Catch a Fire: Bob Marley Fashion

Left, inspired by Cedella's father style, and right, inspired by her mother, Rita, and the I Threes.

After seeing Bob Marley's biopic, MARLEY (release date 4/20, natch), you'll be trying to emulate his Jamaican reggae style, much like every other rocker of the Marley era. Keith Richards first vacation estate was in Jamaica, and the influence is evident in his signature look.

Marley's oldest child, Cedella, talked via Skype about her dad's style at a Socialista event held to celebrate the release of the film. Cedella noted the musician's unaffected and natural appearance that's yeah, pretty much the ultimate of cool. She also mentioned the Jamaican crime film "The Harder They Come" as a big style influence. See the movie if you haven't, Jimmy Cliff is great, the soundtrack is classic, and the fashion is seriously bad ass! Ahem, OK, back to the other really great film, MARLEY. You are going to cry, (I did) so be sure to bring tissue. Bob Marley is one seriously accomplished and inspiring musician.

Yes, her skin is that gorgeous! 

Remember how I was raving about Cedella in the film? Well, she's impressive and charming in real life, too. CEO of Tuff Gong International, singer, author of children's books, a mom, and designer of Catch a Fire, Cedella's a great role model for young women. The photo above also nicely captures her beauty and very amiable personality.

Below and above are shots of her clothing featured at the event. Personal favorites are the bathing suits and the jackets. Find a lot it here, at ZionRootswear.com. 

I need the red satin lion jacket.

Also, here's a 34th Street holla: you can get Bob Marley T's and suits at Billabong Herald Square.

Click here for Socialista founder Midtown Girl's coverage of the event

Billabong 112 W. 34th Street just west of Broadway

MARLEY: A Film to Watch

Yes, I was the woman in the back of the screening room crying at the end of the new Bob Marley biopic, MARLEY. His daughter has a line, a truly poignant moment, at the end of the movie describing how she felt when her father died, and it is heartbreaking.

I'm betting we've all got strong associations with Bob Marley's music. My favorite Bob Marley moment involved dancing at a beach-side bar in Bali in my early twenties with what seemed like a mob of French film directors. It could have been one. Hey, I was 21 and I was in Bali.

But Bob Marley got so much radio air time (at the time he outsold them all in worldwide tours, including the Rolling Stones), that through the years his influence and message got lost in the constant rotation on the airwaves. Seeing it all on screen, however, brings it home again. He was a force to be reckoned with, as they say, and a figure of revolution. The documentary covers all this and more with rare footage, including some truly incredible performance scenes and interviews. Seeing Lee "Scratch" Perry in the studio is a treat, and that's just the beginning of the meaty musician highlights and conversations.

The truly revelatory footage for me were the interviews with the women in Bob Marley's life. This is fascinating stuff. Wife, girlfriends, family, and girlfriends (as one friend said "Bob was a handsome guy") all represent on screen and it fills out the story of the man in a way I've never read before. Some of the most honest, raw emotion in the film comes from his daughter, Cedella Marley. Bob Marley was a huge public figure, a talented musician, a highly spiritual individual, and a father and a husband. MARLEY captures it all and makes a true effort to portray the entire man.




MARLEY released in theaters and Video on Demand on April 20th