HubThreads: Celebrating Boston Street Style

Photo by Diana Levine

Critics say this city has no style. We’re here to prove them wrong. Welcome to HubThreads, where we chat with the most stylish people we find out and about in Boston. Think you or someone you know has the best street style? Let us know.

GIBRAN

So you and I met back in the day on a photo shoot for Converse. What’s going on with you? I’m the retail store manager on Newbury Street for ’47.

Are you still modeling? Indeed. I have not stopped, it’s never gonna end for me on my side.

Have you done any cool shoots recently? The last thing I did that was pretty fun was a New Balance shoot with my mom. We got a billboard in Times Square which was really cool. That’s like full circle, that I got to do a photoshoot with my mother who is a Dominican woman from nowhere.

That is so cool! What campaign was it for? They reintroduced their classics collection, so the story was that the brand transcends time. They had sneakers on my mom and me and the story was like old-school-meets-new-school, but it’s still the same funky fresh. It was awesome.

Did you recommend your mom for the job? My agency in NYC sent me the casting for it, and they were looking for parents. I sent out my photos and New Balance just loved the way that my mom and I looked together.

Is your style influenced by your mom at all? Heck yeah! Especially how she accessorizes. In the Dominican culture you wear a lot of jewelry, so growing up I would do that in my own funky way. And I love the way that she color blocks.

Do you have any other style icons? A couple of my close friends and people that I’ve worked with, like Virgil Abloh, I worked with him back in the day. And Joe Perez, who is one of my best friends. He has this brand called Mason in Providence that’s really popular. Also, Jerry Lorenzo from Fear of God.

Providence seems to be getting cooler and cooler. Come down anytime and I will show you around.

Where do you like to shop in Boston? Definitely the ’47 store, AWOL, Bodega, Concepts, those kind of major street wear brands.

Have you been to the new Concepts store on Newbury? Good right? ’47 has always had a really dope relationship with them. I love everything they do.

How did you get involved in retail? A good friend of mine was working at the shop first and he needed a good team partner. I was one of the first people he hit up, and I’ve been there every since, about four years.

It must be a lot to model and work at the store. It can be if you allow it to be. But it’s what I love and luckily I get to schedule myself, so I maximize.