Words by Jesse Serwer, Photos by Martei Korley
Trinidad-born, Brooklyn-based designer Joshua C. Joseph’s Rebels to Dons line makes clothes for the man with roots in the streets and goals that go way behind that. The brand’s inaugural collection (for spring/summer 2014) presents a distinct mixture of pieces suited for what Joseph calls “rebeling”: a sleeveless pullover hoodie, an embroidered tunic, a lambskin leather cap, and, in a reflection of his Caribbean roots and surroundings, a high-fashion spin on the classic mesh marina (which you can now buy in the LargeUp store).
Joseph’s next collection, he promises, will elaborate on the idea of “Dons,” with suits, ties and pocket squares, among other accessories, revealing the aspirational impulses behind the brand’s name. “Rebels is streetwear and rebeling clothing,” Joseph says. “Dons now is more [about] self realization.”
As a designer, Joseph’s roots are in custom leatherwork, a service he continues to offer in the form of tailored pieces for clients from Omar Epps to Tyler the Creator. We recently met up with Joseph at the leather shop belonging to his father, renowned cap maker and Rastafarian artist Opio Chung, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to see where Rebels to Dons began, and where it’s headed.
LargeUp: Tell us who you are, and how you got your start in fashion design?
Joshua Joseph: My name is Joshua Joseph, the owner and creator of Rebels to Dons. My first pieces came working with my dad.
LU: Who is your dad?
JJ: My dad goes by the name Opio. He’s a designer based out of Brooklyn who’s been designing for over 40 years for celebrities and local people living in New York and all around. He’s well known in the Rastafarian world.
LU: So you apprenticed under your father as a kid?
JJ: When I was 16 I came from Trinidad to New York and, after getting to meet him after all these years, his vision for me was to start doing what he’s doing. At first I didn’t understand what he was trying to get me to do. But as time passed I got to understand: He was trying to teach me the craft. From the time I made up my mind to learn the craft, that was it.
LU: And it was leather mainly you were working with?
JJ: When I started, I was messing up expensive leather. I’m sure I probably wasted over $5,000 in my dad’s workshop trying to create some nonsense, or I’d come up with an idea and think I have it but I don’t. It started with me playing with the material, trying to make little accessories. The first piece I ever made myself and designed was a leather and denim vest that came out of my dad’s workshop.
LU: I showed a Jamaican friend your father’s hats, and he asked, “Are these guys Trini?” He knew. So there’s a style of leather hatmaking in Trinidad that’s distinct from other places?
JJ: I’m not saying other people don’t take pride in what they are doing, but Trinidadian designers are very neat with their work. Hat Man from Trinidad, who lives in New York City, or Vice Versa, when they are presenting a piece it’s everything to them. That’s how we grew up: You always gotta give it your best. The versatility, too. Trinidadians are versatile people. We come from a country with a lot of different creeds and races, as you would say, but we’ve all learned how to get along. Being able to adapt and just tune into one. That’s what Trinidadians do, so that’s how the work comes out. I like the versatility. It shows what you’re capable of doing and [that] you’re actually being creative.
LU: What are some of the hallmarks of a Trini leather hat design?
JJ: You know when a Trini’s stitched something, because the stitching is just super neat. I’d have to bring two for you so you can compare and tell which one is Trini. The craft is something perfected over a time period. That’s why people like my dad have the respect that they have. They’ve been around for a long time. They overstand the craft. I have a lot of respect for Trinidadian hat designers. When you’re making hats, you’ll understand how deep this goes.
LU: What does the name Rebels to Dons mean?
JJ: The way the name came about was very simple. It came out from vibes in music. I DJed for a long time, and I never lost my passion for music. Rebels to Dons means: “I’ve been struggling all my life, and I want to do better. I want to move forward. I’m a rebel now and I’m gonna be a don one day by doing better for myself. I’ve been through stages in life where I had my hard times and I did what I had to do but now I’m in a better place by staying positive. I’m about to be a don.”
When I look back on the hood where I come from, you’re not sure of who’s going to make it out or not. 2 ways to choose from. Follow or lead. Growing up around stubborn youths and young gangsters and guys who want that lifestyle, and among the positive people as well, and seeing the difference between the mindset, I felt I could do better. I felt I can make something out of knowing the streets. Rebels to Dons originated from seeing both ways of living in Trinidad, seeing how people are living and saying, “Damn, I hope when I get older I can live like that. I hope I can take care of my family, I hope that my mind will be full of happiness.”
Rebels is streetwear and “rebeling” clothing. The grungy, all black look: That’s Rebels. “We rebelling out here.” Is what we say Dons now is more [about] self realization as you get older. you’re taking care of yourself different, you’re dressing different. So we’re talking about suits, ties, button-down shirts.
LU: Have you designed formal wear?
JJ: This is what is coming in the second collection. This is the type of things I am trying to do. Dons is different than Rebels. Dons is cuff links, [pocket] squares, straight men’s attire. I want it to be like “Hey, I got on Dons.” “What kind of suit is that?” “Dons.” People should see the level of the suit and the energy behind that suit. I want to bring it up there on that caliber for guys who are doing well in life. A man who works hard enough that he can afford to purchase something nice for himself. That’s Dons. Rebels is more the streetwear.
LU: So what would you say have you done so far?
JJ: I’ve done Rebels to Dons, I haven’t broken down the brand yet. My clothes [are a] mixture of streetwear and high-end fashion. That’s why I did a tunic. The extra-long look represents the streets, the buttons represent the formal look. We did little details and played with it and that’s the first collection. It was called “Rise of the Rebel.” The second collection now, I’m really trying to break it down, and not separate it but set the lanes for the brand. You’re going to know when you’re wearing Rebels or Dons pieces. Wherever you go, we want to represent the streets and what happens in the streets. and what we wear in the streets. I’m not just focused on New York and Trinidad, I’m trying to reach all the rebels around the world, and all the big dons around the world same way. We’re telling them “Hey, I want to highlight you guys.” Some people do things and it’s all subliminal, but there’s no messages within my brand. What you see is what you get: Very masculine men’s wear.
LU: Who do you see wearing “Dons”?
JJ: Tiger Woods. Mayweather. These guys work hard all their lives to be where they’re at. I feel like the only thing I could do for them is highlight them by making a good garment up to their standards.
LU: Who are some people wearing your clothes?
JJ: Omar Epps, Marlon Wayans, Tylor the Creator, Theophilus London, members of his band, this guy Jordan Watts. These guys shop with me. We had Joey Badass reaching out. We were in talks with Bruno Mars to do a tophat or fedora. We are getting there. It’s not the end of the dream but I’m actually living through my dream right now. I used to be in Trinidad and wish I could be with my parents and wish I had the opportunities to do everything I wanted to do in life. I’ve always looked up to the idea of doing something for myself, owning my own company, and now here I am. I’m a true example of a Rebel to a Don. I ain’t a don to have a million dollars but I’m the don to come from nothing to something, and now I own a business.
LU: What suits do you wear?
JJ: Jill Sanders and Dior. One of the designers who really inspires me is Boris Bidjan, his stuff is amazing. He’s not one of those designers people will know by name but if you Google his stuff, he truly is an influence.
LU: One thing you have in your collection is a mesh marina, which has been a staple of Caribbean men’s fashion for a long time. But that’s a basic garment you usually get on the corner. Why did you include that and what did you want to bring to the table with your version of it?
JJ: Growing up in Trinidad, that would be the most important essential to have when running through the streets. Rebeling in these streets. That is like a rebel souvenir. You gotta have that. It’s a set foundation in Trinidad or Jamaica. We’re bringing back the old days when you would wear them in the summertime as a vest or tank top. It’s been a part of the culture for a long time.
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