Urban Traditional Fashion Boutique–
Harlem Haberdashery
245 Lenox Avenue
(between 122nd & 123rd Street)
New York, NY MAP
Phone: (646) 707-0070
“I just love Harlem. I eat and sleep Harlem. It has such great flavor,” says Guy Wood, the owner of the new men’s boutique, Harlem Haberdashery. The store is operated as a family business specializing in selling upscale men’s and women’s clothing. Price range is from $20 to $1,000.
Now, after more than 20 years in the design business, Wood, who started 5001 Flavors with his wife Sharene, has opened his first retail location on Lenox Avenue and 122nd Street in Harlem where he grew up.
The store carries designers such as Search and Rescue, who find vintage items such as jeans and suitcases and put their own spin on the items. Other new designers include Sophistifunk from New Jersey and Poetik Designs. Wood’s son, Guy Wood Jr., also has a clothing line featured at the shop called Black Billionaire.
Biggie Smalls a.k.a. Notorious B.I.G.
I was inspired to walk in Harlem Haberdashery because of the huge mural of the shop’s logo outside of the store. I was greeted by a very hospitable young lady who told me that her father, who was in the clothing business for 20 years, started this store. I was very curious because I thought he must be somebody I know. It turned out that person was Wood, one half of the creative force of 5001 Flavors, the famous hip hop brand in early 90’s. I was the first person to introduce their signature logo T-shirts, jeans and jerseys in Japan. I brought one of the top hip hop dance teams from New York, the Elite Force, to Japan and dressed them with 5001 Flavor gear on stage. Young kids in Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, and throughout Japan fell in love with this brand new cool urban style.
Elite Force in Japan
Harlem Haberdashery opened just four months ago and quickly became a hot spot in the neighborhood with its super fashionable weekly Thursday networking party. You can just walk in. No guest list, no cover charge!
For more information about the boutique, check out their site:
http://www.harlemhaberdashery.com/#!home/mainPage
Yasuko Ito
harlem2nippon.com 