55|84 is a Jamaican-based fashion accessories label that designs luxury items specifically for contemporary women and men with demanding tastes and lifestyles.
Fire-engine red, ruby red, berry red...whatever you wish to call it - no other colour possesses that fiery, in-your-face quality that red is known for. It's unapologetically bold; and for many is the colour of love, passion and romance. In commerce, red is also esteemed; not only for being eye-catching (which is ultimately what any brand wants) but it's also a symbol of luxury - as is evidenced by many of the world's leading brands using this vibrant colour in their packaging and/or designs. We here at 55|84 are also having a love-affair with this sexy colour. In fact, that's all we seem to speak about in our design studio nowadays - red, red, red. So don't be surprised if you see bursts of this gorgeous colour showing up in the next collection.
So in the last post we introduced ourselves. In this post we wish to describe the brand in further detail and the ideal 55|84 customer.
55|84 designs specifically for women and men of discriminating fashion tastes and lifestyles. What does this mean you ask? Well it means we design for customers who like to acquiring the best in life. Our products, made from the best available materials including: leather, mink, silk, yarn, Swarovski crystals, among others; and using the latest and most efficient in manufacturing technology, will be aimed at providing luxury accessories for this niche clientele of stylish individuals who have a penchant for beautiful and unusual pieces.
The label is essentially broken down into two (2) design offerings: 55|84 by Lois - our lead-off line which will cater to our female audience and 55|84 by Ryo which is essentially the male arm of the brand. Using as our defining theme the hallmarks of "tradition, innovation and originality," the motivation for each of our design is to create designs that are imaginative, intelligent and truly worth collecting. Our finish highlights the intricate and sometimes unexpected play between luxury and modesty; elegance and raw talent while embracing and exploiting a Caribbean way of life.
Welcome! Bienvenue! Bienvenidos! This is our first post to and we can hardly contain our excitement. We (Terri-Lois and Ryo) are excited about this new venture on which we are about to embark together - 55|54 baby! The journey thus far hasn’t been without its share of ups and downs; and has included months of planning, research and decision making – but we wouldn’t change anything about it. We are still a few months away from our official launch but we thought it’d be interesting to keep you updated on this the final leg of the journey with a series of weekly posts. Who knows? There may even be some giveaways in the mix. But before we go any further, it's only fitting we introduce ourselves and the inspiration behind our line.
55|84 is a line of accessories started by siblings Ryo and Terri-Lois at their home in Jamaica. Inspired by their mother's creativity, tenacity and drive to providing for her family, the siblings decided to create a line in ode and appreciation of these qualities and one that showed their creativity as well. The result - 55|84; a line where tradition, innovation and creativity combine for beautiful and impressive results. The moniker 55|84, a decision by Creative Director and Designer Ryo, is actually a combination of his and his mother's birth years - both being Taureans and represents the bond that both share.
The label’s first offering - a line of organic knit bags - is Terri-Lois' contribution to the label and represents what she considers her mother's legacy to her. Innovation is represented in both these university graduates realising the business opportunities that could result from this venture.
So now that you have heard our back-story, we hope that you've come to a greater understanding of who we are, what we do, and why we do it; and again we welcome you for the ride.
