Fashion Fridays: Rebels to Dons’ Trini/Brooklyn Style

Words by Jesse Serwer—

Rarely does a fashion label’s name speak as much about the brand itself as Rebels to Dons. The young line, founded by Trinidad-born, Brooklyn-based Joshua C. Joseph, meets BK and T&T halfway, both in terms of its aesthetic and its highly suitable moniker.

Joseph is the son of Opio Chung, a New York City legend renowned for his custom leather caps and Rastafari-themed T-shirt designs, and he grew up working in his father’s leather shop. But he’s found his own style, at the intersection of streetwear, high fashion and Caribbean swagger.

Rebels to Dons’ Spring 2014 line incorporates leather and lambskin into five-panel hats, and also reintroduces a Caribbean classic in the mesh marina, an item closely associated with Jamaica, but beloved across the islands. A long-sleeve embroidered tunic adds a bit of regalness to the collection, a fitting touch from a designer who grew up surrounded by images of H.I.M. Haile Selassie. While Rebels to Dons was initially a menswear line, it now caters to donettes as well, with a women’s denim top (modeled above by Chantae Chanice Guy, Miss Belize World 2012) and a mesh football crop top included as well.

Look out for our interview with Joseph, who counts Omar Epps, Marlon Wayans and Theophilus London among his clients, in next week’s Fashion Fridays feature, and click through for highlights from the latest Rebels to Dons collection.