In a phone interview, London talked about how he came to contribute to Hooper House’s good vibes and creative offerings.
“I had actually been looking for a space that aligned with my business, a space that I could go outside of my house, that was welcoming and warm and very communal. And I went, I explored the stairs, I met other people in the building, and I realized, ‘Oh, there’s a space here, and the space feels like it’s for me,’ and it was.”
Rashad Johnson, 31, is a tailor and his business, TACT Bespoke, is located on the third floor of the Hooper House in Baltimore.Photo by Jati
The building has also become a home for Black entrepreneurs like Rashad Johnson, 31, a tailor who discovered the space while spending time at Hooper House’s main cafe and restaurant, Mama Koko’s. The owner of TACT Bespoke in apartment 3F creates custom suits and handcrafted clothing on the third floor of the building.
“I’m lucky to be able to keep this old ship because it’s kind of a dying ship in America,” Johnson said. “Not many young people take it up as a profession, so I’m happy to continue doing it. In fact, there is a very rich history of black tailors in America.”
“We have our own kind of heritage in this, beyond the Eurocentric things that normally drive us, and I think most business owners would admit that, like being able to see someone who looks like them. Representation is important,” Johnson added.
Akile Butler is the owner of 1KG, a business that offers “preppy streetwear” to everyone from Hooper House Apartment 3B, located at 100 East 23rd St. in Baltimore.Maximum frost
For companies like 1KG, founded by 30-year-old Akile Butler, the intersection of art and business is central to the brand identity. Butler, in apartment 3B, is one of the original tenants of Hooper House and has built a street of what he calls “preppy urban clothing,” creating everyday clothing based on creativity and self-expression. Like Johnson, Butler thinks deeply about representation, but also focuses on legacy.