Designer seeks national status for Jamaican fabric

Driven by a passion to create fashion that reflects Jamaica’s cultural identity, Nzinga Myton has spent more than two decades working towards a singular goal: a textile that tells the nation’s story to the world.

Myton, who has spent years advancing fashion, saw her early swimwear collection pave the way for the creation of Xaymaca Textile, positioned as Jamaica’s first national cultural fabric, and is now seeing that vision take shape.

Such is her belief in the Xaymaca Textile, which she said captures the depth of Jamaica’s cultural identity, including its symbols, history and people, in a fabric that reflects the true value of a nation. She is now seeking endorsement from the Ministry of Culture and, by extension, the Government.

“I have proposed it to the Government of Jamaica for national design, and I am anticipating a favourable response, as this has to do primarily with our country, not self,” she pointed out.

“When I truly grasped the depth of Jamaica’s cultural identity, its symbols, its history, its people, I knew that we deserved a textile that told our story. Every great nation has a fabric that speaks before words do. Jamaica deserved that voice.”

Despite moments of doubt linked to her personal life, it was conviction, something deeper than confidence, that kept her going.

 “Conviction and certainty are two different things. I was always convicted, meaning I could not walk away from it,” Myton said. “I believed Jamaica deserved this, and that belief was stronger than any fear.”

According to Myton, the idea was born from a question she repeatedly asked: Wwhy does Jamaica, one of the most culturally influential nations on Eearth, not have a textile that is uniquely and unmistakably its own? She noted that Jamaica exports music, food, and spirits, but not a fabric. The setbacks, she said, were real.

“Access to resources was challenging, and navigating intellectual property processes was unfamiliar territory. As a pioneer in this space, no one had yet translated Jamaica’s motto -: Out of Many, One People-, into a textile language. That road map did not yet exist. I moved beyond those challenges by refusing to let its absence stop me. I became the road map. Jamaica is one of the Caribbean’s most visited destinations,” she stated.

How does the Xaymaca Textile fit into the tourism story?

According to Myton, the plan is multi-layered: to see the fabric woven and printed into the hospitality sector — in hotel uniforms, spa collections, resort wear and authentic Jamaican gifts. It would also feature in airport retail, cultural experiences, and in the hands of visitors seeking to take a piece of Jamaica home. The textile, she said, becomes a living souvenir.

But having formally proposed the Xaymaca Textile to the Jamaican Government for national designation, and awaiting a response, does Myton trust the process?

“I have enormous respect for the process, and I am optimistic about what those partnerships will produce. But I want to be clear about something: I did not create the Xaymaca Textile and then wait to see if the Government would validate it. I created it, filed it, protected it internationally, put it on the permanent record and then I proposed it to the Ggovernment,” she further said.

Myton is a designer, creator, founder, and humanitarian. She has worked across the fashion capitals of the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa, absorbing diverse design traditions and bringing that experience back to Jamaica. She also creates sandals, handbags, scarves, ties, belts, jewellery, and other fashion accessories, each reflecting intention and cultural meaning.

As founder and director of Nzinga Atelier Holdings Limited, a cultural creative enterprise spanning ethical fashion design, textile innovation, beauty, styling, cultural heritage, creative arts, community development, consulting, and skills training, Myton said she is building the infrastructure to move the industry forward.

“The Xaymaca Textile is Jamaica’s answer to that question in cloth. Culture is not a by-product of commerce. — Iit is its foundation. Every piece we produce, every decision we make, has been in service of elevating Jamaica’s cultural identity to its rightful place on the world stage. We are not simply a design company. We are cultural architects. Scotland has its tartan. West Africa has its kente. Xaymaca Textile is Jamaica’s answer, and it is the crown jewel of that architecture,” she concluded.

One of the main aims of the Xaymaca Textile, Myton said, is to demonstrate that Jamaica’s creative economy is a serious, investable, world-class enterprise, not only in hotels, but in markets, on the streets, and in the hands of everyday Jamaicans.

gareth.davis@gleanerjm.com

Caption: Nzinga Myton, founder and director of Nzinga Atelier Holdings Limited. 

Caption: Nzinga Myton. Contributed photos