by Kandiss Edwards
June 16, 2025
The Harlem Haberdashery’s 2025 Opulence Gala will happen June 28. All proceeds will profit the #TakeCareofHarlem marketing campaign.
An evening of grandeur is coming to Harlem. The self-proclaimed “First Vogue Household” presents “Harlem Haberdashery’s 2025 Opulence Gala: An Night of Magnificence and Excellence” on Saturday, June 28.
All proceeds will profit the #TakeCareofHarlem marketing campaign. The evening’s honorees are Harlod Espinal, a six-time marathoner and Emmy-Award-winning storyteller, who will obtain the Man of the 12 months award. Lady of the 12 months will go to Lucinda Cross, founder and CEO of Activate Your Life Inc., and Jahkeen “Jah” Washington, founding father of the Laurence B. Smith Scholarship Basis.
Members of the style household, Sharene “Shay” Wooden and Kells Barnett, spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about being numerous entrepreneurs, giving again to the neighborhood that raised them, and what’s subsequent for the Harlem Haberdashery boutique and vogue home turned way of life model.
What have been a few of the “Take Care of Harlem” initiative’s most significant successes?
Barnett: The primary official program of “Take Care of Harlem” was a “Feed 500” program the place I made lunches and fed simply the homeless, fed anyone who was hungry.
Group is constructed round individuals serving to one another. I feel individuals assume assistance is like when somebody appears to be like homeless, and I’m like, ‘NO,’ it’s anyone who wants one thing. It has since grown to toy drives, college provide drives, and a promenade drive. We’ve launched a pilot, the Faculty Bathe.
Inform the BE viewers extra in regards to the Harlem Haberdashery model.
Harlem Haberdashery is our boutique. It’s form of the hub for our vogue household. Now we have a customized clothes line, 5001 Flavors. We’ve labored with artists and entertainers for over 30 years.
The Harlem Haberdashery model has many branches, together with Bespoke Alkaline Water and HH Bespoke Spirits. What motivated you to develop past vogue?
Barnett: I don’t assume we’ll ever cease making an attempt to develop into different classes. That’s what all vogue homes do, however we’ll by no means get into one thing that we’re completely not into.
Wooden: Life-style is sensible in terms of vogue. We haven’t reached the highest of the style world, however we form of conquered that as a lot as we will. When there is a chance that aligns, it’s form of straightforward. The HH Bespoke Spirits have been positively straightforward. When you will have celebratory occasions the place individuals costume up, it’s those self same occasions the place our spirits are served, the identical factor with Bespoke Alkaline Water.
This marks the ninth annual Harlem Haberdashery Gala. What impressed the launch of the occasion?
Wooden: Now we have a social accountability. So, we needed to have a philanthropic arm. The gala is a love letter to Harlem. To pay homage to how we have been raised, the fashion, the structure. So, it actually turned a celebration with a goal.
Barnett: It’s an honor to be a Black entrepreneur in the neighborhood that raised you. (Harlem) doesn’t have lots of Black galas. Galas the place you don’t really feel like a customer within the room.
What does development and scaling appear like for the Harlem Haberdashery Model?
Barnett: Now we have such a various group in our household that we might get into classes that individuals by no means even thought Black individuals would enterprise into.
Wooden: I at all times envisioned a life-style model. We only in the near past began our podcast, Household Type. Now we have numerous personalities, manufacturers, and merchandise. What we’re bringing to the desk is a bit little bit of variety and creativity, identical to a family-style meal.
Barnett: At first, we have been searching for podcast networks. However we have now our personal videographer and manufacturing crew, and we shoot within the Harlem Haberdashery boutique. For years, we tried to get individuals to do what we might do for ourselves. We simply determined to pool our assets collectively and do it ourselves.
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Kells and Barnett are solely two entrepreneurs in a household of many. Every new enterprise strengthens its presence in enterprise and leaves an enduring impression on Harlem.
Try all they’ve to supply. First, take out your most interesting and funkiest clothes to attend Harlem Haberdashery’s Opulence Gala. The occasion is happening on the Harlem Faculty of the Arts. A pre-gala rooftop get together will happen on Friday, June 27. BLVD Bistro will even host a fundraiser brunch on Sunday, June 29.
For information on all occasions click on right here.
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