BKLYNciaga Turns Flatbush into 5th Avenue

Brooklyn native Hakeem @lambokeem hosted a pop-up shop over the weekend to launch his “BKLYNciaga” logo brand and he only has one request: “Dont” tell Balenciaga. I found his promo video on Twitter, and after scrolling through a few pages on Eventbrite, I made sure I made my way to AVenue NYC, located in the heart of Flatbush, Brooklyn to see what’s up.

One thing I know for sure is I absolutely love street wear culture. Something about the grungy, ‘hood atmosphere pulls me in every time. In Brooklyn, no one greets you, but you’re definitely seen and it’s up to you to leave a lasting impression. I enjoyed meeting new people while playing giant Connect Four and vibing to popular rap songs over complimentary mimosas. Walking into a luxury designer store might feel a little tense and uptight, but opening the doors to the BKLYNciaga pop-up shop had the luxe vibe but still felt like home. The floors were stamped with the Balenciaga-inspired logo, while merchandise graced the walls and tables that filled the space. And best believe the flyest guests were in the building!

One highlight of the evening was watching a few helping hands assist in putting up giant letters that read “DONT TELL BALENCIAGA” on the walls. When I asked Hakeem the mission behind the message, he says it’s to get noticed by the actual Balenciaga brand. “You know the Gucci ghost? That was [by] an artist!” he explained. “He used to put the ghost all over Gucci, then [Gucci] eventually hit him up like ‘let’s do something’. So I’m next!” Check out a glimpse of the BKLYNciaga collection and shop online at BKLYNciaga.com. Photos by @photoshootSavage.