CityViews: How 5001 Flavors Started Creating Custom Clothing For Biggie Smalls & Other Stars
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Guy and Sharene Wood, the husband and wife team behind 5001 Flavors, have been creating custom clothing for your favorite celebrities for the past 25 years.
"It was a dream that we had together, and we just made it happen," Guy told 1010 WINS' Sharon Barnes-Waters.
The couple once worked for Uptown Records, where Sean "Diddy" Combs was interning. When he launched his own label, he approached Guy about a new artist he signed – Biggie Smalls – asking him to create a custom image.
"He came to us and said, 'You know, I got this artist that I think will be great. I want him to be the biggest – he's going to be the hottest thing ever.' So then he came with a formula, and we sat down and we just mapped it out as far as how Biggie was going to look," Guy told 1010 WINS' Sharon Barnes-Waters. "He already had a sound -- so he was a visionary -- and I just put the pieces together for him and made the visual come to life."
Anyone else we know?
"Swizz Beatz is a client, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Jay Z, Beyonce, Blue Ivy…" Sharene said, to name drop a few. "Our youngest client right now is Asahd, DJ Khaled's son."
Not satisfied only serving A-list clients, they also opened a retail store five years ago in Harlem, where the regular shoppers can have their own red carpet moments. The couple's son and daughter are designers at the store, along with Sharene's brother.
"I love walking the streets of New York, because New York is international, especially when you hit SoHo. It's ridiculous," Guy said, explaining what inspires him. "I'll spend hours just people watching, because it's like you can travel the world and see things you would never see."
"When you're downtown, you see a montage of people, and it's so cool," he added.
During New York Fashion week next month, you'll find 5001 Flavors participating in Harlem's Fashion Row.
