Fe Noel is talking about the Caribbean, even in a new Brooklyn store

Celebrating 10 years of her business, Felisha "Fe" Noel is ready to unveil her first independent shop.

A grand opening is scheduled for Fe Noel Little Caribbean on June 10th at 1133 Nostrand Avenue in the "Little " from Brooklyn's "Caribbean" neighborhood. This is familiar territory for the designer who, in addition to being of Grenadian origin, grew up and created her business in the neighborhood.

In keeping with the amount of work others have put into preserving the neighborhood, Noel sees the opening as a full loop moment. As gentrification and commercial development continue to eat away at many New York neighborhoods, including culturally rich ones, Noel intends to help preserve the Little Caribbean. Citing landmarks like Labay Market and Allan's Bakery that had rooted there for over 20 years, Noel aspires to longevity, "joining forces with them and continuing what they started. Especially since Fe Noel made great things, it's great to add my name to the neighborhood to let people know I'm Caribbean, I grew up here and I'm with them."

Fe Noel's notoriety recently jumped thanks to a collaboration with Target, "who really wanted to spread the message of culture in Grenada and the Caribbean in general. We like to do special projects that align," Noel said. "Every year is about, 'What do we want to do now? Do we have them? resources? If not, how do we get them? I approach investing and everything that way. Everything has to make sense. It's not about saying yes just to say yes."

Noel declined to comment on the recent Target controversy that was sparked by the retailer's decision to withdraw select Pride products from its stores.

During New York Fashion Week earlier this year, Noel made a different statement with an elaborate corseted dress and a signature dress with a 16-foot cathedral train made from $1.6 million in fake bills. The “Dre$$” tie-up with retirement agency service provider TIAA was part of his #RetireInequality and highlighted pay inequality between women and men. The result was a potential loss of retirement savings of $1.6 for women.

Showcasing the work of Caribbean talent is one of his priorities. The store will double as a craft workshop. Deadstock from Fe Noel will be used for some clothing and accessories to increase sustainability. In order to incite frequenting the store, Fe Noel creates an immersive multi-sensory experience for shoppers of Caribbean culture.

"We've got a few tricks up our sleeve. We're really going to immerse people in music, food , sound and the five senses to excite and inspire people,” Noel said, adding that anything sold in the store will only be available there, as another incentive to venture into the neighborhood. I really want people to experience this special neighborhood. I'm from Grenada but my neighbors are from Jamaica, Ghana and Trinidad. It's a melting pot. Part of the reason I opens the store during Caribbean Heritage Month is that I want to bring people to the Little Caribbean neighborhood of Brooklyn,”

In addition to the interior space of 900 square feet, there is a rear yard that will be used for special events. She said, “I'm very committed to building a community with our brand. This is what we plan to do. We like to meet, discuss, create. Part of the space will be used for this, much like a hub."

Noel's mother moved to the United States a month before Noel was born. She lived briefly in Grenada as a toddler before...