By now you recognize the unmistakable logo emblazoned on the chests of reggae luminaries such as Capleton, Spragga Benz, Elephant Man and Sean Paul. If that s not enough, entertainment superstars such as Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliot, Whitney Houston and Nelly have become Cooyah enthusiasts, sending the clothing line into another stratosphere. Yes, it seems the world has discovered the so-hot-it s cool vibe of Cooyah Rootz Wear, with its profound tagline, established since life. The line, which incorporates the black, green and gold of the Jamaican flag and the Rastafarian hues red, gold and green into knits, T-shirts and urban wear, has become must-haves across the Caribbean. It s popularity has also increased by leaps and bounds in the US and London. Headquartered in Miami, Cooyah Rootz Wear has grown from its humble beginnings in New York to six stores in Jamaica, a franchise in the Cayman Islands with plans to open a flagship store in New York City.

Cooyah, the brainchild of gifted artists and visionary Homer Bair and his partner Susan Kreitman came to fruition in 1987. Bair, who began his career screen-printing T-shirts in New York, feels the tag line encapsulates his mission. The company is the realization of his dream and the fulfillment of the purpose for which he was born. Bair and Kreitman, a New York native met on a beach in Jamaica. He shared his vision with her and the seeds for Cooyah began to take root. As the business took shape, it became the embodiment of he phrase, "if you build, they will come." Bair s team grew to include several talented artists and marketing wizards who were drawn to the positive energy and worth ethic that defines Cooyah s mission. The collaborative effort of Gary Codner, Tennyson Smith and Pedro Sylvester was a stroke of fate and divine intent. Each found their niche within the company and excelled at what they did best. Bair says, "They all loved what Cooyah signified and incorporated their own positive energy and gift. They also saw the potential of the company and wanted to be a part of realizing the dream." Now the company is fully Caribbean, with a staff that includes kindred spirits from Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad.

Armed with Kreitman s business sense complimented by Bair s talent and education culled from years studying at School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of Design in New York, Cooyah was on it s way. Bair capitalized on the world s interest in and love for Jamaica and all things reggae. As yardies know, "cooyah" is patois for, "look here," "pay attention." The team set out to design clothing that would demand attention and invite the world to step into the unfolding of their dream. The colors are impactful and meaningful, while the designs depict powerful images such of Marcus Garvey, Emperor Selassie I and the Empress of Ethiopia, the conquering lion – all symbols that evoke the wonder and mystery that is an intrinsic part of Jamaica and the Rastafarian religion. Bair explains, "we create concept clothing that announces, "we live it, we sleep it, we dance to it. I always try to set higher boundaries with all our designs and I can envision the final product before it s complete."

While Bair and his team enjoyed some measure of success in New York, the real jump off happened when they moved to sizzling Miami during the height of South Beach fever. It was 1992 and everyone was on the look for out for the next hot thing. The design district was the perfect venue to showcase their designs. The new store, dubbed Decco Rasta, was an instant hit. Overpowering in concept, design and product it drew attention of many including the late fashion designer Gianni Versace and Island Records founder, Chris Blackwell. Bair remembers, "the store was a tremendous draw and did fabulously well. It put us on the map." The attention brought Cooyah international recognition and globetrotting clients.

But conquering the Jamaican market and garnering local support would prove much more difficult. Infamous for its reluctance to embrace local products in favor of foreign-made (read: American) merchandise, Jamaicans initially rejected the line. Store managers refused to carry the clothing and they were told it would never work. Bair says, "when we first marketed the line in Jamaica, it was very difficult; everybody turned us away and some people thought we were crazy." They remained unbowed by the rejection and persevered. "Susan and I along with the marketing team decided to find a cool space, develop the line as best we could and market it hardcore." A chance meeting with Capleton on a plane to Kingston put Cooyah on the local map. Bair remembers, "I was completing sketches for a design for a shirt and I introduced him to the line and he fell in love with it." The meeting proved fortuitous as other dancehall DJs joined the bandwagon, essentially becoming Cooyah ambassadors. Internationally recognition and the acceptance of dancehall artists made the line more appealing and opened the Jamaican market. "Suddenly the line was everywhere: parties, in videos and on television programs. Recently, Jude Law wore 876 shirts in the movie, "Alfie" in several scenes. From all of this, we have expanded to over three hundred clients in Jamaica. All the nos became yes."

Despite their current success and acceptance, Cooyah has experienced its share of conflict. Several years ago, Florida based Reggae Vibes demanded that Cooyah Rootz Wear refrain from using the images of the Ethiopian Emperor and/or symbols associated with the Ethiopian Crown and demanded payment of a "Rasta tax." But the conflict was averted, as Bair s commitment to the community was evident in his record of giving back to his community. "We resolved the conflict by going back to the source, which is the Ethiopian royal family. They have been paying attention to my keen work of putting the Emperor Selassie I on our shirts. In fact, we have always given back to the people and the community through various organizations. So when the family saw this we were given a free hand to do as we chose."

The Cooyah family thrives on love and unity. In lieu of the in-fighting and cutthroat competition that often mars even the best partnerships, Cooyah, Zion Rootz Wear and the Marley-owned Catch-A-Fire enjoys a professional marriage of companies that is mutually beneficial and lucrative for all parties. The concept of all three is so similar that a collaborative marketing effort was a no-brainer. Bair explains, "Marley is reggae and so are we. It s all love. Each artist is doing their thing, creating different designs and presenting it to the world and the people will make their choices. Some people will like one thing, others will like another. Simplicity is the key because it reaches the heart of the people." Homer Bair even has kind words for copycat designers such as Christian Dior whose Rasta line bags are resplendent with red, gold and green. Rather than evoking resentment, Bair takes it in stride and feels validated saying, "It s cool. This just proves what we at Cooyah knew all along – that what we have is a winner."

Yet, with the acceptance and attention, Cooyah Rootz Wear is not only defined through its clothing and bottom line. Educating the youth is of utmost importance to Bair. The company has instituted scholarship programs that assist financially challenged individuals and help them to achieve educational goals. Bair says with obvious pride, "we have seen it help many talented people and we take great pride in helping individuals meet their needs on a daily basis and at the same time educate a young mind." To supplement their education efforts, Cooyah has also created and funded the Denis Brown Scholarship program, named for the reggae legend.

So what s up next for the Cooyah crew? Homer Bair and Susan Kreitman are taking the brand to another level in a move that will encompass new product development and the launch of a denim and swimwear line. With Kreitman s flair for color and Bair s extensive experience in advertising, the new campaign will be streamlined in a way that allows the company to soar. The denim and knitwear lines we showcased later this year. The new swimwear line Susie B and Gary George will be introduced this summer - where else but dazzling, tourist-infested Ocho Rios. With plans underway to open the Flagship store in New York, Cooyah is stepping into the mainstream with sass and style. Bair is proud of the journey on which his vision has taken him. "The flagship store will be a place where people can see, feel and experience the complete Cooyah line, not just bits and pieces. The sky is the limit for where our vision will take us."

Written by: Denise Campbell

www.cooyah.com