The rise of the Raritan Gallery
By Tatiana Snead
Union, N.J. Attention fashion community, clothing brand and label owners of Kean University, up-and-coming fashion blog, The Raritan Gallery, is unquestionably capturing the attention of the college community in New Jersey and other parts of the country.
Founded by Damani Adadevoh and Shawn Harris, the blog has made its way off the Internet and has landed two magazine features. Recently, TRG was featured in Black Voice Carta Latina (BVCL), a Rutgers University based magazine. Photos from the Raritan Gallery blog were also featured in, The IN; a publication run by Charleston Magazine.
The Raritan Gallery is a photographic and visual project that was founded in February 2013, and was created based off of Adadevoh’s desire to channel his thoughts and ideas about fashion. Once Harris suggested placing these very thoughts and ideas onto a blog, these two young men began to put their ideas into action.
“The urban fashion site is, above all else, a promotional platform for independent fashion brands and labels on the rise,” Harris said. “Adadevoh and his team provide professional services including, but not limited to: product photography, visual promotion, product placement, Lookbook curation, and marketing consultation.”
Some of the independent fashion brands and labels that have been featured on the blog include Trash City, a few cameo features of an up and coming brand called Qilonyc, and Herds of the Fathers, a leather accessory company based out of Rutgers. Harris stated that the selection process for being featured on the blog is more lenient than it is difficult. TRG strives to be the go-to site for aspiring brands and labels, by aiding as many as possible in accomplishing their goals through promotional means, while these brands and labels in turn help the blog and its members complete their goals as well.
During an interview with Harris, he stated that each of the members of TRG all aspire to be something as their careers push forward.
“We all have our own personal projects where we succeed in certain fields. We have photographers whose work has been seen on numerous blogs and websites, as well as Lookbook for fashion brands,” Harris said. “Collectively for The Gallery, we haven’t hit that many milestones as an entity, but every day we progress and move forward making new connections and assets along the way. I think the best thing though is that we are creating a buzz for The Gallery as a whole around campus and around parts of the country, so the more publicity the better.”
Be on the lookout for RGv3, the site’s integration with Americanbeau.com, which is another up-and-coming fashion blog that is creating buzz for itself. In addition, the blog’s e-store is almost completed, which will be filled with TRG products consisting of Raritan Gallery shirts and hockey jerseys.
Adadevoh and Harris also plan on making a fashion culture series, which mimics their Weekender Style Series featured on the blog, but it will only consist of photos that depict vivid characteristics of culture and fashion.
Harris is also implementing the idea to create a “life and times of Shawn and Damani” video series where they say inspirational words of wisdom while explaining more about the blog and themselves. You also can watch for new brands and features on the blog from local artists or designers in the upcoming months. If you are interested in being featured on The Raritan Gallery blog, visit their web site at www.theraritangallery.com.