Designer Earl ‘Biggie’ Turner spices up Mouttet Mile’s ‘Dancehall Glam’

Similar to his pieces, donned since the mid-1980s by dancehall royalty, such as Grammy-winning Shabba Ranks and Miss Jamaica World contestants, Earl ‘Biggie’ Turner has proven timeless, sought by Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) as lead designer for its ‘Dancehall Glam’ theme for Mouttet Mile Weekend, December 4 to 5.

Biggie’s pieces, displayed in a racetrack photo shoot and modelled during a fashion show at Caymanas Park on Jamaica Cup Day, Monday, will be featured in a Mouttet Mile fashion lookbook, a guide for patrons who have glamorously adhered to the theme of the Caribbean’s biggest racemeet.

“Fashion has been good to me, taking me all over the world,” said Turner, now 62, one of two brothers, twins, ‘Biggie’ and ‘Little’, who rose to stardom from very humble beginnings at 14 Gem Road, off lower Maxfield Avenue, St Andrew.

Biggie primarily stitched for women, whereas Little was the ‘tailor’, specialising in men’s wear. However, things changed radically for Biggie after one of his pieces caught the eye of Pinchers, one of dancehall’s biggest sensations in the mid-1980s, ruling the airwaves and stage shows with massive hits and a long-running rivalry with fellow singer Sanchez.

“One of Pincher’s people came to me with a polyester material for me to make a piece for him. He didn’t come himself. I made the piece and sent it back. Within hours, Pinchers rode up to my shop on his big bike and asked me to show him some of my clothes.

“My shop was also my house, so when I pulled the curtain, you know, ghetto closet, he took out four of my suits, clothes that I had already worn, and bought them on the spot,” said Biggie, reminiscing further, “from that there was no turning back”.

Pinchers, who shared Best New Artiste with the late Lieutenant Stitchie at Rockers Awards 1987, was managed by Isiah Laing, promoter of Sting, one of dancehall’s most iconic stage shows.

Biggie became Pinchers’ designer and stylist, an award-winning combination that quickly gained the attention of Shabba Ranks’ management team.

“All those Shabba Ranks videos, Trailer Load, House Call and Mr Lover Man, his arrival by helicopter at Sunsplash, he was wearing my designs,” Biggie shared, hilariously recalling that there was a big clash of the era’s top singers —Pinchers, Sanchez and Courtney Melody — at which the trio were wearing his designs.

“The clash started before the stage show. They were each saying, ‘mek sure my suit badda dan fi him own’, Biggie recalled, adding, “I had a distinctive look for each persona because they were singers with different styles.”

Biggie’s designs not only took him from Gem Road to shows in Germany, England, Belgium, Brazil and Italy; the man once dubbed the ‘Denim King’ also lectured at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

“There is something between me and denim. It is a universal fabric; everybody owns denim pieces,” he pointed out.

Biggie hopes some of dancehall’s current acts will take fashion cues from the legends who preceded them.

“The music still has its energy and following, plus the money is bigger, but the presentation has fallen off, big stars going onstage holding up their pants with one hand. Being properly presented completes your performance,” he advised.

Biggie has since tapered down to “smaller but more exclusive” boutique shows such as SVREL’s fashion show at Caymanas Park.

“This is a very good initiative, working with SVREL,” he said. “I don’t want people to believe it is all about the money. I always say if the money is up, call me. If it is down, still call. Everything has a budget.”

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com