Da Spot
All photos by Curt Saunders
Growing up as Brooklyn kids, (left to right) Frantz "Face" Farnoille, Michelle Cadore and Tyler Jordan frequented Albee Square and the Fulton Mall in Downtown Brooklyn for much of their teen years. Buying jewelry, sneakers and clothes after school, it was at the mall that the young designers found early creative inspiration. Now in their 30s and the owners of Da Spot — a boutique featuring more than 25 indie brands, all by designers of color, and home to C.A.N.V.A.S gallery, which shows work by artists of color — the collaborators inspire and support other young creatives.
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The trio joined forces in 2017 with a tiny shop in Dumbo, initially showcasing their own apparel and art brands. Michelle’s Yes I AM clothing line and Face’s Frantzy Face burst with colorful tees, hoodies, camo jackets and accessories, many with empowering messages such as “Stronger Than You Would Ever Imagine” and “Love Will Change the World,” while Tyler sells artwork from the in-store C.A.N.V.A.S. gallery in addition to logo tees and hats from his line, Canvas Design Shop. But they quickly outgrew the space. “Within six months we grew from three brands to 25 brands in a 100 square-foot space,” Michelle says.
In October of 2019, Da Spot moved to a spacious storefront in City Point in Downtown Brooklyn, the neighborhood that sparks their teenage nostalgia. “People that know know, but this used to be the spot,” says Tyler. “When they redid the mall, I never thought in a million years that this would come full circle for us.”
“For me, being a Black business owner is about amplifying the culture and creating space where we might otherwise not have room to get it.”
“For me, being a Black business owner is about amplifying the culture and creating space where we might otherwise not have room to get it,” says Face. “We’re making that happen.” Led by this ethos, Da Spot carries indie brands from local artists and designers of color, mostly Black and mainly Brooklyn-based.
The refreshing space, all white walls and high ceilings, is packed with creativity. In addition to the owners’ lines, you can shop brands including Askan NYC with shirts, jackets and enamel pins featuring icons like Sade, Biggie Smalls and Basquiat; Brklyn Empire with always-reppin’ “FOREVER BROOKLYN” tees and hats; Avalah Beauty for all-natural natural body products; Perry Boyce candles in fragrances ranging from citrus & mint to amber & wood; and Republic of BK, known for their signature “BKLYN TILL I DIE” camo jacket. With City Point closed to the public due to COVID-19, Da Spot is currently offering online sales at daspotnyc.com, with curbside pickup or free shipping. [UPDATE: As of September 2020, City Point and Da Spot are now fully open to the public.]
Da Spot was created in hopes of becoming not just a store selling products by independent POC designers but the spot for like-minded artists and entrepreneurs to connect. When the boutique is fully open, it serves as a multifunctional space providing business consulting, workshops and other events.
The C.A.N.V.A.S. (“Creating a New View Around Society”) gallery, in normal times, features artists for 3 to 4-week residencies with an opening night reception every month. “I was denied from galleries a lot of the time because no one knew my name, and no one really cared to look at the subject matter,” says Tyler, a photographer and curator of the gallery. “We just want to be able to have our work shown.”
Though Downtown Brooklyn is constantly undergoing renovations and change, Da Spot represents a piece of what the area used to be, back when its owners were artsy teens. “Being here is like keeping Black Brooklyn alive,” says Michelle. “We are putting the culture back where it used to be.” —By Jazmin Ali
445 Albee Square West, 347-903-6729, daspotnyc.com
