New Haven clothing designer credits Black Wall Street Festival for his success – NBC Connecticut

NBC Connecticut is the proud sponsor of the Black Wall Street Festival that’s set for Aug. 16 in New Haven.

The one-day festival highlights Black and Brown business owners, and helps aspiring entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.

Ahead of the event, we’re featuring businesses that have had success through the festival.

“I used to drive around the whole state of Connecticut, even tri-state area, just going to pop-up shop to pop-up shop, hosting different events, selling clothes out of my truck until I was able to gather up enough capital, save enough money, and here I am today. Went to a trunk from a storefront,” Rashaan Boyd said.

Boyd, a New Haven native, is a clothing designer. His luxury streetwear brand ‘A Hustlers Vibe’ opened on Edgewood Avenue two years ago.

“I’ve had people that I’ve met at Black Wall Street come right to my store after. Following week, an overflow of business pouring into my establishment. ‘Hey, I met you at Black Wall Street!’”

He’s learned how to cut costs, like teaching himself how to run a sewing machine instead of outsourcing that work.

“I went on YouTube, learned how to thread a sewing machine, and the rest was history.”

Making his own clothes is something Boyd said he’s been doing since he was a kid.

“I grew up in a single-parent home, times were hard, and my mom always had to put clothes on layaway,” he said. “I was thinking one day, I want these things, but my mom can’t afford them. Let me go try to press up shirt together.”

He wore that shirt to school, and got so many compliments, that he decided to make more.

“I originally started the idea with just 12 t-shirts, and 12 t-shirts sold out in one day, that turned into 12 sweat suits, and 24 sweat suits, and it just kept going up and up and up,” Boyd said. “After that, was no looking back.”

He now welcomes customers to his storefront and online store where he ships items around the world.

“I’ve had orders come as far away as Australia, South Africa, places like that. When I see orders come in, I’m like, ‘how did you guys find me?’”

A few doors down from his shop on Edgewood Avenue is where Boyd grew up. He said it’s been a full-circle moment to open up his store in this neighborhood.

“[It’s] a full circle moment where I’m actually able to pour back into the community that poured into me as a child, and just make a change. There weren’t too many people like myself, Black, brown, colored people, with businesses growing up,” Boyd said.

He credits the Black Wall Street Festival for much of his success.

“The first year I attended Black Wall Street, I was alongside 25 vendors. It was a great event, I sold out all of my products. The following year, I went back, and they moved the event to the New Haven Green. This time, I was alongside 200+ vendors and there were 2,000+ people. Not only was I able to showcase my product, my talent, and everything I worked hard for in front of thousands of people, the event itself helped me generate thousands of dollars.”

He returns year after year, and not only has it brought him customers, but its taught him how to get his shop off the ground through grants and loans.

“Not only did it put me in the position to make money, it also put me in a position to learn the things I didn’t know as a small business owner growing up here in New Haven,” he said. “A lot of people get into business about the money, not knowing that you can use other people’s money to fund your business.”

Boyd said for him, it’s not about the money.

“Every day, kids walk by, they just can’t believe this is my place. ‘You sure this is yours? How’d you get this?’ Now I have the opportunity to hire these kids, have little mentorship sessions and just provide different opportunities for them,” Boyd explained. “It’s not just about the money, it’s about the impact I have on my community. Showing kids that there’s other options, showing kids that – never let people tell you what you can’t do, show them what you can do. You have to go against the odds, beat the odds, remain humble and stay consistent.”

He encourages other business owners to attend the festival and take advantage of all it has to offer.

“To all the business owners out there, people who are trying to start a business, if you do have a small business, if you’re trying to find a way to gain that clientele, or get that thing rolling, get that spark going, Black Wall Street is the place.”

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