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 Class and Excellence” on Saturday, June 28.
All proceeds will benefit the #TakeCareofHarlem marketing campaign. The night time’s honorees are Harlod Espinal, a six-time marathoner and Emmy-Award-winning storyteller, who will obtain the Man of the Yr award. Lady of the Yr 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 style home turned life-style model.
What have been among 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 anybody who was hungry.
Neighborhood is constructed round individuals serving to one another. I feel individuals assume assistance is like when somebody appears 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 concerning the Harlem Haberdashery model.
Harlem Haberdashery is our boutique. It’s sort of the hub for our style household. We’ve 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 broaden past style?
Barnett: I don’t assume we’ll ever cease making an attempt to broaden into different classes. That’s what all style homes do, however we’ll by no means get into one thing that we’re completely not into.
Wooden: Life-style is smart relating to style. We haven’t reached the highest of the style world, however we sort of conquered that as a lot as we will. When there is a chance that aligns, it’s sort of straightforward. The HH Bespoke Spirits had been positively straightforward. When you have got celebratory occasions the place individuals gown 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: We’ve 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 had been raised, the model, 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 a whole lot of Black galas. Galas the place you don’t really feel like a customer within the room.
What does progress and scaling appear like for the Harlem Haberdashery Model?
Barnett: We’ve such a various group in our household that we may get into classes that folks by no means even thought Black individuals would enterprise into.
Wooden: I all the time envisioned a life-style model. We only in the near past began our podcast, Household Model. We’ve numerous personalities, manufacturers, and merchandise. What we’re bringing to the desk is a bit of little bit of range and creativity, similar to a family-style meal.
Barnett: At first, we had been in search of 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 may 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 a long-lasting impression on Harlem.
Take a look at all they’ve to supply. First, take out your best and funkiest clothes to attend Harlem Haberdashery’s Opulence Gala. The occasion is going down on the Harlem Faculty of the Arts. A pre-gala rooftop social gathering will happen on Friday, June 27. BLVD Bistro may also host a fundraiser brunch on Sunday, June 29.
For information on all occasions click here.
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