A report by Robyn Mowatt for Vogue.

Fe Noel is celebrating her label’s 10-year anniversary on June 15 at 1133 Nostrand Avenue, by opening her store, Fe Noel Little Carribean. Inspired by the vibrant neighborhood and Caribbean Heritage Month, the designer is excited to debut her 900-square-foot experiential space, which she feels is a love letter to the neighborhood that made her who she is. “We talk about the five senses a lot, and that’s what the boutique is going to focus on, really touching on everyone’s five senses and evoking emotion and just creating a sense of community while doing so,” she tells Vogue. 

Noel has fond memories of growing up in a largely Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn where she was molded into the creative business owner she is today. She recalls fond memories of partying during Labor Day weekend and eating delicious roti from local shops. 

Equipped with a backyard where she plans to host community events, the store will allow her to pour into the Black-owned historic neighborhood that is currently thriving in Little Caribbean. 

With the changing demographics and gentrification that is becoming harder to ignore in Little Caribbean, Noel feels it is important to put a stake in the ground to show that she and fellow Black business owners like Allan’s Bakery, Labay Market, and Jolie Studio aren’t going anywhere. But, this also means so much more to her, she feels that she is returning to where a base of her customers are. “I gravitate towards love,” she said. “I gravitate towards the people that are going to appreciate what I’m doing.”

Fe Noel Little Caribbean won’t just focus on the brand’s designs. The boutique will also showcase the work of other Caribbean artisans, their items will be for sale alongside her own clothes made from deadstock materials. The designer explains that this is highly important to further her sustainability efforts. 

Noel adds that the items available to shop in-store will not be available to purchase online. “We’re going to basically be giving people a unique experience that they can enjoy while they’re in the space, and then have something to take away to continue to enjoy after as well,” she said. 

Ahead we spoke with Noel about opening her boutique to Brooklyn, what inspired her to do so, and more. 

Vogue: What inspired you to open your latest store?

Fe Noel: One day I felt like Fe Noel needed to come offline. We’ll keep our online [store] of course, but I want people to experience what this is in person, because we’ve been talking about this for so long. The vibe of Fe Noel, more than anything, it’s a feeling that it gives people. I wanted a physical location in the middle of Brooklyn that can do that, where people can experience that. And I’ve created it so that even if you’re not shopping the brand, you’re still getting to experience the brand. And to me, money can’t buy that. 

Can you explain the environmentally friendly elements that will also be a part of the boutique?

We are growing our sustainability efforts. We use our scraps, we morph them into something else. We create one-of-a-kind pieces. Now, that’s going to be on 100. We are going to be using all of our deadstock fabric. The special thing is that you have to come to Little Caribbean to buy from Fe Noel Little Caribbean. It’s not going to be online. You can’t get it in our showroom [in New York City]. You have to experience the neighborhood to experience Fe Noel Little Caribbean.

Why was it important to you to open your boutique in Little Caribbean?

That’s part of the reason that led me back here. There’s so much movement happening, there’s so many things changing. A lot of first-generation Caribbean Americans grew up in this neighborhood. And there’s so many of us that [are] staying.

It was important that my voice be a part of that, especially since I spent so much time building up my voice, so much time talking about the Caribbean. [I realized] I need a place. I need to actually really be physically there and showing people that this is where Fe Noel is. This is where it started. And I wanted to put something really beautiful in the neighborhood that people could continue to experience, that could be a representation of what the neighborhood has created.