Detroit’s Rebel Nell, York Project to Open Joint Brick-and-mortar Location

Detroit’s Rebel Nell, which creates jewelry using fallen chips of street art and employs women facing barriers, and York Project, a streetwear company that helps those who are homeless, plan to open a brick-and-mortar retail space in Detroit.
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Rebel Nell and York Project products
Rebel Nell and York Project are opening a joint retail space in Detroit. Above are Rebel Nell and York Project products. // Photo courtesy of Rebel Nell and York Project

Detroit’s Rebel Nell, which creates jewelry using fallen chips of street art and employs women facing barriers, and York Project, a streetwear company that helps those who are homeless, plan to open a brick-and-mortar retail space in Detroit.

A grand opening ceremony will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, at the new location – 1314 Holden St. (three blocks south of Henry Ford Hospital). Regular business hours will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

Rebel Nell works to employ and educate underserved women and has hired 22 women from shelters to date, providing $378,000 in wages, $20,000 in microloans, housed 15 families, and implemented more than 3,436 hours of workforce preparedness training. The company was founded in 2013.

The women are hired as designers and craft jewelry from fallen layers of graffiti collected in Detroit while providing information and support on financial awareness, business education, life wellness, career development, and other resources. The goal is to help the women obtain self-sufficiency.

“Our customers have always been hungry for a deeper connection to the product, to learn about how the jewelry is made, and who made their piece,” says Molly Layman, store manager. “That’s what this store provides. Guests will be able to see the jewelry production and engage with our incredible creative designers.

“Additionally, it will provide retail training, digital literacy, and customer service experience for the women we serve. Our goal is to use this retail store as a way to connect shoppers with the greater community of Detroit. This city already has a remarkable retail landscape, and we are excited to integrate an impactful shopping experience that gives back to the people here.”

Rebel Nell’s full product line, including jewelry made from fallen street art from Michigan Central Station and the Evolve collection, will be available at the new store.

“The women we serve come first, and that’s why every product sold has a direct impact on the lives of our creative designers,” says Amy Peterson, founder of Rebel Nell.

York Project began when then-19-year-old Josh York hand stitched his last name into beanies and began selling them to his friends at local music shows. He learned that there is a need for socks, toilet paper, gloves, and underwear among those who are homeless, and his team began including these items as donations instead of just beanies.

The company designs and sells clothing and, as of summer 2018, started manufacturing clothes in-house.

“I realized that so many brands were printing ‘Detroit’ on the same T-shirts and sweatshirts that we were, and it had become really difficult to differentiate ourselves,” says York, now founder of the company.  “By opening up a cut-and-sew production facility, we can now offer truly unique shirts, including the only ‘Detroit tee’ actually made in Detroit. Manufacturing is an opportunity to provide more jobs for Detroiters, so our mission has advanced to include workforce development.”

For each product sold, York Project makes a kit to donate that includes a tote bag, toilet paper, socks, and bottled water. Since 2012, the company has contributed more than $84,000 in donation kits and other items in 23 cities in the U.S.