SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The Everson Museum of Art hosted a community-based pop-up shop where local business owners showcased their products around the plaza.
One of those business owners was Syracuse native, Allen Newsome, who began designing at the age of 14, when he asked his dad for an unorthodox birthday gift.
My dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I pretty much had everything I wanted so I told him I wanted a sewing machine,” Newsome said, “He kind of looked at me funny and he was like, ‘A sewing machine?,’ ‘Yeah I want a sewing machine’, and so he said ‘Ok.’
“So we went to the store and got a sewing machine,” he said, “And I leaned how to do it, started making clothes because back then I just wanted to make stuff that people couldn’t buy.”
However, over the years Newsome’s love of design has began to partner his love for design, with his passion to help others.
What i plan on doing is building an umbrella in the community,” Newsome said.
“We start off with Allen Newsome, get it flowing, get a tread to it, then we will branch off and I want to help all of the other local designers and all the other entrepreneurs that I can help,” he said, “Plant seeds, and help them formulate their businesses.”
His friend and brand ambassador Marcell TBE Mus’ab Washington agreed, saying it is about a whole lot more than just a clothing brand.
“Definitely more into helping the community and helping people out like he was saying.”
Washington said, “We are into building in our community and cleaning up versus tearing down.”
Newsome puts a special emphasis on the Syracuse community, which is where he wants to build up the most.
“A lot of times people will become successful in the city they are from and then move,” he said, “I want to become successful here and build here, plant seeds in the people here and the community here and watch that grow.”
