Aretfact 1

With the cosmic influence of Jamaican dancehall culture, fashion has transformed into a
multidimensional lifestyle where no matter the space, one must be properly dressed in the
‘good tingz dem’. According to Maria Hitchins, lecturer in popular dance culture at the Edna
Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, dance – dancehall, specifically –
transcends the physical movement.

“It represents creativity, passion, and identity, and in relation to socio-political awareness,
the products of our imagination convey that as a people, we might not have a lot financially
but can generate worldwide movements out of the ideas,” Hitchins told The Sunday Gleaner.

The dancehall lecturer, in an effort to illuminate dancehall fashion as part of Jamaica’s global
identity, designed a stylish exhibition juxtaposed against vinyl records and party posters
called ‘Di Good Tingz Dem’ for the recent biennial Rex Nettleford Arts Conference that
occurred last Thursday, October 10, and Friday, October 11.

Fitted with pieces from the personal wardrobe of noted entertainers such as Beenie Man and
Dancehall Queen Carlene, as well as collages of images of personalities who have been
inspired by the fashion culture, like Rihanna, the exhibition showcased the broad fashion
trends and long-standing themes that have permeated Jamaica’s music history.

Rude-boy culture
From the golden era of Bob Marley, who became the first third- world megastar, and other
legends such as Gregory Isaacs and Shabba Ranks to the millennial generation of
entertainers like Lila Ike, Protoje, Popcaan, Govana, and Sevana, there is a continuum for
the dress aesthetic of reggae and dancehall across the decades. The rude-boy culture,
defined by the mesh merino, was featured prominently in the exhibition.