Mario Davis, a 24 year-old college student, born and bred in Portmore city, a slender, well – dressed man, doesn’t look a day over nineteen, which is probably what he will say when you, like most other people doubt his actual age. You might even mistake him for a model, as he certainly possess the striking looks and an air about him to make you stand up and notice, but since he “never grew past 5’ 8” as he jokingly told us, he now uses his sister as a muse for his designs.
Mario (Ryo’) is our next up-and-coming fashion designer and stylist, and you best believe it… him a go hard! We had a chance to chat with him about his much anticipated cabana.boy (not yet released) line and we were much impressed… of course you can always count on us to bowl you over too but its only fair to give you a little background on our latest fashion star before we get into our chit-chat with him.
Ryo’ has big plans for cabana.boy, but don’t get too excited… he plans to unleash his line only after being trained as a fashion designer, so for now he is quite content with honing his craft by custom-designing pieces for interested persons as he is “too impatient to sew”. He has always had a knack for the artsy things so fashion basically found him through his sister who models, when he styled her for a shoot some years ago. He also believes that a man of his stature “runs the risk of looking starved” by wearing baggy or badly laundered clothes so he always has to ensure that his look is effortless, yet on point.
Being uber fashionable and all, he admires some of the classics like James Dean, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Twiggy, Dihann Carroll and Harry Belafonte so after making a dress for his sister, styling her for a shoot and getting countless compliments on his own style it was like, voila! Fashion!
Nothing “pretentious” please, Ryo always strives to create only “intelligent designs” that are unique and combines whim with practicality, like a piece he is currently working on called “Bow Peep”. With a mantra like that, it’s no wonder that he was the creative director for new UK-based COMPLEXD magazine in April but you know what… we’ll just let him take it from here.
Popstyle: Ever styled anyone famous?
Ryo: Pulse Models Oreintha Russell and Racquel Jones wore my outfits to a Pulse CFW after-party in June. Does that count? Lol
Popstyle: Which designer/model/ other public figure would you like to work with?
Ryo: D’Angel – She has legs for days!!!
Alaine – I love her but I think she’d do well with a makeover…I would also love to work with Reshima Hemmings. She’s been one of my favourite models for sometime now.
Which local designer do you admire?
Ryo: I love SIIM (Simone Clarke) and RDH (Robert Hall). I love their technical approach to designing. They seem to be able to analyze a garment and that’s what I love about designing. I also like that clothing can sometimes be considered as sculptural art.
Popstyle: What would you say is essential to a woman’s wardrobe?
Ryo: Well made shoes and a little black dress.
Popstyle: What do you think all men should have in their closet?
Ryo: Well tailored dress pants, leather shoes and a tailored shirt.
Popstyle: What crucial advice do you give to your friends and the people you work with?
Ryo: Make it truthful. Make sure there’s honesty in what you do. I hate pretenses. One of my favourite words is pretentious. I don’t do things for show. I make sure it pleases me before I think about it pleasing anyone else. So many times when designing I ask myself, “is this too pretentious?’.
Popstyle: What do you think will be poppin’ on the fashion scene next year?
Ryo: Well since Jamaica is one year behind. I think Maxi dresses are not done yet. Also those MC Hammer/Aladdin pants. I see them being the next big thing. Also one shoulder dresses. By the way I am making a few of those. Hehehehehe
Popstyle: Where does your inspiration come from?
Ryo: Everywhere. I get inspired by everything around me.
Popstyle: What is the first piece you designed?
Ryo: I have been drawing since forever. But the first piece that I got made was a black dress for my sister to wear to our annual candle lighting ceremony while we were students at Ardenne High.
Popstyle: What bothers you the most about the way Jamaicans dress?
Ryo: Many Jamaicans are afraid of looking different. They’d rather blend in (to the point of looking tacky) as opposed to formulating their own personal style or wearing clothes that fit well.
Popstyle: Where do you usually look for fashion tips and styling ideas?
Ryo: The internet, music videos, people around me etc. Most of my themes though actually spring from my head. I like to think of storylines when creating so most of my designs do tend to tell a story.
Popstyle: Which local or international celebrity would you say shares your sense of style?
Ryo: Hmm. I’m not even sure. If you’re talking designers I’d say Balenciaga. I love their structured/tailored approach to designing. I also love the simplicity of Kenneth Cole and how he uses words in his advertising. I love the sexiness of D&G. Their ads are always sexual. I would say I share those elements with all 3 of these designers. Celebrity wise…….the Beckhams come to mind and I don’t even know why.
Popstyle: Tell us about your clothing line… what makes them so different from the rest?
Ryo: Hahahaha. I like to think of my line as “intelligent designing”. I don’t do something because it’s trendy or everyone is wearing it. For me it has to make sense. It has to be practical so I must be able to explain the reason why I did it. I also like to add a little bit of whim to my designs. So from me you’ll get that perfect blend of whimsy and practical. I consider my designs to be unique and very detailed.
Popstyle: So what is up next for Ryo… the man, and Ryo the designer?
Ryo: Well I have to first complete my B.A. Degree. I’m currently doing Linguistics degree with a minor in French. After that, I intend to do another 2-3 years at fashion designing school. I believe it’s important for me to learn the craft. So I’m currently scouting schools both here and abroad. For Ryo the designer, the next step is the website. The site will have constant updates as well as pre-collection or pre-launch pieces that will be available on a limited basis. Even though I don’t intend to fully launch until 2010, I believe that the site will help to keep me visible to my fans and to the public.
What more is there to say, Ryo is clearly out to set new trends in fashion and we are right there with him… look out for his cabana.boy line when he does decide to drop it, we will certainly be getting the scoop!
