Visit his website to check out the full line.
I-Octane Collections for Silver Factory Merch
We love how Silver Factory Merch is offering artistes, entertainers and athletes a platform to benefit from their brands, by partnering with them to create collections. I-Octane’s diverse mini-collection has something for everyone, from snapbacks and tanks, to T-shirts, tea cups, skateboards and even ashtrays! The prices are reasonable too, at USD $5-50. View them here.
Mavado’s Gullyside
The Gully God, too, has gotten into the clothing business, and his user-friendly Gullyside Shop makes it easy for his fans to get their own Mavado collectibles. Want to up your street cred? Visit his website – the exclusive source – to purchase one of his 100 percent cotton Gullyside tees which retail for USD $30-35, depending on whether you want a basic tee, or a limited-edition one. Both are branded with the Gullyside trademark, either in black print (basic) or gold (limited edition). Plus if you ‘gully shop’ just e-mail them a photograph of yourself wearing the shirt to be featured in their gallery— how cool is that?