When Michelene Auguste first arrived in New York ten years ago by way of Trinidad and Tobago—after modeling in London and Paris—she didn’t plan on opening a vintage shop. But after bouncing between boroughs and collecting pieces that felt like home, she turned a pop-up into a vibrant storefront.
Studio Dem, now three years deep in Williamsburg, is more than a place to cop a look. It’s a cultural touchpoint connecting shoppers to Auguste’s Caribbean heritage and style wisdom honed through generations of matriarchs.
Photo courtesy of Studio Dem.
Michelene’s love for fashion goes way back to childhood, when she’d watch her mother and aunties get ready to leave the house. She also credits her grandmother, Dr. Molly Ahye, a dancer, orisha priestess, and cultural activist, with shaping her appreciation for garments as storytelling. “I wanted it to feel Caribbean,” Michelene says. “And I wanted to create a space for Caribbean artists and designers.”
That intention of Studio Dem is felt the moment you step through the door. “It’s like a museum of all our trinkets and art and pieces,” she explains. Painted flags, rich textures, and vibrant prints make the shop feel like a breakaway from the luxury familiars that now line the streets of Williamsburg.
Before opening her shop, Michelene sold vintage online, but quickly realized New York’s energy called for something more tactile. “With vintage, you kind of want to try things on,” she says. Her first Lower East Side pop-up turned into something real when people started showing up and staying. “I made the space feel like home and people loved it.”
Michelene is intentional about taking up space — even if it ruffles feathers. “We had a steel pan guy outside and neighbors called the police,” she recalls. “But the cops were like, ‘You’re not doing anything wrong.’” In a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, her shop stands as a source of joy and resistance, and harkens back to a time when the historically Puerto Rican neighborhood had fewer luxury shops and more brown skin.
Dem is also expanding its vibe. Now, patrons can grab a coffee, take a seat, and linger, and Michelene sends an open call to collaborate with other Black and brown creatives. “I want the space to feel like a community experience,” she says.
In a city sometimes unrecognizable by long-time residents, Studio Dem reminds shoppers, admirers, and passersby that New York would be nothing without its diasporic roots.
Photo courtesy of Studio Dem.
