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The Whitaker Group is branching into new territory as it grows its streetwear retail empire.
The owner of popular boutiques including A Ma Maniére, APB and Social Status said on Monday it will make its first foray into women’s retail with the launch of its new concept, Jaide. The first Jaide stores will open in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina this summer.
The group also plans to open four more locations of its other boutiques in key markets this year, homing in on historically Black cities or communities, founder James Whitner tells The Business of Fashion. Its retail network currently includes 22 brick-and-mortar stores, with the most recent addition being a new 1,750 square-foot location of Social Status it opened this April in Detroit. After Jaide, the group plans to open new A Ma Maniére flagships in Harlem and Washington D.C., a Social Status in Pittsburgh and an APB in Jersey City—aiming to bring its retail network up to 28 stores by the end of next year.
“It’s less about building business and more about pushing these communities forward,” said Whitner. ”By pushing those communities forward, we grow our business, shift culture and empower Black people around the world.”
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Jaide came about because The Whitaker Group didn’t want to just slap a women’s moniker on its existing banners but to create a new business that gave women equal treatment, according to Whitner. Leading Jaide will be Tenisha Clarke, the group’s head of retail —who previously held positions at Ralph Lauren, Sak’s, Nordstrom and the women-owned Atlanta streetwear retailer Wish and created the concept for Jaide with insights gathered from women’s focus groups. Brands that will be stocked at Jaide’s first two locations include Ganni, Guizio, A Bathing Ape, Human Made, Martine Ali, Honor The Gift, Fear of God Essentials, EB Denim, Who Decides War, Sami Miro Vintage, Misbhv and Casablanca.
The Whitaker Group invested $5 million in Jaide’s 4,800 square-foot outpost in Atlanta and 3,000 square-foot location in Charlotte. True to The Whitaker Group’s approach, both locations will offer experiences beyond retail. The Atlanta location includes an activation space and a wine bar. The two-floor space in Charlotte will include a restaurant lounge on the second floor.
“If you’re not connecting with people meaningfully, leading with an assured ‘why’ and a purpose, then you can’t have an expectation for them to participate in your world or become a part of your world,” said Whitner.
