For 28-year-old Nathan Amar, the idea of wearing his favorite vintage reggae album covers has been with him ever since he was a kid.

The descendant of French Moroccan Jews who settled in San Diego in the 1970s, Amar, now the chief executive of T-shirt label Rebel Roots, grew up under the twin influences of tailors and designers on his mother’s side, and businessmen on his father’s. Music was a part of it all.

“I had a family that’s all in the clothing industry,” Amar said. “My dad had a passion for music. I just kind of put them together.”

He’s kept it all in the family, too. Amar learned the ropes of the clothing industry as a production manager for his cousins’ label, 2B Free, whose loungewear has been made famous by Paris and Nicky Hilton.

A couple of years ago, as a departure from the “negative” trends of skulls, Amar began making T-shirts for himself. One of his first commemorated the death in 2006 of Joseph Hill, singer for the legendary roots reggae group Culture.

Encouraged by positive responses from friends, Amar decided that he would pour all of his energy into “digging up” the founders of reggae, ska and rocksteady. He dubbed the company Rebel Roots.

“It’s trying to rejuvenate a positive era in music,” said Amar. “Reggae music it’s deeper than Bob Marley.”

His cousin and good friend, Conrad Adamczak, invested $100,000 in the company and became a partner. With the help of other family and friends, Amar gathered an additional $15,000 and launched the line at a trade show in December.

The shirts, which retail for $48 to $60 each, are targeted to men and women in the 18-to-mid-30s age range.

“Most of the guys that have been buying it have been fans of music,” said T.J. Lacsamana, a buyer for Fred Segal, whose initial order of the shirts has already sold out. “Many of the artists are recognizable.”

The company has yet to turn a profit, though its products are in trendsetting boutiques such as Fred Segal, Kitson and the Lounge in New York. Shops in Japan are snatching up orders.

His next step is to take Rebel Roots on the road to stores in Chicago, New York and Atlanta, among other places. In keeping with tradition, he is going solo.

“I’ve had more luck with that in the past than having a sales rep behind me,” said Amar. “I think people really like it when I show the line myself.”

He would not consider working for another company in the future, Amar said.

“If you know what you want to do, and you have the vision and the passion, you could make it happen.”

Jean Yung

Nathan Amar

, 28, Chief Executive, Rebel Roots, Silver Lake

Business: Makes T-shirts of vintage album covers and designs inspired by

reggae legends

Employees: 3

Fact: Biggest customers are in Japan

Quote: “If you’re going to do anything, you’ll have to be passionate to do it.”