Moshood Creations
UPDATE: This business’ location has changed.
“Wear Moshood - Wear yourself.” This slogan for the iconic boutique is all we’ve got in terms of quotes because Moshood told us he doesn’t give interviews. (A cursory Google search says otherwise, but it’s cool, Moshood — we still got love for you!!)
But if there’s anyone whose work and legacy speaks for itself, it’s him. The affable Nigerian-born designer, who uses only his first name, has owned Moshood Creations for 24 years, bringing contemporary Lagos fashion to Fort Greene.
A fixture from the neighborhood’s days as a mecca for young Black creatives, Moshood’s Afrocentric aesthetic has been embraced by the likes of Erykah Badu, who used to live in the apartment above the shop, and Stevie Wonder, whose photo is featured in its gallery of celebrity snapshots. Moshood Creations remains a cultural staple today, with annual fashion shows, colorful graphic tees bearing the brand’s unmistakable logo, and the legendary Moshood himself.
Just as striking as Moshood’s designs — a mix of African tailoring and Western streetwear, including floor-length wrap skirts, loose-fitting trousers, tops in West African prints, and tees and hoodies emblazoned with his iconic logo — is the history captured, literally from wall to wall, throughout the shop. There are pictures from fashion shows back in the day, framed community service and leadership awards, photos of celebrity supporters such as Chaka Khan, Tyson Beckford and Maxi Priest, and news clippings that chronicle Moshood Creations’ rise in the Fort Greene scene.
But while Moshood has withstood the changing landscape of the neighborhood for more than two decades, the ever increasing rent costs are a constant challenge. In May his supporters in the community started a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising $25,000 to help keep his storied Fort Greene storefront open. You can learn more, and donate, at gofundme.com/moshood.
This business has relocated to 1360 Fulton Street (Bed-Stuy), 698 Fulton Street, 718-243-9433, afrikanspirit.com
