Rohan Marley
Tuff Gong Clothing
A few months ago I was introduced to a line of clothing that I must admit I never knew existed.
Tuff Gong Clothing is the name, and the Tuff Gong himself is the inspiration behind the line.
Rohan Marley, one of the sons of the Tuff Gong, Bob Marley made his vision a reality over a year ago, with business partner and former creative designer for Levi's, Stefano Aldighieri.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Rohan via telephone last evening, while he was relaxing at his California home.
When asked how he was, his response was an easy going, "wonderful. I am fine". His warm, friendly personality came across immediately, and I was instantly at ease.
Ususally when I see a brand of clothing, I look at the design and the quality. Will I wear it? Is it worth my hard-earned dollars? That's it. Nothing else matters. That was before speaking to Rohan tonight.
Tuff Gong Clothing is much more than a brand. It's cut with care and stitched with love. Each item conveys a message.
Rohan mentions that the idea for the clothing line came about since 1997, but didn't become a reality until early 2005 when the Tuff Gong Clothing Company was established in Califormia, where it is based today.
Shilo
The first time I saw you was in Miami...you played football for the University Of Miami didn't you? What was that like?
Rohan
UM. Great experience. I met a lot of brothers, and we are still a family today. The team is like a fraternity. We still in touch.
Shilo
Do you play any other sports besides football?
Rohan
Soccer. The original football. I play basketball. All sports. I made the Harbor View team in Jamaica, but got injured.
Shilo
The last time I saw you was right here in Brooklyn with your brother Ky-Mani at The Ark. Do you usually travel to performances with your brothers?
Rohan
Whenever I have the opportunity. Yeah, I do
Shilo
Are you musically inclined as well?
Rohan
I play drums and guitar. Music moves me. I love to hear it, play it. I feel it. I have a drum set in my room. One day I'll play with my brothers. I'm forever young. I get younger and younger each day.
Shilo
I recently found out about another talent you have...designing. You have also started your own clothing line, Tuff Gong Clothing with your business partner Stefano Aldighieri. Tell us about the inspiration behind the line, and how long have you wanted to make this a reality.
Rohan
My father inspired the entire line. Also His Majesty, the best dressed in history. This is the line of kings. That's why we have suits, ties, everything. Ziggy also plays a part in Tuff Gong Clothing. Ziggy gives inspiration and ideas. The name Tuff Gong is great. It is everlasting. No matter what the crisis is.
Quality is paramount to Rohan who stresses the fact that the best Italian and Japanese fabrics are used in his line.
When asked what besides the culture inspires the Tuff Gong designs, Rohan was entusiastic in his reply.
Rohan
I am a lover of clothes in general. It is about creativity and expression. It's about bringing across a message in the clothing. Every piece comes with a message. For instance the waist-band of a pair of jeans might have the message Tek It Easy, or Get Up Stand Up...Buffalo Soldier etc on the inside. Buffalo Soldier is the cargo pants. I know fabrics now. This is my life. I have an input in everything. I go to the factories. I sit with the pattern makers. We work with people with morals, who are about the betterment of the people. People just like ourselves.
The full image of a lion is used to represent the Tuff Gong line. According to Rohan, "It's not just the [lion] head. All limbs are welcome. This is a movement. Not just a line. It's like the music...uplifting...positivity. The root of Tuff Gong Clothing is the Gong himself".
Ladies take heart, our Tuff line soon forward.
Rohan
In the Spring 07, we will have our women's line, and we will also be launching Tuff Gong Europe. We will be working on proper footwear at the right time. We are building quality. No rush.
The Tuff Gong line is now available in forty stores. Bloomingdales, Atrium, and Henry Lehr in Soho, New York. Currently the line is also available in Japan.
Tuff Gong Clothing.com is currently under construction, but will be available to accommodate all our online shopping needs soon enough.
When Rohan is not outdoors being the athlete, or working on some fabulous designs, he enjoys playing video games. John Madden football. [what a suprise] ;)
He says he watches a lot of ESPN...
Hey...the man is an athlete. Ain't nothing wrong with being a well-rounded individual.
Shilo
'Life is what you make it' is the saying.
What else can we expect from Rohan Marley in the future?
Rohan
More love and more clothes. Love is the spirit. The clothes is the flesh. Flesh has to be sheltered.
I am clothing my father's music.
The continuation...............................
News Released: August 19, 2005
Mohamed Alladin
(PRLEAP.COM)
Not a typical tee-shirt collection of licensed images, Tuff Gong Clothing may be one of the first of its kind: a well made, stylish, designer collection, where good design is more important than a trend. Tuff Gong Clothing is not designed as memorabilia for concertgoers, but the kind of clothes the people behind the label wanted to wear themselves and could not find. The collection is made of the finest quality materials and labor in both the US and the EU.
Tuff Gong Clothing is the brainchild of Rohan Marley, Bob’s son and former Football Star, and partner Stefano Aldighieri, former Creative director of 7 for All Mankind and design director for Levis Strauss & Co. The duo met through mutual friends. After realizing they share the same values and aspirations, the decision to create the collection came naturally.
The introductory collection includes men’s denim, shirts, tees, athletic wear, and outerwear. The line offers a range of styles such as “aged”, faded, and boot cut jeans, cargo pants, elbow patched, and snap button denim shirts, multi pocketed military style jackets and bombers, as well as easy-fit sweatpants and jerseys. “We wanted a timeless collection that reflects my father’s taste and style without compromising the beliefs he lived by”, says Marley. Aldighieri adds “While the inspiration is cleary vintage Marley, the execution is modern, contemporary line of high quality garments. We are more interested in Bob’s message than in the simple imagery”.
Details include the embroidered lion, and the symbolic colors of red, gold, and green, which are inconspicuously detailed throughout the collection, and used in the stitching of the garments. Jeans are broken down into three fits; easy, classic and legend. Hems are “aged” to give the look of a well-worn and comfortable pair of Jeans. Welt pockets, leather riding knee patches, and large bellow pockets further add to the vintage feel that runs throughout the collection. Unique to the jeans, rather than style numbers, Tuff Gong Clothing utilizes lyrics from Classic Marley songs such as “Sun is Shining”, "Hit me with Music”, and “Hope you like Jamming Too”, to name a few.
The collection seamlessly blends the various categories allowing the wearer to easily mix and match the tees with cargo pants, aged denim, athletic wear, or military style shirts. The color pallet for Spring 2006 is military green, faded blue, white, yellow, green, khaki, and gold. The line will be available in stores such as Atrium and Bloomingdales November 2005.
Tuff Gong Clothing is a part of the Marley Family of companies. It is the name of the record label founded by Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1965. The company was named by Bob Marley after a nickname from his youth—Bob was affectionately called “The Gong. And “Tuff” you had to be to survive in the music business in Jamaica. The company, with offices in Kingston, New York and Miami now includes a record label, recording studio, a manufacturing plant, and more.
Tuff...