You would never know from looking at it from the outside, but Harlem Haberdashery is only two-years-old. That’s probably because the shop’s married co-owners, Guy and Shay Wood, have been designing clothing for more than 20 years. With a plethora of celebrity names to their résumé, their custom clothing label, 5001 Flavors has also been often talked about in New York fashion circles.
As they have expanded their family-run business to include a ready-to-wear line, a showcase for local designers, and an impressive events list, it’s hard to call Harlem Haberdashery a budding, young success story. If you aren’t familiar with this Lenox Avenue boutique that draws from its neighborhood’s strongly fashionable history, don’t fret, we will break down the 10 things you didn’t know about New York’s Harlem Haberdashery. Enjoy!
Photo: Harlem Haberdashery
Harlem’s Style Mavens
The brick and mortar building is home to the undeniably cool aesthetic of Harlem. Guy and Shay Wood characterize that Harlem’s fashion sense stems from confidence, uniqueness, and the ability to always look their best.
5001 Flavors
If you have a hankering for something different or just have an idea, Harlem Haberdashery excels at creating original one-offs that set anyone apart from their contemporaries.
A Woman’s Worth
The Lenox Avenue establishment is known for catering to the wiles of its female customers. As a “go-to-destination” for all things womenswear, Harlem Haberdashery creates tailor-made dresses for the woman on the move.
Fit For A King
In making its name in New York fashion circles, Harlem Haberdashery mined core relationships with influential people in the hip-hop community. Most notably, they dressed and created clothes for the Notorious One, Christopher Wallace.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
In addition to B.I.G., Harlem Haberdashery also services Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, who reportedly comes to the shop in a Rolls Royce and a large entourage.
Inspired By The Past
Guy Wood’s signature style is reflected in the pieces he creates for Harlem Haberdashery. Those trends stemmed from the early 1930s in Harlem where you would see legends like Joe Louis dressed to the nines, and “always fly.”
It’s Gonna Be A Party, Y’all
As is customary in New York circles, small businesses would put together events meant to build the relationships among the working staff. In Harlem Haberdashery’s case, those family gatherings would turn into networking opportunities for the entire neighborhood.
LeBron James Does Euro
With the NBA Finals getting started, an interesting revelation was made by the good folks at Harlem Haberdashery. It seems that they not only help to dress the game’s best player, LeBron James, but that the “King” enjoys a Euro-cut over American.
Tickle Me Fashionable
The charismatic crew also offered details on dressing another royal entertainer – Elmo from Sesame Street. “We had to wear white gloves before even touching him,” Guy recalls.
It’s All About Family
At the end of the day, the Harlem, New York boutique is a family business run by the husband and wife duo of Guy and Shay Wood. Shay’s brother Kells, the couple’s sons Guy Jr., Louis Jr., and daughter Brittney are all involved, with Guy acting as creative designer and Shay as administrator.
What else do you know about Harlem Haberdashery? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!