Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The St’Artup 317 retail accelerator is expanding at the Stutz, where hair care company HBH Professional and streetwear company Nate Redd fill storefronts in the former car factory at the intersection of 11th Street and Capitol Avenue.
Each business occupies 500 square feet, with Nate Redd following previous St’Artup 317 affiliate WDRFA (an initialism for “We Don’t Run from Adversity”) in one spot and HBH Professional moving into a space that hasn’t been occupied since the renovated Stutz opened in 2023.
WDRFA sold its streetwear items at the Stutz from August 2023 to June 2024 as part of St’Artup 317, a short-term showcase for businesses on the path to becoming long-term tenants elsewhere in the city.
Catherine Esselman, program director for St’Artup 317 and founder of Cat Consulting LLC, said WDRFA grew its customer base by having a brick-and-mortar presence. The WDRFA website indicates a new location for the company is to be announced.
“We’ve learned a lot about foot traffic and telling people we’re here,” Esselman said of the Stutz, adding that WDRFA owners Mike Gillis and Gary Patterson excel at marketing their clothes. “We’re excited to see these two new brands and how they tell their story.”
St’Artup 317 debuted in 2018 as a partnership between Downtown Indy Inc., the city of Indianapolis and Pattern—a not-for-profit that defines its mission as supporting Indiana’s creative economy. Before forging an agreement with Stutz developer SomeraRoad, St’Artup 317 placed retailers in locations such as Circle Centre Mall, Indianapolis City Market and Circle City Industrial Complex.
HBH Professional, a name inspired by the phrase “Hello Beautiful Hair,” opened this week at the Stutz. Nate Redd plans to open this weekend. Both businesses are scheduled to serve customers at the Stutz through May 2025.
Husband-and-wife team D’Angelo Williams and A’Bryanna Williams founded HBH Professional as an online retailer in 2022. A’Bryanna, a licensed cosmetologist, said the shampoo, conditioner and scalp oil products she formulated are for foundational hair care as opposed to being styling products.
“We’re about the hair concerns and the scalp concerns to keep your hair clean and healthy,” said A’Bryanna, a Pike High School alum.
The work of HBH Professional echoes iconic Indianapolis entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, who catered to foundational hair needs of Black women more than a century ago.
“It feels amazing to be down the street,” from the Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., A’Bryanna said. “I feel like this is exactly what we’re meant to be doing.”
Ron Williams, an alum of George Washington High School, launched his Nate Redd streetwear company in 2013. The Nate Redd name is derived from Williams’ middle name, Nathaniel, and an affection for the color red he shared with his late mother. Tags on Nate Redd shirts, shorts and pants feature the image of a cardinal, which adds red and also celebrates Indiana’s state bird.
Williams said celebrities such as R&B singer Tank and comedian Affion Crockett have worn Nate Redd gear to help build awareness of the brand.
Although Nate Redd doesn’t make athletic footwear, Williams said sneakers influence the company’s style.
“I cater to sneakerheads,” Williams said. “I see a shoe and try to figure out what would look right with that shoe. Everything in here is based on a shoe I’ve seen.”
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.