ÁWET NEW YORK OPENS FIRST FLAGSHIP STORE FEATURING BIPOC LUXURY DESIGNERS

Áwet New York has opened its first brick-and-mortar store on Bond Street in New York City. As a continuation of the brand’s efforts to uplift black-owned businesses, and on the heels of its third anniversary, the new multi-brand shopping destination, LIVEWEAR, will feature a roster of ever-evolving BIPOC designers. The store will also provide a space for the designers to host events, panels, and art shows.

Inspired by the label’s successful 2021 partnership with Kenneth Cole, hosting a holiday pop-up featuring ten black-owned small businesses,  LIVEWEAR, will introduce a new cohort of BIPOC designers from across the globe in one location. As with all Áwet New York’s initiatives, the goal is to lighten the burden for others and uplift fellow brands while supporting each other’s goals. As such, designers will keep 100% of their sales.  The launch also aligns with Kenneth Cole’s 40th anniversary who has partnered with Áwet New York by providing the space.

“Kenneth’s ongoing commitment to social issues continues to motivate our team. We are delighted to grow our business with his purpose-driven approach to fashion as our blueprint as we embark on the opening of LIVEWEAR,” says Chief Marketing Officer, Alex St. Urbain. 

According to Áwet New York’s Founder and Creative Director, Áwet Woldegebriel, “As a new brand, we know how difficult it can be to open a brick-and-mortar store, especially in a prime location like Bond Street with excellent foot traffic and an upscale clientele. In the spirit of community, we’re so excited to introduce New York City’s first BIPOC luxury store, in which we prioritize and promote BIPOC–owned businesses.”

Participating brands include Muehleder, Busayo, Harbison, and Gogo. New brands will enter the space every month.

As part of Áwet New York’s ethos to put community first, the team tapped local artists and emerging furniture designers to create a modern and polished space that felt timeless. Helming the project is Jose Esperon, the mastermind behind the store’s visual transformation whose career spans fifteen years in architecture and interior design. Tasked with bringing life and an identity to the 2,100 square foot retail space, Jose used clean materials and muted colors so that all of the design and art pieces could stand out and merge seamlessly, creating a singular experience. Additionally, the team was intentional regarding the inventory that was chosen so that it would accentuate the correlation between different elements, allowing each creation to confidently take center stage while collectively forming a cohesive narrative.

Contemporary furniture paired with select pieces of art can be seen throughout the store. A gray concrete floor topped with various accessories contributes to the industrial aesthetic. Racks merchandised with handpicked garments provide an airy and minimal visual. The thoughtfully designed and highly curated environment offers a sense of harmony, in which the space invites guests to commune and shop.

Featured artists with works on display for this opening include Abi Polinsky, a photographer and visual artist based in NYC, and Alejandro Ibarra, a painter and sculptor whose work focuses on self-criticism. Partner furniture designers with pieces in the store include Kouros Maghsoudi, a multidisciplinary artist whose approach is steeped in an investigation of future cultures, as well as SBLME, a studio that explores natural materials and plays with proportion and scale.

Goitom Woldegebriel was a tailor who lived 30 years of his life between the war-torn countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia. When his native Eritrea gained independence, he named his son Áwet, which means victory in Tigrinya. In 1998, Áwet was forced to flee his native country, not gaining asylum in the United States until 2000. In 2020, Áwet launched his namesake brand.