Rachel Williams
for Born As A RaggaMuffin
by Ano Okera

When you hear the name Raggamuffin you think of the rogue Jamaican who refuses to conform to the rigours of society's norms. In fact, being part of a rastafarian heritage, I grew up with uncles, aunts and friends that have shaped my idea of what a raggamuffin should look like. So imagine my dilema when I met these girls in charge of Fashion Line called Born As A RaggaMuffin.

I first heard about them over lunch with the Fashion Editor at Carib News, Walter Green, after Caribbean Fashion Week earlier this year. We started to talk about the designers to look out for when he mentioned them and said they were out of New York. In my own mean way, I had an internal 'laugh out loud' because it was apparent that here are some American girls who have no idea what it is like to be a bad man or girl for that matter roughing it out in Jamaica. The joke became even bigger as my curiosity planted the need to figure out how does one translate being a RaggaMuffin that into a fashion line.

The answers to my question fell into my lap a few weeks before recording some original songs with my new producer. I walked into the studio which was packed with a bunch of beautiful women, spirits and people eveyone would like to meet. Luckily for me, I was well dressed and ready. Then the devil inside smiled with glee as I was finally coming face to face with the New York Raggamuffins Zebi and Rachel Williams.

They both had chique nonchalance about their presentation and both emanated the sunny disposition of the islands. It immediately clicked during conversation that these girls are from Jamaican Parents. Though it wasn't so much about being bad girls, the lifestyle that they adopted as Caribbean people living in New York seemed to substantiate why they have branded themselves as Raggamuffins.

The Born As A RagaMuffin Line epitomizes the new young woman from day to night as she takes on big city business or play with confidence, power and a unique charm that says here I am with no apologies. The collection was conceived by Zebi Williams and her partners and as I got into the style I said yes yes yessssssss.....

I was asked to sing at a fundraising mixer the sisters staged to raise funds for the RaggaMufin Summer Camp this summer. It was at this event that I was introduced to the earings that Rachel created and I rushed over to her and said 'You are sitting on a Goldmine'.....

Rachel has been influenced primarly by the swagger of the Jamaican Culture. Though she was born in the United States, growing up in Jamaica left it's stamp on her identity. She is a true radical who is actually shy about the masterpieces that she creates. I have sat and watched in amazement while she crafted her accessories and like most artists she had no idea just how cutting edge and avant garde her work truly is.

At a recent performance at Exhibit Equality hosted Gavin Creel and Chasten Harmon at [Space On White] in Tribeca, the hit of the event was Rachel's earings. She was one of the featured artists and I stood by observing and overheard fashionistas from all walks of life marvelling at her designs. I knew I had to ask her lend some of her earings to a few of the projects I was woking on. She is without a doubt the new accessory designer to watch.