HOUSTON
What if I told you there’s a new clothing store specifically for men? And this store sold the latest, trendiest fashions at prices that won’t break the bank? Plus, what if I told this store is centrally located and yes, big fellas, they’ve got you covered.
Well that store exists. Harvard Blvd is the creation of brothers Brandon, Mark and Kin Eaton. Their dream of owning a store catering to men began in their hometown of Los Angeles and is now being fulfilled in Houston’s Third Ward. Harvard Blvd is more than just the name of a clothing store, it tells the journey the Eaton brothers took to get here.
2225 Harvard Blvd, Apt. G is where it started. A strong sense of community has always been the main fabric for the Eaton family.
“Our grandmother lived in the same apartment building,” said Brandon. “Mother and father in the house. Family was always important to us.”
That family feeling stretched out into their community, even when the community started changing for the worse. They lived through the uprising over the Rodney King verdict that tore neighborhoods apart.
“Before I got too caught up in the streets, my mother decided it was time for us to move. The family uprooted to Houston in 1997,” Brandon said.
Moving from California to Texas didn’t change the family’s mentality. That strong sense of community that was rooted in Los Angeles has been watered and still growing in Houston. The Third Ward is the perfect spot to launch a clothing store, according to Brandon.
“The Third Ward is a historic area and we wanted to bring the Third Ward community together,” he said. When you walk into Harvard Blvd, you notice the bright, clean look of a brand new store. They have eye-catching fashions that cater to men with the trendiest styles that come in all colors and sizes, even plus sizes. The concept of those styles came from Brandon’s sister.
“She would visit from California and wear clothing that influenced what style we wanted in this store,” he said.
A wall dedicated to Los Angeles brings you back to the sense of community. Pictures, taken by Brandon, serve as decoration for customers, but are reminders of where he came from. The apartment building where he grew up, a scene from the L.A. riots, the Los Angeles Coliseum, and sorry Rockets fans, a picture of Kobe Bryant posterizing former Houston center Dwight Howard.
One article of clothing that caught my attention was a t-shirt that read “Black Wall Street.” This commemorates the 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma Black business owners who thrived during racial segregation, only to have their businesses destroyed by racists because of anger and jealousy. Still that sense of community, binding ties and standing together remain an intricate part of Harvard Blvd. Houston’s Third Ward, with the help of Brandon and his family, is striving to bring “Black Wall Street” back.