Ki Mele’m! Have you ever said that to someone? To friends, perhaps? Family members? Parents? (If after saying it to that third category you are still alive and well, and able to read this, congratulations). Now, you can express your lack of caring and extreme nonchalance in the form of a tee brought to you by Valerie Jean-Charles. Jean-Charles is a writer, and thinking head, and this is her first venture into fashion.
Kreyolicious: At which point in your life did you realize that tee shirts had the purpose of not only making fashion statements, but cultural statements as well?
I’ve realized how powerful t-shirts can be in the last two years. I’ve watched how movements have used them to get a message across, to make a funny statement or to just bridge a group of people together with a shared interest.
Kreyolicious: So, one day, you were sitting in your room, and you thought of doing this tee-shirt line?
Well, the idea for the line came from Twitter. I saw a picture of President Martelly during his Sweet Mickey days, with tees emblazoned with “I don’t care”, and tweeted that I would love a shirt that says that in Kreyol. A friend who follows me agreed, and then another one did—so I got to work.
Kreyolicious: Were you always conscious of Haitian culture? I ask, because I know sometimes it comes in waves, it’s on and off, or sometimes it happens after high school.
I can honestly say that I have always been proud and conscious of my culture. As the Emeline Michel song says, wherever I go I carry my flag with me. But I do notice with a lot of my peers, they are becoming more open and more welcoming to being Haitian and learning of who they are and where they come from. It’s very endearing to witness and I hope that somehow this t-shirt can tap into that desire to be in touch with their heritage.
Kreyolicious: Is it safe to say that Ki Mele’m is one of your favorite sayings in Creole?
It truly truly is! Haitians are a very expressive group and even when we’re saying, “I don’t care”, we say it with such conviction and passion. It’s something my friends and I have always laughed at and enjoyed saying in jest.
Kreyolicious: Something tells me that is the beginning of something greater. What should we expect from you?
Well, I certainly hope to keep creating such t-shirts for us in the community to unite ourselves together in fun. I feel that having such a shirt in our own language will allow us to proudly be out as Haitians while keeping a secret via the words printed on the shirt.
Kreyolicious: Do you have any styling suggestions for those who purchase the tees?
Wear it as you wish. I cannot wait to see how the purchasers make the shirt their own!
Don’t keep Val wondering! Get your Ki Mele’m tee today and make it your own. CLICK HERE.
