Local Story: Bronx, New York
Bronx Native
Amaurys Grullon is an Artist and entrepreneur based in the Bronx. Wanting to make a difference in his community he teamed up with his sister to create Bronx Native.
Visit website: bronxnative.com
For much of the late 1980s, the borough of the Bronx was known for its distinct dire imagery. Covering the landscape of this borough were stretches of burned housing complexes, disused factory buildings, and hardship.
Nearly three decades later, the once publicly tarnished neighborhood is experiencing a renaissance of culture, business, and community. One of the leading businesses and brands leading this new era is Bronx Native based in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx.
Producing an eclectic line of apparel, art, and media inspired by many of the cultural hallmarks of this community. Everything from the Bronx’s iconic apartment buildings, its references as the birthplace of hip-hop to everyday items such as metro cards, makes its way into the brand’s distinct design and flavor.
Founded by Amaurys Grullon and his sister Roselyn, Bronx Native was sparked by a simple question “Why do people think so negatively about the Bronx?” leading Amaurys down the road of re-branding his beloved borough.
“While everyone has different experiences and different journeys, my life in the Bronx was beautiful and inspiring…I think about the once burning buildings that we’re known for, but from the ashes came a people of survival and strength”.
From this ethos, Bronx Native set itself apart from other cultural brands by focusing on positive imagery for its t-shirts, caps, and hoodies. It created a unique way of turning cultural stereotypes of the borough seen in mainstream media, into opportunities to celebrate and value to these cultural markers.
Some of these include its representation of community centers like the local “Bodega”, its local descriptor as “The Boogie Down Bronx”, and even more humorous references to hip-hop icon and Bronx native Cardi B’s catchphrase “Okurrr!”.
Each piece of merchandise feels fresh, unique, but most of all, authentic and sincere with no air of cultural opportunism.
While the brand has become nationally known for this vibrant range of products, in 2017 Bronx Native took a strategic turn to open its very own storefront – The Bronx Native Shop. In a largely e-commerce based landscape for fashion brands, Amaurys’ intent behind the shop was not to just have a retail extension of the brand but rather to have a physical location serve as a place of community engagement for the neighborhood.
“What we wanted to do in the beginning was host things that you never saw before in the Bronx. New, innovative, and ultimately create opportunities to push the culture”. Since its opening, the Bronx Native Shop has hosted music events, community workshops, spoken word events, and a host of other service-based initiatives that has made the shop a pillar in the community.
During the recent pandemic an impact of COVID-19, the Bronx Native Shop was forced to close its doors alongside many other businesses in the neighborhood. The financial burden this caused on the brand was tremendous as income was greatly reduced.
In a beautiful display of solidarity, the shop was able to raise the necessary funds to keep the business operating. With the shop finally open again as New York enters its phased re-opening, the shop has had an unexpected boom of customers and interactions that solidifying the need and presence for a brand like Bronx Native in the borough.
“The products and opportunities that we’re making are all for the community and if we weren’t doing it for the community, then we would just be capitalizing on the borough and its culture…it’s my culture and it’s my borough…anything else just wouldn’t be right”.
Support Bronx Native!
Shop the store: bronxnative.com
