WITH National Heroes’ Day approaching on October 19, Jamaican-born film-maker, writer and actor Fernando Edwards is celebrating the country’s seven national heroes through a collection designed to carry their stories beyond the history books.

The founder of Jamroc Dept has unveiled the National Heroes Collection, a three-capsule streetwear release that places Jamaican heritage at the centre of premium fashion.

Paired with his children’s book, The Seven Lights of Jamaica, the project offers two ways of engaging with that history: Adults can wear the stories while children read them.

Born in Clarendon, Edwards traces the inspiration to the stories that surrounded him growing up and a question that emerged when he entered fashion.

“I grew up hearing the stories of our national heroes. When I moved into fashion, I saw luxury brands charging premium prices for heritage that wasn’t mine, and I asked myself why Jamaican heritage wasn’t being honored at that same level,” he told the Jamaica Observer .

His answer is a collection that treats Jamaica’s historical figures with the reverence he believes their contributions deserve.

Each capsule is anchored by a premium heavyweight T-shirt in the brand’s signature washed black, made from 430 GSM fabric.

Released in story order, the pieces are intended to unfold like chapters, moving from Garvey’s vision to the struggles and leadership that helped shape Jamaica.

The first, A Greater Tomorrow, is dedicated entirely to Marcus Garvey. An Africa graphic appears on the front, a full Garvey composition occupies the back, and the sleeves mark his lifespan, 1887 to 1940. Its themes of vision, unity and self-reliance draw on the ideas central to Garvey’s work.

Heroes of Legacy, the second capsule, brings Nanny of the Maroons, Marcus Garvey, Sam Sharpe, and Paul Bogle together in a single archival-style composition. Edwards describes the four figures as pillars of resistance, identity, freedom and legacy. On the back, the brand’s tagline, “Carry the Story Forward”, gives the artwork its continuing purpose.

The third capsule, Foundations of a Nation, honours George William Gordon, Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante through an exploration of leadership, labour, and nationhood. A restrained insignia introduces the design on the front, while the fuller visual narrative appears on the back.

Hoodies, jerseys, and sweats extend the collection’s washed-black aesthetic, but the three central pieces remain its storytelling foundation.

“The three capsules are the heart of it: Seven heroes, three chapters, one story worn forward,” he said.

With the collection newly launched, Edwards is encouraged by an early response that has been as much about personal connection as clothing.

“I’ve been getting messages and calls from people sharing how the pieces make them feel, which tells me the story is landing the way I intended,” he said.

Pre-orders are being circulated to his e-mail list as he begins building an audience for a project he hopes will reach well beyond Jamaica.

“I want the story of our heroes worn all over the world, not just in Jamaica, but across the entire Diaspora. I want a kid in London or Toronto or Brooklyn to wear one of these pieces and know exactly who Nanny of the Maroons was,” he said.

His longer-term ambition is for Jamroc Dept to become a defining heritage brand for Jamaican culture, with a presence in stores, resorts, and communities wherever Jamaicans are found.

Fashion, however, is one expression of a wider creative practice. Through his company, Irienando Productions, Edwards writes, produces and directs, maintaining the film-making identity that underpins his approach to storytelling.

His psychological thriller Rooted Betrayal is available through his distributor, FilmHub, on platforms including Fawesome, Plex and Stash TV.

The director’s cut is also available on his YouTube channel, @irienandopro.

He is currently in production on the short film HEART BEAT, which he is also developing into a feature. Alongside those screen projects, The Seven Lights of Jamaica provides a younger audience with a companion to the clothing collection’s celebration of national heritage.

For Edwards, the range of formats reflects a vision that has developed over time. He has honoured Jamaica’s heroes in earlier work, but regards this collection as his fullest expression of that commitment so far.

“The idea has always been there. I grew up on these stories in Clarendon, so in a real sense I’ve been conceptualising this my whole life,” he said.

Having reached a point where he feels his platform and craft can support that ambition, his advice is rooted in patience: “Don’t rush the vision. Let it grow with you until you’re ready to carry it properly,” he said.

The third capsule, Foundations of a Nation, honours George William Gordon, Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante

Pre-orders are being circulated to his e-mail.

A tribute to Marcus Garvey.