Theophilio’s latest show invite arrived in our inbox in the form of a plane ticket-—an exciting sight being that some of us haven’t seen one in quite a while. As the much anticipated show day arrived, the 2021 CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist indeed took us on a much needed vacation to the Caribbean Islands for SS22 with an ode to “Air Jamaica”
The Jamaican-American designer behind Theophilio, Edvin Thompson, Rastafarian roots always have been a staple in his collections since launching the brand in 2016. However, he refers to his latest collection as his most indulged collection into his heritage. The collection perfectly fuses the designer’s nostalgia from his juvenile years in Jamaica while also capturing New York City’s progressive culture.
Ahead, GRAZIA chatted with the rising designer on his SS ’22 collection, and an exciting surprise coming on Monday—coincidentally the same day as the Met Gala, hmm.
Grazia: Congratulations on the show! It was definitely was a must-see this season.
Edvin Thompson: Thank you so much!
G: How does your Jamaican heritage play a role in your designs?
ET: It is the heart of how I create and how I talk about my stories. It is who I am, and I think just being from such a small island, it’s important to celebrate my heritage because you can find Jamaican all over, especially in New York.
When people left the show, I know they left feeling like, “wow, I just went to Jamaica.”
G: Yes, The storytelling was incredible: the music, the colors, and of course, the looks.
ET: Exactly, the soundtrack is actually of me saying two of my brothers and my sister’s names and even the theme of Air Jamaica, I got it because it was the first plane I flew on in 2002. It’s so meaningful and so much intention on how I tell my stories and create my clothing. I’m just so excited to be able to do this.
My official first collection was in 2016, but I’ve been making clothes for about a decade now. I was introduced to my love of fashion by my little friend group called the Cool Kids Crew. In high school is when it really kicked off for me, I was happy to find a medium where I could really talk to the world.
G: Is there something you were particularly excited about with this collection?
ET: The closing gown for sure. Being giving the stage to rise to the occasion and really looking at my brainchild, Theophilio, and realizing—this is really bigger than myself, it’s a movement. Theophilio is my family, my best friend styled my collection, my boyfriend is right there and has been super supportive through it all.
G: Anything exciting we can expect to come from the brand soon?
ET: Yes, indeed. Mondayyyy! Stay tuned.
