Who? Junny Ann Hibbert, founder and creative director, JUNNY; Harlem Fashion Row Icon 360 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Award recipient

Finalist 2022 Rising Star Award (Women’s Wear) Fashion Group International WWD

Rock roots… She’s Jamaican from St Thomas, raised in Kingston by her late beloved mum Alex Melceta Johnson. “My mother was a seamstress. I have five siblings, she was a single mother, she created all our clothing. She made her patterns from the newspaper. From an early age, I created my own pieces,” says Hibbert.

She attended Mona Primary, then Campion College to fifth form; sixth form was spent at St Andrew High School for Girls, followed by The University of the West Indies, Mona, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Education.

When one door closes… Junny discovered her passion for designing after getting downsized from her sales executive position at ESPN. Her collections are described as bold, creatively exuberant and size-inclusive, drawing on the vibrancy of her Harlem and Jamaican cultural roots. Junny also shines a spotlight on not only black designers, but also women entrepreneurs who have pivoted from corporate careers in their mid-40s and beyond, to inspire those to take a leap of faith, follow their passion and unapologetically start something new.

The label breakdown… The unveiling at the recently concluded New York Fashion Week of her collection Kingston 7 YAAD takes inspiration from the music-filled, culture-rich streets of Kingston, Jamaica, the birthplace of the universally loved dancehall scene.

Kingston YAAD 7 (“YAAD”) captures the soul, strength, and sound of the rustic neighbourhoods found throughout Jamaica’s parishes like its capital city of Kingston.

“Inspiration is taken from the Jamaican music scene of the late ’70s and ’80s, rough edges and all,” says the brand’s designer Junny Hibbert. “The rhythm was formed in the ghettos; the lyrics derived from the streets. The dancehall culture embodies the struggle and the resolution of the people. Their style is composed of their joy, just as much as their pain. They appreciate all they have because they made it out of what many thought held no value.”

The inspiration… Hibbert crafted the YAAD Capsule Collection after a recent trip home to recharge after a challenging year and reconnect with family. A visit to the National Gallery of Jamaica to see the new exhibit Jamaica Jamaica was the jolt of inspiration she needed. “As I walked through the exhibit, all the memories and feelings from being on the Rock came flooding back,” she recalls. “I heard the music, I saw my people, the artists and their struggles, their joy, their pain, their pride.” The exhibit was curated by Sebastian Carayol to rave reviews in Paris, France — emphasising the global impact of dancehall culture.

From the trip and attendant emotions triggered from visiting the exhibit, Kingston 7 YAAD began to take shape, and developed into a visual representation of dancehall music: a genre that demands a freedom of acceptance and understanding — unconditionally. The collection showcases the struggles of a people, their burgeoning musicians and the sounds that pulse out of the concrete jungles. YAAD is a collective formed by the joy, the political oppression, the dreams, and hardships of a people expressed through their sounds and styles and the foundation of their pride.

Her competitive fashion advantage… “I intend to use my platform and clothing line to showcase the sights, sounds, people and colour of my neighborhood, Harlem, and my cultural heritage.

I want to be a vital part of the movement helping to bring black design and culture into the mainstream. The fabric sellers, sewers and artisans often live in the shadows. My mission is to be a voice for the culture — to shine a spotlight on those driving things forward. My clothing line is a tribute to the artists, activists, designers and key voices.”

In 2021, Hibbert debuted her first NYFW collection called MAMA which paid homage to her late mother who was a seamstress, and gave a nod to all women who embody that nurturing spirit and a strong resilience which they pass on to their children. The collection was acknowledged by the press and the industry as one that authentically represented the culture, a heritage and a point of view based on generations of women for whom clothing was as much about style as it was sustainability.

The MAMA Collection received glowing reviews from the fashion press including W Magazine, which names her as one of the top emerging talents for 2022. She is now a finalist for Fashion Group’s International’s Rising Star 2022 Award in the Women’s Wear.

“Kingston 7 YAAD represents how the music of my people has always centred on reclamation as a response to oppression,” proclaims Hibbert. “The culture is adapted by many, but few understand the music. Mento, revivalism and kumina are a few of the sounds that were crafted from the streets. The music has always formed new cultural avenues for us and is the heart of our struggle. Big up yaad culture, dancehall music. Life rough and raw but the music keeps us going.”