via The Raga Closet/Kwame Simpson
Dec. 11, 2018 By Laura Hanrahan
A new thrift store in Ridgewood is combining fashion and social inclusivity.
The Raga Closet, located at 1080 Wyckoff Ave., opened just a few months ago with the mission of being a welcoming and environmentally-friendly shop for all people.
The store stocks unconventional thrifted clothing selected with sustainability and affordability in mind. It has a designated $5 clothing rack, for instance, as well as sliding-scale sale days.
Its styles, meanwhile, are atypical and androgynous.
The Raga Closet’s signature look—the “crotch top”—epitomizes the shops values, as the top is made by repurposing pants into an unconventional design.
“‘Raga itself means to defy social constructs through living unapologetically and limitless,” said Kwame Simpson, the 24-year-old owner of the shop. “The Raga Closet aims to infuse this raga lifestyle greatly when approaching fashion.”
Simpson, a native of Guyana, moved to East New York in 2009 and later attended The New School, where he first came up with the concept for the Raga brand.
Simpson said inspiration struck after he noticed a lack of affordable and varied clothing options in the city.
Starting a business at a young age, however, was not without its difficulties, with Simpson noting that it took much effort to secure a space that would allow his concept to grow.
The Raga Closet, with its September opening, joins several thrift shops in the Bushwick and Ridgewood areas.
For more information on the brand and shop hours, visit www.theragacloset.com
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