Co-founders Amber Chene and Rome Italy
After a year stuck in the house, it may be time to revamp the closet. Exclusive vintage pieces have hit the city. Detroit native Amber Chene and business partner Rome Italy just opened a new pop-up in downtown Detroit that is looking to serve the community in more ways than one.
Amber Chene is a multidisciplinary artist who has ties in fashion, music and performance. She has released three sneakers with Nike, performed with several R&B and Hip Hop artists and modeled for various campaigns including shoots with Footlocker and Converse. Chene is now using her talents to grow the city putting the sounds and fashion of Detroit on a global platform and creating more community spaces for artists to express and build all over the world.
After traveling to New York during the pandemic, Chene and business partner Italy were able to visit a retail space that lit the spark. After meeting with friends, the invitation was extended for the business to check out their store. Afterwards, the ideas began to form.
“We went to go check out the store and while we were there, we were like ‘we need a storefront,’” says Chene.
Bringing the fresh ideas back to Detroit, an Instagram page grew into various pop-ups across the city. Then, an email from the largest real estate company in the city would offer the opportunity for a semi-permanent location.
More than just an apparel store, Apparrallel is a creative collective, retail space and event production company that brings together high fashion and merges it with social and cultural intentionality. Serving as a platform to empower BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals in Detroit, Apparrallel also works with independent entrepreneurs to target new audiences and potential clients. Committed to inclusion, innovative creativity and environmental responsibility, the brand is committed to radical inclusion, innovative creativity and environmental responsibility.
“Seventy percent of the dyes we use for our fashion goes back into our water. That affects a lot of things environmentally for us. I just didn’t want to add to that issue and that problem,” says Chene.
For the budding brand, one company had begun taking notice. Bedrock Detroit, the largest real estate partner in downtown Detroit, reached out and expressed interest in collaborating, helping bring the pop-up shops to the next level.
“Bedrock actually reached out to me which was amazing. I’m so grateful for it,” says Chene.
The retail store will carry exclusive vintage clothing items, handbags and other accessories. With a love of thrifting, the vintage and one-of-a-kind gems helps to inspire the clothes carried for purchase.
“We really wanted people to just grasp that culture of Detroit. Just bringing that Black culture, because Detroit is Black. We really wanted people to see that. Not so much tourist things or things that have been gentrified,” says Chene.
Extending beyond fashion to incorporate all aspects, Apparrallel is a 70 percent retail and 30 percent event space located in the Cary Building at 1301 Broadway. The production space is available for rent for photographers, entrepreneurs and other business professionals looking to utilize the space.
“That building that we’re in, the placement and the history of it, it’s just amazing,” says Chene.
The future of Apparrallel is bright. In addition to retail operations, it will also host Saturday Sip and Shop events, special shopper’s benefits and holistic healing.
“At the top of our space, there is a space where we’re going to be having holistic things. You can come in and get a Reiki healing, Oracle readings, crystals [and] things to clear as well,” says Chene. “You’ll be able to purchase everything when it comes to holistic.”
The co-founders also intend on launching a juice bar within the space.
“We’re going to launch natural resources that create healing properties for our people,” Chene says.
