Moshood: African Style and Pride

Moshood is an African clothing store that stands as one of the first businesses on Fulton Street that formed Fort Greene’s hub of .

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Moshood — who is known by his first name and does not give interviews — arrived in New York City during the early 1980s, and began to sell his self-designed brand of African garments at local street fairs, festivals and fashion shows, according to Kunle-Ade, the manager of the store.

After years of doing business out of his home in the Bronx, Moshood — which also means "African spirit" — opened his own boutique in 1994 between S. Portland Avenue and Greene Avenue, and named it after himself. 

“What brought us to Fort Greene was the culture and most of our clients actually came from Brooklyn,” said Kunle-Ade. “Brooklyn is the only borough that actually has real culture and Fort Greene had this energy that people could kind of like tap into.”

Arriving at a time when the neighborhood was rebounding after years of rising crime and poverty, the store created a buzz by staying open after normal business hours and by decking out mannequines in front of the store to lure customers.

“We created fashion to project our culture and be proud of who we are,” said Kunle-Ade, adding that much of the clothes sold at the store could be worn to work.

Moshood sells everything from t-shirts to denim jeans to full-length wrap skirts to dashikis. The boutique, with its bright yellow, green and orange walls covered with pictures, is as distinct as its clothes.

Approaching nearly three decades of existence, the Moshood brand has been embraced from Harlem to Atlanta to Toyko, according to Kunle-Ade. Celebrities like Wesley Snipes and Queen Latifah have worn Moshood.

It’s just like a t-shirt in the store says: "It's all about the pride."