Khristina Godfrey Merchandising Ja’s urban culture
Today, The Gleaner continues its series on individuals, aged 20-29 years, who have successfully started business ventures and are experiencing steady growth. If you know someone who should be featured, email syranno.baines@gleanerjm.com.
ALOVER of times long before her own, a 22-yearold Wolmerian has found her niche at vividly portraying Jamaican culture in her merchandise.
Khristina Godfrey, holder of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Edna Manley School of the Visual and Performing Arts, founded HeavyMannaz in 2015.
“Before the manufacturing of bags, my interest was deeply entrenched in Jamaica’s history of politics and how it impacted on violence in Jamaica, which dictates the content of the bags,” Godfrey told The Gleaner:
She added: “Most graduates are faced with the infamous ‘what next’ question, which enabled me to become more innovative in developing as a young creative person while capitalising on the underdeveloped creative industry in Jamaica.
“So I began the research on numerous international and local brands to understand the marketplace and draw inspiration in creating my own brand of Jamaicanmade products. I also taught myself to sew through trial and error.”
The HeavyMannaz brand captures the graphic urban culture of some of Jamaica’s history in the 1970s and 1980s. At its core is the rebellious aesthetic of the correlation between politics and violence, through a collage of archival information. They produce timely collections of limitededition canvas bags with unique features that illustrate the narratives of this story.
The Portmore resident started HeavyMannaz in 2015 with around $200,000.
“My methodology was very much that of bootstrapping, so I used income generated from freelancing as a loan to start my business venture.”