LiVE FRESH

BLACK MODERNISM

COMMUNITY
 
Roxanne Bellamy of Roxanne Bellamy Co. (a Black-owned event planning and design firm), hosted Shop Made In D.C. 's Celebrate Black Makers activation this weekend at The Roost. 

The event highlighted a panel discussion with Dr. Tayiana Reed of The Wellness Apothecary, Regina Watson of Farm and Muse, and our very own Chris Cardi. In addition to the panel discussion, the event featured a marketplace of curated goods by a number of D.C.’s Black makers.

Celebrate Black Makers
Saturday, Feb. 26 @ 10 AM
Shop Made In D.C. at The Roost 
1401 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20003

Visit Shop Made In D.C. online at www.shopmadeindc.com and on Instagram @shopmadeinDC.

CULTURE
 
Black Nostalgia In The Year Of The Tiger is a dinner discussion celebrating and dissecting both the Black and Asian cross-cultural influence on American pop-culture. 

Chris Cardi, who is both Black and Filipino, curated the event hosted by Matt Talley, owner of Cool Kids Vinyl - an independent Black-owned record shop located inside of Maketto - an Asian-owned communal marketplace on H street NE in Washington, D.C. What better place to host a cross-cultural dinner discussion about the intersection of the Black and Asian experience in America than here!

The event is in partnership with NAAAP DC (National Association of Asian American Professionals), in which Chris volunteers his experience as the organization’s Washington, D.C. chapter Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

For more information and reservations visit the NAAAP DC linktree here.

Black Nostalgia In The Year Of The Tiger 
Hosted by Matt Talley
Monday, Feb. 28 @7:30 PM
@CoolKidsVinyl / Maketto
1351 H Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Follow Cool Kids Vinyl on Instagram @coolkidsvinyl and owner Matt Talley @TalleyIsMajor.

COMMERCE

In the spirit of Black 2 Black business, we are excited to announce our new retail partnership with Groom Guy. The boutique barber shop and showroom is nestled in the lobby level of the Yours Truly hotel in D.C’s West End neighborhood. 

The Groom Guy showroom at Yours Truly is the brainchild of Darius “Sunny D” Davie - a multi disciplined lifestyle enthusiast and entrepreneur. 

The showroom will feature a number of Chris Cardi accessories and small luggage pieces; including our Denzel Dopp Kits, Wool Watchmen Beanies, and more, perfect for the stylish traveler. 

Check out Darius’ Groom Guy recent feature in District Fray Magazine and follow on Instagram @groomguy. 

Groom Guy Showroom 
@ Yours Truly Hotel
1143 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20037
Hours: Wednesday - 11:00AM - 6:00PM
    Thursday - 11:00AM - 6:00PM
    Friday - 11:00AM - 6:00PM
    Saturday - 11:00AM - 7:00PM

Shop our line up of Denzel Dopp Kits in a variety of colorways. 

We are excited to share that our Traveler Duffle Bag is featured in ESSENCE magazine for their November/December issue's Everything Black Gift Guide: Holday Gift Ideas For Him.

The write up features the Traveler Duffle in our Redeye color way, shown below.

The Traveler duffle bag - the cornerstone of our brand, first debuted in 2014 in all black. Shortly after we introduced the customer favorite in a variety of color ways including the safari camouflage version pictured below.

We invite you to click the links below to check out the feature on ESSENCE's Official Holiday Black-Owned Gift Guide and our Traveler Duffle Bag Collection at chriscardi.com.

Happy Holidays! 

ESSENCE's Official Holiday Black-Owned Gift Guide

COMMUNITY: H Street Festival Returns

H Street Festival returns; however, this year’s festival will be scaled back. You can expect fewer vendors, stages, and performers. Festival goers will be encouraged to wear masks, even outdoors, and to social distance. Check out the article from the Washington Post: Going Out Guide, which shares what to expect from a number of outdoor festivals happening in the District this September. 

Follow us on Instagram @chris_cardi to find out about our activations leading up to this year’s H Street Festival.

For more info on H Street Festival visit: https://www.hstreetfestival.org

CULTURE: District Fray ft. Chris “Cardi” Clayton

 Over the summer Chris Cardi shared the inspiration behind his personal style, having a versatile wardrobe to navigate the D.C. social scene(s), and a few wardrobe hacks in a feature for District Fray Magazine. 

Click here to read the feature: District Fray Magazine: Chris Clayton Isn’t Afraid to Rock Women’s Denim

Shout out to our friend Andrew J. Williams III at District Fray for the feature.

COMMERCE: H STREET NE Capsule Collection

Just in time to Celebrate H Street Festival, our annual H Street NE capsule collection is now available online and locally at SwatchRoom’s - Common Threads DC. Every week in the month of September we will release a new graphic tee in celebration of the community. Shop the “I ❤️ Heart H ST. NE” graphic tees now! 

COMMUNITY: HOW WE CELEBRATED JUNETEENTH 

Chris celebrated Juneteenth by rockin’ our Juneteenth “Freedom Day” flag tank top while supporting fellow Black businesses across D.C. and reveling in the sounds of the “Million Moe March”. We also enjoyed seeing many of you rockin’ the Juneteenth flag tank top.Here are some of our favorite snaps from the holiday weekend.

CULTURE: LAUREN IGAY FT. IN WIBRIDGE FASHION + STYLE

Our dear friend Lauren Igay was featured in the June issue of WIBRIDGE’s fashion and style section. She speaks on utilizing her skillset in union with the platform that Common Thread provides to open doors for up and coming designers and entrepreneurs. 

Read the full article here: DREAMING IN TECHNICOLOR: LAUREN GAY ON FINDING COMMON THREAD

COMMERCE: TH!NKIN’ CAP AVAILABLE ONLINE

The wait is over! Our TH!NKIN’ CAP dad hats are now on our online shop. Available in coral, kiwi, and pink for a limited time. Shop and share your style by tagging us and using the hashtag: #ThinkinCap. 

COMMUNITY: DRYY RUN DC x HRC

We kicked-off PRIDE Month early here in the Capital City on May 15 for the inaugural DRYY RUN DC x HRC. Teaming up with our friends at Dryy Garment Care and a number of other local small businesses we raised awareness, advocacy, and funds through fitness benefiting the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. 

About The HRC Foundation – a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization – envisions a world where all LGBTQ people can participate fully in the systems that shape our daily lives. Through public education, research, and policy and practice change, the Foundation’s impact can be felt in schools, on factory floors and corporate suites, and in places of worship. It touches LGBTQ lives from childhood through end-of-life, people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities and religious beliefs, in big cities and small towns, in the United States and across the globe.

Photo courtesy: Glen Gordon of certified-official.com

Find out more in our latest Fresh Digest blog post: DRYY RUN D.C. ADVOCATING FOR LGBTQ+ EQUALITY (Wrap UP)

CULTURE: 
May 30 and June 1 marked the 100 year commemoration of the Tulsa Massacre. This horrific 2-day period in American history claimed the lives of hundreds of Black people and destroyed the flourishing community of Greenwood at the hands of a violent, racist, White mob. Ultimately no one was ever brought to justice for this deadly act of domestic terror and the story was largely left to be forgotten much like other thriving Black communities that endured similar acts of violence post Civil War Era.

Image courtesy of: FireInLittleAfrica.com

Over the last century the story of the community also known as Black Wall Street has been kept alive by the remaining survivors and the descendants. Some of those descendants are the driving creative force behind the incredibly poignant album Fire In Little Africa. 

“A groundbreaking album of original material, written and recorded by a collective of Oklahoma hip hop artists to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre – will be released on May 28 by Motown Records/Black Forum in partnership with Tulsa’s Bob Dylan Center® and Woody Guthrie Center®.” - The Black Wall Street Times 

“Fire in Little Africa is the story of the passion and resilience of artists in Tulsa leading the community through music, art and entrepreneurship."

The Woody Guthrie Center and Bob Dylan Center® are proud to present this album, documentary and podcast in collaboration with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. Fire in Little Africa brings together the top rappers, singers, musicians and visual artists in Oklahoma to commemorate the centennial of the 1921 Massacre and introduce Tulsa’s hip-hop culture to a global audience.” - FireInLittleAfrica.com

Listen: Fire In Little Africa

COMMERCE:
Early this week we proudly released our Juneteenth “Freedom Day” flag tank top. This is our ode in commemoration of Juneteenth; a celebration of resilience. 

Our purpose is to provide a form of symbolism through style and bring greater awareness to the significance of this day in American history and to the cultural fabric of our Nation.

Photo courtesy: Milwaukee Independent

The star at center has dual meaning representing Texas and also the freedom of Black Americans in all 50 states. The bursting outline around the star, inspired by a nova, a term used by astronomers meaning new star represents a new beginning for Black people of Galveston and America. The curve that spans the width of the flag represents a new horizon: the opportunities and promise that lay ahead for Black Americans. The colors of red, white, and blue represent the American flag and the commitment that America has to live up to the ideal of liberty and justice for all.
 
The struggle continues.
 
We strongly encourage you to order by June 10 for guaranteed delivery by June 18. Click here to shop: Juneteenth “Freedom Day” Flag Tank Top

DRYY RUN D.C. ADVOCATING FOR LGBTQ+ EQUALITY

We kicked-off PRIDE Month a couple weeks early on May 15th, for the inaugural DRYY RUN DC raising funds for the Human Rights Campaign. The Human Rights Campaign serves as America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality.

Chris Cardi partnered with title sponsor Dryy Garment Care to design the graphics and promotional material as well as the runner’s bibs that participants wore on the day of the event. 

We had amazing weather for our fitness and philanthropy event with over 70 people taking part in the 5 & 10K. With the help of our community and co-sponsors we raised over $2.5K for the @humanrightscampaign in support and advocacy for our LGBTQ+ family. 

BIG UP to our fellow co-sponsors The Village Cafe, Cool Kids Vinyl, Gift Shop, Common Threads, Hill Prince Bar, and community organizer Erica Jackson for leveraging their platforms to get the word out and getting folks involved. 

PEACE & LOVE to all those that participated. What an incredible turnout, good time, and a great way to continue the push for equality.

5K/10K Walk, Run or Bike Saturday, May 15 to raise awareness and promote ally-ship for the Human Rights Campaign!

This first Wednesday of March we celebrate Women’s History Month. As we make the transition from commemorating Black History Month to celebrating Women’s History this month, we spotlight Black women entrepreneurs creating community and camaraderie through commerce. Tell your partner, friend, and family about these amazing women and join us in celebrating!

RB & Co.

Roxanne Bellamy, longtime friend and wife of our Co-owner Kevin, is also the owner and Creative Director behind her own full-service, event design & planning firm RB & Co. The firm specializes in producing refined events for clients who value quality experiences. Roxanne prides herself on collaborating with other BIPOC and women owned businesses, and is currently curating a month of virtual events in celebration of Women’s History and International Women’s Day. Click here to find out more: RB & Co.

Follow on Instagram: @roxannebellamy 

OH-MAZING FOODS

OH-mazing owner and fellow D.C. based entrepreneur, Stephanie Williams set out to create a scrumptious alternative to snacks filled with allergens and preservatives. We first met Stephanie 3 years ago at an architecture firm's networking event where we showcased as vendors in a “Future of Retail” test module. There I got a taste of her healthy creations and have been hooked ever since. The tasty granola that comes in flavors like Lemon Bar and Caribbean Delight are a long time favorite of ours! Click here to shop: OH-MAZING FOODS 

Follow on Instagram: @ohmazingfood

ALL VERY GOODS

I first met All Very Goods owner, Ama Schulman, while the both of us worked our retail chops for J. Crew. I randomly discovered her goods on social media and became a customer before realizing it was her business. The thank you card that came in my initial order and subsequent orders are as much of a gift as the goods themselves. The All Very Goods designs celebrate Black culture, community, art, activism, and allyship. The collection offers something for everyone and makes for great gifts year round to accessorize your look. Click here to shop: ALL VERY GOODS

Follow on Instagram: @allverygoods

SASCHA CANDLES

My fiery friend Sascha Lee has always had a light of curiosity and exploration in her DNA. This Afro-Latina launched her line of curvaceous candles on March 1, making Women’s History Month LIT, figuratively and literally. The candles are made in small batches sold on Etsy. Definitely one to watch on the journey of building a brand born out of an idea followed by action. Click here to shop: SASCHA CANDLES

Follow on Instagram: @sas.cha_