Party with Cooyah!
Celebrate music, fashion, art this Saturday
THE Cooyah line of epic graphic T-shirts has been associated with music, fashion, and art since it entered the market almost 37 years ago.
Two years ago, the brand experienced a resurgence locally and during that period two retail stores came into being to supply the growing demand locally and in tourist areas such as Montego Bay.
Come Saturday, April 20, the brand will commemorate its second anniversary of its rebirth locally, with the staging of 4.20 Cooyah, dubbed as an anniversary party, featuring fashion, music and art.
It takes place at Kaya, 82 Lady Musgrave Road in New Kingston.
“Relaunching the brand is a significant milestone in the company’s history”, Gary George, partner and CMO of Cooyah, who is also the CEO of KEMET, the company responsible for Cooyah’s resurgence, disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer Splash on Wednesday.
“Cooyah was created by Homer Blair in 1987. He was the creative director for Peter Tosh and the artistic visionary who decided to create wearable art for Jamaicans. I joined the company as Head of Marketing, growing the brand to the heights of the early 2000s as part of the Brand Jamaica wave,” George shared.
He said the brand and its customer base have both evolved over the years.
“We now have polos, swimwear, denim and bomber jackets, a resort line for both men and women, accessories, including hats and bags. We are also the official distributor for reggae artiste Anthony B’s merchandise,” said George.
He added: “Cooyah’s connection with the music industry is symbiotic in that we feed off music by way of inspiration and, in turn, the industry benefits from our creativity representing this same lifestyle with clothing that is emblematic of our culture in style. We have had successful merchandise and distribution deals with the Marleys and Peter Tosh’s estates in the past, and are currently working with the Dennis Brown estate and a slew of other artistes. Cooyah clothing has been featured in endless music videos and photo shoots by recognised and up-and-coming artistes.”
Saturday’s event will be a celebration for the brand.
“It’s a party, simply put. We’re inviting our customers to come out and party with us. We’ll have music by DJ Bambino, Renaissance, DJ Steamaz, DJ Anash, and curated sets by Iset Sankofa, who offers a cool new age sound,” George noted.
Cooyah will also have its pop-up shop on the night and patrons will be able to party and shop.
Said George: “Carl Dennis and Simone G, stunning artists, will have a display of their pieces on showcase in the area that we’re calling The Art Boxes.”