Brooklyn Industries: Adding Art to the Recipe for Success
Brooklyn Industries is the kind of success story that many young creatives dream about. A Brooklyn-based artist couple, Lexy Funk and Vahap Avsar, decided to try supporting their art by designing and marketing a single messenger bag. Ten years later, they are running a booming New York apparel and accessories label. They operate seven stores in Brooklyn and Manhattan, have won all sorts of business awards, and their brand has a high creativity factor and tons of homegrown appeal. Funky bags, great t-shirts and even kid-designed children’s wear are some of the things that keep their customers coming back. However, what really makes Brooklyn Industries stand out from other casual clothing brands is their creative smarts and collaborations with artists.
Although there is a team of in-house designers directed by Avsar, guest artists are often invited to do limited edition t-shirts. Their seasonal ‘journals’ look more like a photo magazine than a clothing catalogue. In the most recent publication, several New York photographers were invited to do different spreads. From retro-looking Coney Island shoots, to real-live Brooklynites in Brooklyn Industries wear, a series on different studio/workshop spaces in Brooklyn, and a psychedelic fashion spread, the catalogue percolates with different looks. Unlike the casual cool of, say, American Apparel’s advertising, Brooklyn Industries does not emphasize one creative identity but conveys a multitude of creative personalities, and this versatility is immediate and exciting. With ‘Top Dog’ pet contests, concert ticket and CD giveaways, Brooklyn Industries also supports Brooklyn’s street culture and music culture in one of the city’s most creative boroughs.
As if this were not enough, last winter Funk and Avsar decided to return to their own artistic roots and open a gallery, The New Contemporary Arts Center, in one of their former Brooklyn stores. Featuring individual artists who make Brooklyn one of New York’s creative hotspots, the gallery is a concrete manifestation of the Brooklyn Industries credo: Live, Work, Create. Having progressed from an artist day job to a commercial success, the company is now supporting and promoting the work of an international creative community. A newcomer in Brooklyn’s thriving gallery scene, the New Contemporary Arts Center proves that companies can thrive by sticking close to their origins. For Brooklyn Industries, working with artists is not just a communication strategy; it is a core commitment!
Link:www.brooklynindustries.comAddress:New Contemporary Arts Center
184 Broadway (Corner of Driggs)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Tel.: (718) 218 - 9166
Hours: Wed - Sun, 12:00 - 8:00 pm
