Spotlight on Black independent retailers: The Narativ x Brooklyn Kettle

There’s space in the fashion world for everyone, including independent boutiques. But what does it take to launch your own shop? And what is the experience of being a Black entrepreneur in an industry that hasn’t always been supportive of Black creatives?

There is so much to learn from Black independent retailers, not just about retail, but about building a loyal community by creating space and opportunity for others. This series is dedicated to highlighting their stories, and learning why they do what they do.

Founded in 2017, The Narativ House x Brooklyn Kettle serves as a platform for global designers and artisans to be seen, valued and heard. Located at 385 Tompkins Ave, Brooklyn, NY, the space stocks a curation of ethically sourced artisan brands and goods from around the world, known by The Narativ team as “The Narrators”.

Prior to launch, its co-founders, husband-and-wife duo Farai Simoyi and Ayo Agbede operated two different stores. Simoyi sold fashion through The Narativ and Agbede ran Brooklyn Kettle. When Simoyi’s business partner exited during the pandemic, she and her husband decided to combine their spaces, establishing The Narativ x Brooklyn Kettle, a coffee shop with a retail twist. FashionUnited spoke with Simoyi and Agbede to talk about their journey, sourcing process, and what it means to be a pillar of the Brooklyn community.

What sparked the idea to create The Narativ?

Farai Simoyi: The Narativ started in 2017. I had been working in the industry for about 12 years at that point, mostly with celebrity brands, so designing Beyoncé’s line House of Deréon, the Rocawear line with Jay-Z, the Nicki Minaj collection, and I was pulling in millions and millions of dollars for these companies. I said to myself, ‘I want to start my own business,’ because I saw how hard it is if you’re not a well-known person or a famous person to launch your brand off of the ground. I wanted to create opportunities for young emerging brands so that they have a platform to elevate

With that, because I’m originally from Zimbabwe, from Africa, I thought ‘how can we work with artisans and then also work with emerging brands from the continent, from the diaspora, and Black-founded companies?’

How do you select featured products and brands?

Simoyi: Pre-pandemic I was traveling to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and I was hand selecting and doing the sourcing myself. Then the pandemic happened, we had a child and so travel stopped. We decided to partner with people that are on the continent to be brand scouts for us. We have a couple of brand scouts in South Africa, some in Zimbabwe, and then some in Nigeria that will give us tips on brands to look out for.

As we’ve been doing this since 2017, now it’s just word of mouth. Even people that are not from the continent or the diaspora will share brands I should look into. That’s how we’ve currently been sourcing and finding new brands. Of course people come directly to us, asking questions such as:]‘Do you have a placement? Would you be willing to sell my product in your store?’

The Narativ currently carries brands such as Rad Black Kids, a Zimbabwean brand based in Portugal, Lulasclan,a South African home decor brand, and more. In their coffee shop they stock chocolates made in Ghana as well as coffee made in Uganda and Rwanda.

Who is your audience and why?

Simoyi: We have two audiences. We have an audience of people that are local to Bed Stuy. We pride ourselves on being the neighborhood spot. It’s the place where people meet and greet, and grab coffee. We have our regulars that have been consistent with us since 2017, even 2016 when Ayo first started the coffee business, and then we have a global audience with a wide age variety. I have grandparents that are shopping for caftans with us, young people that are buying books that we carry - so it’s a range.

Then we do have people that will shop online. What we’ve been finding lately, because Bed Stuy has become such a hot spot, is that people travel to our neighborhood to visit our store. One year our store ended up in a Japanese magazine about places to check out when you visit New York, as a result we’ve had an influx of Japanese tourists.

Ayo Agbede: There’s also an influx of Australians because the coffee is so good. We have a lot of tourists that come to the store. We cater to everybody. I think most people love coffee and, who doesn’t love fashion?

What sets you apart from other independent retailers?

Simoyi: Our story has always been about championing visibility for people that look like us. When someone comes to us, wants to work with us, or place a product in our store, we very rarely say no because we know what it feels like to be told you can’t do something, you’re not good enough. It’s such a welcoming place. We’ve always said we’re a family establishment that’s here to support you with whatever your needs are and wherever you are in your journey. I was talking to someone and they said: ‘when I walk into your store there’s this feeling and I feel like you all care so deeply about the community and providing access.’

Agbede: People start businesses to make a profit, but the initial intention for us was to locate it in our neighborhood where you can go and meet friends and see them for hours, but at the same time you don’t have to travel far to get books, clothes, shows, or towels.

We want you to come over, sit down and be a part of the family. We think everybody should meet at a spot in the neighborhood. They know that we care. People come in and we spark up conversation.

How long do you keep a brand in your store? Is there a time limit?

Simoyi: There’s not a time limit. It’s sort of organic. We either keep them until they sell out, or sometimes brands will want to take a break and that provides another opportunity for another brand to come in.

Do you plan to expand?

Simoyi: There are always plans to expand. We’ve been looking at different markets like Philadelphia. Philadelphia has almost become a little sister to Brooklyn in a way. We’re seeing more of a need for spaces like ours.

How do you keep your audience and your customers engaged?

Simoyi: From a product perspective, there’s always something new. Our customers are always excited to see which country we source something from [and] the story. Especially when they are buying items from an artisan-made brand where they know the money goes toward helping that artisan continue to recreate more product.

One thing we tell people is ‘if you like something now, you should get it’ because it’s probably not going to be restocked and if it is, it’s going to probably look a little different. That’s why we like working with artisans, because no two items will ever be exactly the same, especially when made by hand.

How do you feel about the location? Does it help with foot traffic?

Agbede: Where we are right now, in Bed Stuy, most of the stores were opened by creative people and amazing women. The street has been named, “Black Girl Magic Row” because, per capita, it has the most Black women-owned businesses in Brooklyn.

It’s just an amazing space for people to come to. People show up because of the creativity that we create on that block.

What are the benefits of being an independent retailer?

Simoyi: We don’t have anyone to answer to, and we can be intentional and purposeful about everything we do. As Ayo and I are very creative, we know no limits and that’s very rare. It just allows us to pick and choose who we want in the store, play whatever music we want, partner with whoever. We've done partnerships with AfroPunk, Okay Player, New York Now, and Refinery29. We can just pick and choose whatever we feel aligns with our values and our aesthetic.

What are you most proud of regarding your business?

Agbede: We create a good community and have a lot of followers and we hope there’s no limit to what we can create. It’s an open door for creatives, we take paintings from kindergarteners, from high schoolers, things that they make themselves. It is just a blank canvas for everybody to come in and then we provide what you need to make you stay.

Simoyi: Our place has served as a safe space for people. It’s also a sense of familiarity. I think being in New York sometimes can be lonely. Everybody takes ownership of our space and that’s what we want. It’s very much a community space.

What are some disadvantages of being an independent retailer?

Agbede: The first one is, no sleep. You basically work 24/7, it’s been tough for us to even go on vacation.

Simoyi: There’s big responsibility and sometimes pressure. We’ve positioned ourselves as a place that supports the growth of other emerging brands and people. I don’t want to let anybody down because if we close our business or decide to do something different, we are affecting the lives of hundreds of people that rely on our store being open. For me, it’s that type of pressure; I am free to make whatever decisions I want, but I also need to ensure that the decisions we make work for our business.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Agbede: I could be working on another project, then I’ll get a call from the shop that something isn’t working the way it’s supposed to. Time management has been a little tough, but we have competent people working at the store.

What is the most important thing people should know about your business?

Agbede: Everything we carry is made out of love. We go to lengths to provide the best of the best. We also help in the making of products that come to the store. We let customers know the quality of what we carry, and it shows. We do not just carry anything in the store, it has to be good quality.

Do you have any advice for those who want to be independent retailers?

Simoyi: Just do it. Yes, opening a retail store is a large task and it can seem daunting and overwhelming, but it’s possible and it’s doable. Don’t let fear get in the way of something that could possibly be great. Also look at other retail stores for inspiration, sometimes it’s not about reinventing the wheel, but making it so that it fits you and suits what you want to do. Mentorship is all around you, you just have to watch and learn.

Agbede: Be confident in yourself. If you believe in what you want to do or what you want to sell, just go for it. There’s a reason why you believe in it, and stay with it. We started this just for us to make the community better, and bring people together. We didn’t think about the profit or the money. If you think what you want to do is going to be good for whatever reason, then do it. Maybe what you’re thinking about doing is what somebody else needs.