I&I Clothing Co. Budding clothing designer wants his Jamaican roots to shine through

BY MICAELA HOOD
mhood@MiamiHerald.com

Jason Panton took a break on the couch and gazed at the clothes hung neatly on the racks and shelves at the Miami clothing boutique, Yard -- No Place Better.

When two customers entered the store Panton quickly jumped to his feet and pointed to a new line of threads.

''This is one of my first designs,'' said the Kendall artist as he held up a women's T-shirt named ''Queen,'' which features a picture of a black woman with long black hair wearing a red, green and yellow necklace.

Panton visited the boutique, located at 153 NW 36th St., to take pictures for his summer catalogs which are displayed on his company's website.

Last month, models danced and swaggered to reggae tunes as Panton picked outfits for them to wear.

''My clothing is a reflection of my life here in Miami and Jamaica, and I reflect on things that may have happened to me and it just brings itself out,'' Panton said.

The 30-year-old said he's set high hopes for himself. He would love to make a line of clothing that Caribbean natives would be proud to wear.

''I noticed the Caribbean community didn't have a brand of clothing they could identify to and I wanted to change that,'' he said, flipping his long dreadlocks.

''Rule Your Destiny,'' the company's motto is the philosophy that drove Panton to create the clothing line I&I, now finding a home in three South Florida stores.

The designs, a whirl of colors, images and shapes, feature themes Panton said are easily identifiable to the Caribbean community.

Among the designs: ''Hummingbird,'' which shows pictures of the red, green and yellow images of the Jamaican national bird, and ''Dancehall Explosion'' has pictures of two speakers with the names of several dance moves popular in the Caribbean during the 1990s.

Panton also drew inspiration from Rastafari -- a religion common in Jamaica.

The T-shirts, some written in Amharic, show hand-drawn images of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and Jamaican civil rights leader Marcus Garvey.

Panton, who moved to Miami from Jamaica in 1984, said the idea to launch a clothing line came while he was studying art at the University of Central Florida.

After college, Panton worked as an artist and spent most of his time traveling to exhibitions in Miami, Jamaica, Fort Lauderdale and New York City.

In 2007, he decided to market his artwork on cotton instead of canvas as T-shirts.

Panton, needing a partner, contacted longtime friend, Keisha Hall, who quickly jumped onboard. Hall, whose job is to handle the financial and business development for I&I, said the clothes are funky and appeal to everyone.

''People of all colors and races approach me when I wear the clothes, they're usually curious about the art and what it means,'' she said.

Joy Haizen, owner of Yard -- No Place Better, agreed.

''They touch a nerve with our core customer because they are unique and at the same time fashion driven,'' she said.

I&I designs men's and women's apparel, T-shirts, tank tops and dresses. Prices range from $25 to $50.

I&I Clothing is being sold at Yard -- No Place Better, 153 NW 36th St. in Miami, and Reggae Wear, 943 Washington Ave., in Miami Beach.

To shop online, go to www.iandiclothingco.com.

I&I SUMMER ART WORK & LIMITED EDITION JACOB MILLER TEES

I&I Introduces our summer graphic show. We are pleased to feature this artwork and also our limited edition Jacob Miller Tees. We will feature a new Jacob design every season, so get this collectors item while it is available. SPECIAL THANKS TO T. Miller, Justin "JUSBUS" Nation, and Breanna Rae.

I&I ~RULE YOUR DESTINY~







ABOUT JACOB MILLER

At age 10, Jacob Miller knew that he would become a singer- Jacob born May 4, 1952, in the cool hills of Mandeville, central Jamaica. Was the only child of Joan Ashman and Desmond Elliot. All Miller knew of his father was that he was a singer whose stage name was Sidney Elliott. Unfortunately, Miller never had the opportunity to go to England and look for his father (as he declared he would one day do). Miller is also related to the English born singer Maxi Priest, a cousin from his absentee's father's side of the family.

When Jacob turned eight years old he was sent to live with his grandparents on Rousseau road in Kingston. While attending Melrose High School, Miller hung out at popular studios around the music capitol. Augustus Pablo, a good friend, musician and producer took Miller around to several Kingston studios. He introduced the young singer to Reggae's leading producers-" Sir" Coxsone Dodd, Joe Gibbs and King Tubby. Miller's first release, "Keep on Knocking" was recorded for Augustus Pablo. He was also greatly influenced by his relationships with the leading musicians of his time-an illustrious group that included Dennis Brown, Ken Boothe, Bob Andy, Jackie Mittoo, Carlton and the shoes, and the Heptones, to name a few. This is where and when his musical future began to unfold, until his untimely death on March 23,1980. Tragically, the car Miller was driving along Hope Road struck a pole, promptly ending his short yet promising singing career.

By this time, the 26-year old singer, songwriter and performer had won the hearts of Jamaicans with his witty social commentary and explosive stage performances. He unwittingly stirred controversy among the nation's leaders when he sang of the serious problems and tribulations within Jamaica's ghettos. His solid base of U.S. and European fans also felt the loss and were deeply saddened. Collectively, fans mourned this robust, unique individual with a distinct tenor and trademark, stuttering style.

Miller's confidence and ability-supported by a sense of humor and unhindered frankness-led him to an audition with Inner Circle on Kingston's famous Red Hills Road. This popular, emerging group had recently gone through band member changes and a replacement singer was being sought. Circle leader roger Lewis recalls that Miller had been everywhere Inner Circle had performed: "He would always come around. He was at every show bragging about what a great singer he was." Lewis had been told several times what a talent this young man was and decided to give him an audition. Lewis remembered the day Miller showed up to audition as lead singer and brought his own nine-piece band to back him up. "That was Jakes," Lewis remembers, "always happy and jovial. He always made jokes. Everyone liked Jakes." The group consisting of Roger Lewis (guitar), Ian Lewis (bass), Bernard "Touter" Harvey (keyboards) and Rasheed McKenzie (drums)-added "Jacob the jester" to it's strong line-up.

The group attached the moniker "killer" to its new lead singer and in 1976 the musical rampage began. The first song Miller recorded with Inner Circle was "Tenement Yard," a personal lament for Rastas lack of privacy in the ghettos. This song became the singer's biggest hit. The group also recorded songs that were submitted to Jamaica's Festival Song competitions. The most famous contribution, "All Night 'Till Daylight," was placed at second because the judges-it has been claimed - "didn't want dreadlocks representing Jamaica" that year.

In spite of that impudence, Miller and Inner Circle had been invited many times to perform for dignitaries and royalty at Jamaica House, the residence of then Prime Minister of Grenada, who expressed his respect for the music and Miller's lyrical messages. In fact, bishop used Miller's hit song. "Forward Ever, Backward Never," as his political campaign anthem. The two became good friends, often getting together when Bishop visited Jamaica.

Inner Circle, featuring Jacob "Killer" Miller, was signed to Capitol Records in 1977. The first album was Reggae Thing, followed by Ready for the World. Both Albums achieved international acclaim for hard-driving rhythms, outstanding arrangements and heartfelt lyrics. The group had become a force in Jamaica, taking charge musically along with Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer, Third World, Gregory Isaacs, and Peter Tosh. The famous 1978 Peace concert, held at the National Stadium in Kingston, was one of the high points of Jacob Miller and Inner Circles career. Standing side-by-side to Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, Inner Circle was hailed as the top performers for the evening.

After the memorable Peace Concert, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell approached Miller and Inner Circle to offer a recording deal. The third album, Everything is Great, was released on Island in 1979 and sold over half million copies in Europe. The title track reached the top10 in France's National Charts and No. 20 in England.

Blackwell had taken Jacob Miller and Bob Marley to Brazil to celebrate the opening of Island's new offices in South America. The Entourage returned to Jamaica on Friday, March 21, 1980. It was two days later Jacob Miller succumbed to fatal injuries on Hope Road and the celebration quickly turned to grief.

Jacob Miller was Jamaica's Reggae Soldier, and he lives on in his timeless reggae classics.