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James Hackett is a graphic designer, illustrator and university instructor with a very keen eye for fashion. Over the last few years, he has focused on building his brand, Lush Kingdom, which showcases attractive, bright fabric and prints that can be used on wearable, functional items like shoes, handbags, swimsuits, and even home décor accents. When one sees a Lush Kingdom print, one immediately thinks of the Caribbean and the many beautiful aspects of our flora, fauna, our people and our history. James’ prints are mood lifters and can immediately turn that frown into a smile. How did the little boy from Belmont who loved football, fall deeply in love with art and design? Here is his journey from working in local print media to having his designs and work featured in Vogue magazine.

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As a child, I didn’t have many material possessions. I grew up in a simple home with two parents – mom was a maid and baker and my father worked in the shipping sector. To pass the free time, I played football with friends on afternoons and weekends. But, after being introduced to art by my brother, I started to spend all my free time and energy on art. At Trinity College, I pursued art and quickly became immersed in a wonderful world of art, design, comics, anime and carnival. My time there, was a great experience which allowed my passion and ideas to flourish, even at such a young age.

This world that I created seemed to me, like the ideal place to be.  In this world, I was able to do all the things that I loved. As I delved deeper, I was certain that I wanted a career in the creative field. It was one of the few things that I was sure about. My secondary school art teacher was instrumental in encouraging me to continue pursuing art and the many elements associated with it.

After leaving secondary school and studying Graphic Design at John Donaldson Technical Institute (now The University of Trinidad and Tobago-UTT), I worked in print media as a graphic designer and illustrator. There, I was able to incorporate anime and comics into my work and create pieces that received positive feedback. My involvement in the VOX magazine in the Express newspaper also gave me more exposure and allowed me to introduce anime and comics to mainstream media. To me, I was simply doing what I loved and expressing myself in the way I knew how to.

While I was actively working and navigating the creative world, I often struggled a bit to figure out if I could have a positive career from art and illustration. Yes, having formal exposure to graphic design, allowed me to do commercial projects and work in mainstream media which ultimately allowed me to earn a living but, I felt that I still needed to advance my career and further my passions.

The same concerns I had about practising art as a formal career, were also expressed by my mother, who was worried whether I would be able to support myself. In the early years, my father was not in favour of me pursuing a creative career path. He came around eventually.

In my late 20s, I began a degree in Fashion Design at UTT which provided me with the theory and formal knowledge to enhance my creative ideas and interests. In 2012, I launched Lush Kingdom, which honestly was conceived one day as I was staring at the beauty of the Northern Range. At that moment, I was overcome with gratitude: I was grateful for life. This is why, through Lush Kingdom, I focus on designing prints and fabrics which depict the lushness and beauty of the Caribbean.

I have been lucky to be able to get paid for doing what I love. My accomplishments have been possible due to my positive circle of friends and a wider community of artists and associates that gave me a great boost in those earlier stages. My friends and associates also help keep me at bay, especially since I have been known to be more of a Ronin since my late 20s.

While I have my circle of supporters, I don’t think that there are sufficient role models and mentors for young people. This is an area that I have been thinking about for a while. I think there is more that I can do to help others and I intend to place this as a high priority in the upcoming year.

Throughout my career, I have tried and failed at several things but I kept trying and learning and growing. For those coming up, I would say simply to network, collaborate and stay creatively curious.

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James recently designed the shoes used in two sections of The Lost Tribe and has worked with NY-based fashion designer FeNoel who used his prints to design a piece which was featured in Vogue magazine. In addition to being very active on the main social platforms, Lush Kingdom has a  website which features all the ‘lushful’ prints which are available. Check them out and be inspired by James’ verdant kingdom.