MERGING language with fashion Patwa Apparel creates hip and trendy Jamaican clothing emblazoned with Jamaican messages that its owners say “make the world smile”.

A contestant on NCB’s Captital Quest, clothing by this unique design house showcases popular patois expressions along with their English translations as to its clothing.

Led by CEO & Founder, Heneka Watkis-Porter, Patwa Apparel started on August 7, 2007. The desire for financial independence pushed Watkis-Porter to start her own business after serving as a Procurement Officer both at LASCO Distributors and at Port Authority of Jamaica with 10 years of experience in the field. With clothing and textiles certification at the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) level, she used her knowledge as a launching pad for this new venture.

With trademark registration in 29 countries, Patwa’s product line comprises of T-shirts, shorts, dresses, skirts and blouses, among other items of clothing. The company currently does its own screen-printing and extends its services for customised orders. Made from 100 per cent cotton and cotton blends, the product is casual, cool and comfortable, with a vibrancy that conveys the internationally recognised Jamaican brand. Excellent customer service, creativity, integrity and quality are hallmarks for Patwa Apparel.

Watkis-Porter had her “Aha!” moment while recovering from a minor operation. She was watching a morning television programme where someone was promoting their clothing line and thought that this could be an area she could pursue with success. She knew then that creating her own clothing line would become her passion.

She immediately sprang out of bed and began calling friends and colleagues for assistance to come up with an appropriate name, but nothing resonated. She was determined that it must represent Jamaica’s culture even without mentioning the word ‘Jamaica’. Two weeks later, she came up with ‘Patwa’, which speaks a lot about Jamaica and resonates with persons locally and interna-tionally. The rest is history. Patwa Apparel is now a limited liability company located at Devon House in Kingston.

In 2012, the company received the “Bold One” of Manufacturing Award from National Bakery for its commitment to ‘Brand Jamaica’. A year later, in 2013, the subsidiary 10 Fyah Side was launched which is a line of sauces and condiments and was nominated in 2014 in the Jamaica Observer Food Awards in the Best New Food item category.