We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amber and Howard Harper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amber and Howard, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

We have both worked in the fashion/retail world and have spent many years throwing around our own ideas to one another. The timing was finally right and after a late night brainstorm session Black Flower Apparel was created. Our mission developed over time. Most importantly we want to be inclusive. We want to have something for everyone. We also want to capture pride in our culture on a city and regional level. We’ve always believed in self expression and positivity and we aim to reflect that in our brand as well.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Howard and I are married and we are the owners of Black Flower Apparel based in Covington, Louisiana. Our company began as a t-shirt website and soon after we launched the site we spotted an adorable storefront right in Downtown Covington. It felt premature, we were uncertain, but after talking with the landlords we went with our gut feeling and signed the lease. Our t-shirt company quickly grew into a local shop that offers so much more. The universe connected us with several local vendors that we decided to partner with. We now feature locally made jewelry, art and candles along with our apparel. The most amazing part of our story has been the way the community has embraced us. We are a part of the Covington Business Association and Howard is now a board member. The business community is excited about young entrepreneurs that are bringing a new vibe to the downtown area.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

We’ve always believed in being who we are and not trying to fit any particular mold, and we believe this draws people in to our brand. Social media outlets are our way of reaching our customers and potential customers. There’s an interview with Tyler, the Creator that really opened our eyes. He talks about being proud of what you made and promoting yourself. Like why spend all of this time and energy if you aren’t going to show the world what you’re doing? We post several times a day on our platforms…pictures of products, customers, event reminders…and we have people tell us all the time, “Y’all are all over social media “. We take that as a compliment. Yes, we are constantly putting our name out there. So, social media, word of mouth, friends and family sharing for us. That’s what is getting it done.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Interesting story… we had only been open a few months when Hurricane Ida hit our area in 2021. For a small business, any halt in sales can be detrimental. Thankfully the electricity in our shop was back on after a few days. So, we opened the doors thinking no one would be worried about shopping. We posted that we had electricity and people were welcome to stop in and charge their phones and cool off in the air conditioning. We also had a cooler of waters and Trulys we were giving away. And surprisingly people wanted to get out the house and shop. People were needing some retail therapy. Some people actually just needed some clean clothes. So, our spontaneous idea turned into a success and also helped out the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blackflowerapparel.net
• Instagram: @blackflowerapparel
• Facebook: Black Flower Apparel