Harlem Haberdashery celebrates milestones, family success
NEW YORK - Harlem Haberdashery is celebrating 10 years of being a hot spot for hip-hop fashion. One family is behind the brands sold in the boutique.
"We call ourselves the first family of fashion," Harlem Haberdashery president and CEO Shay Wood said. "We started out the business with my husband and I and now we have my brother and the kids."
"Everyone is like a leader," added Wood's brother Kells Barnett, who launched the #TakeCareOfHarlem hashtag and initiative. "The way we collectively put our input into all our brands is as a family. No one voice is stronger or louder than the other."
Now in its tenth year, the boutique sells clothes, accessories, alcohol and alkaline water.
"We wanted to cater to people who are not celebrities but had their own red carpet moments," Wood said.
Wood and her husband, Guy, are no strangers to the red carpet. They have been styling for celebrities for 30 years, through Guy's 5001 FLAVORS clothing line.
"We definitely want people to tell a story, to create an impression of themselves that the world can identify as very distinguishable, very personalized, very customized," explained Wood.
Custom looks were on full display at the Haberdashery's Harlem Derby party over the weekend, as the family celebrated its milestones of success.
"People want to feel warm and cozy when they walk in," said style curator Ashlee Muhammad, "and so I think, you know, across the entire family, that's what we love the most about Harlem Haberdashery as a whole."
The family flavor will soon be on full display at the Fashion Institute of Technology as well. The Woods have offered up some of their iconic outfits for the upcoming "Fresh, Fly and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Style" exhibit.
"It really makes me proud because now you're part of culture, you're part of history," Wood said.
History is still being written.
You can find Harlem Haberdashery on Malcolm X Boulevard between West 122nd and 123rd Streets. The FIT exhibit featuring the family's designs opens in January 2023.
