The world is watching as the Caribbean’s collective superpowers unite to deliver style, music and professionalism. On December 31^st, globally recognized Jamaican dancehall artiste, Adidja Palmer- best known as Vybz Kartel, wore a signature suit, tailored to the highest standard, as he mounted the stage at his highly anticipated return concert, in Jamaica. Freedom Street, the first major concert appearance by the entertainer in 13- years, was not only a pivotal moment for the artiste, but certainly the Trinidad and Tobago menswear designer who outfitted for the occasion. 

In Trinidad, just weeks prior to the anticipated event, the dancehall artiste arrived on business. The launch of his Straight Vybz Rum, a collaborative business venture with Trinidad and Tobago’s House of Angostura led to an unexpected meeting with menswear designer, Abraham Hadeed and his team at Solomon’s Bespoke. “I received a call from the Chairman of Angostura, Terrence Bharath, on the morning after the artiste’s arrival in Trinidad,” explained Hadeed. Over the years, executives at the company, and many other corporate executives, parliamentarians and men within the legal fraternity, have turned to Solomon’s Bespoke for the suits that fit well and look even better. “They requested that Solomon’s Bespoke outfit Vybz Kartel on short notice; They didn’t have the confidence that any other design house could deliver within the short space of time.” 

For Hadeed, rising to such a challenge was not uncommon, but this time around, he knew the need for complete privacy was essential. “I closed the store for half of the day and we outfitted him with two suits. He chose the ones he wanted, we made minor tailoring adjustments, ensuring that the fit was perfect and we completed the looks with shoes and the ties he needed,” said Hadeed. 

When the Jamaican entertainer left Solomon’s Bespoke’s De Verteuil Street, Woodbrook location, Hadeed did not imagine what would happen next. “On the following day, ahead of the launch of the Straight Vybz Rum, I was contacted for two additional suits for the artiste. Needless to say, we made it happen. He got what he wanted and he was quite happy.” 

Vybz Kartel and his team, satisfied with the products’ quality, service, fit and the attention to detail, proceeded to engage Solomon’s Bespoke for the immediate future. “Because of the service he received while in Trinidad, Solomon’s Bespoke is now Vybz Kartel’s official suit designer. We did the suit he wore at his Freedom Street concert in Jamaica on New Year’s Eve and there are some exciting developments taking place internationally,” Hadeed said. 

The opportunity, derived from a simple request, is something that has generated tremendous regional and international attention to Solomon’s Bespoke. “We had over two million views on our Instagram platform after we shared the videos of the artiste’s consultation and fitting. Above everything else we’re happy to provide a service that was completely satisfactory to the client and his team,” said Hadeed. 

The Trinidad and Tobago menswear brand prides itself on supplying the highest quality suits to its clients. “Our ready-made suits are imported from Italy and Turkey and our Bespoke suits are made in Hong Kong. These are created with the finest quality fabrics,” reiterated Hadeed.  

He says the experience with Vybz Kartel has been a very pleasant one and now more than ever he looks forward to sharing his knowledge and educating young men on the importance of dressing well. 

“He was quite receptive, quite interested with what he saw and he was happy with what was going on, without interruptions from the outside.” Hadeed now anticipates dressing more young men, sharing simple details about dressing well, as someone who has been in the business for over 40 years. “What I’ve realized is that due to much misinformation, many young men really do not know what a suit is supposed to look like when fitted properly. When they come to me, I explain everything about the fit, collar, sleeves. It’s something that I enjoy doing and I think we will do an educational campaign on it, specifically targeting young men, soon.” Passionate about the work that his company does, Abraham Hadeed insists that above all else, four things are important in the business of menswear. “Fabric is important, fit is important, detailing is important and matching for the specific client is important because everything isn’t for everyone,” he shared.

With more eyes now on the Solomon’s Bespoke brand in Trinidad and Tobago, Hadeed makes it clear that while his company affords clients high end, often high-priced Bespoke suits, there are cost-effective options at his store. “People often view us as a very expensive outfit, but we do have a lot of affordable suits as well, and we custom tailor these suits to make them all look very expensive. It’s how it’s tailored and how it fits that matters most,” he explained, adding, “Being able to buy according to what you can afford and having it properly tailored to fit well, is what we do.”  

No matter where you are in the world, the Caribbean energy is guaranteed to infiltrate. These days, with the Caribbean presence popping up places you’d hardly imagine, there’s opportunity for many. Diamond Dale is an international DJ, based in the US, who’s making inroads in the music production arena. We picked his brain a bit and here’s what we learnt about him.