Markeshia Ricks Photo
Friends and fellow artists B*Wak Comfort, Jug Visconti, and Leslie and Troy Mozell wanted to give back to the community they’ve lived in all their lives, so they pooled their talents and started a business.
Their venture, Creative Styles, is not just one business. It’s several businesses operating out of the same storefront at 504 Whalley Ave.
This past Saturday the boutique custom t‑shirt and print shop opened its doors to the public.
B*Wak airbrushing a shirt.
The hiss of Comfort airbrushing away in the back could be heard during the shop’s grand opening as a steady stream of people stopped in to check out the bejeweled accessories and clothes in the front.
Leslie Mozell, who used to own a boutique in West Haven with husband Troy, said the shop is the perfect marriage of all the various talents of the business owners housed under one roof.
In the front, “we have local artists who have their own clothing line showcase their stuff in here and we’ll sell it for them and market it,” Mozell said. In addition to jewelry and other accessories, the shop also has clothes and bejeweled ball caps and t‑shirts created by Mozell.
Her brother, Visconti, has his own clothing line too: F.L.Y. Couture. “F.L.Y. stands for: First Love Yourself,” he said Saturday. He has his own music production studio, Boycott Entertainment, and when he can he offers people occasional free studio time as a way to give back.
{media_3In the back is the print shop, where Comfort showcases his airbrushing skills and the team prints up business cards, flyers and several other things, including vinyl signs.
“We do anything,” Mozell said. “We just want to do something big. Can anything good come out of New Haven? Yes, it can — this is why we’re here. We’re a one-stop shop.”
Comfort said the shop is a way of empowering the black community and encouraging artists and entrepreneurship.
“It’s a platform that we want to create for other artists,” he said. “We’re all life-long New Haven residents and it’s time for us to come together. It’s an empowerment movement. We want to empower ourselves. People say there are not jobs out there, then we create jobs. It’s a collective and we want to invite more artists to come out and be part of the collective.”
Comfort — who also owns a movie production company called B*Wak Productions — said he is often asked how he knows a business idea will work. He said the only way to know is to take the risk and try it out.
Mozell talks to a potential customer on opening day.
“We put our artwork out there and we just know,” he said. “Now is the time to know. There is no time to guess.”
The team of owners is not stopping at the tangible things that are made and sold at the shop. They want to do more, including starting an entrepreneurship program for young people and a “man camp” for formerly incarcerated men. That’s going to be Troy Mozell’s bailiwick.
Some of the sparkly accessories the store carries.
“It will be a training program helping [formerly incarcerated men] get established out here in society,” he said. “So that when they come out they have a support system and if they want to start a business in graphic arts, we have a gentleman here who can teach that. If they want to start a clothing line we have people here who can teach them that. We have a bunch of people here who are willing to help if you really want to get on your feet and do well for yourself.”
But they don’t run the business and give back to the community by themselves, or even for themselves, Leslie Mozell said. They do it for God. Leslie Mozell said they’ve all been given different gifts of talent; opening a business and finding other ways to help people is their way of honoring what God has given them.
Their talents helped them get their shop up and running, which included painting, knocking down a wall, resurfacing and polishing the floor and some plumbing work in less than 30 days.
“If you don’t try something you will never know,” she said. “We’re just hoping New Haven will support. That Hartford will support us, that Norwalk and people everywhere will support us from Connecticut and even outside of Connecticut.
“God first in everything,” Comfort added. “This is his business. We’re just running it for him.”
Nice. Just what we need in our community. Positive young people making a difference. Keep up the great work. Wishing you much success.