“Be Who You Needed When You Were Young” – LAB Talks Cultural Collision Recap
BY EMMA GEARY - OCTOBER 20, 2023
All photos courtesy of Nastia Krinitsyn and Glass House.
In our final LAB Talk of 2023 we were joined by powerhouse creatives Houston White, Hilal Ibrahim of Henna & Hijabs, and Bobby Rogers for a conversation on how cultural collision generates ideas we've never dreamed possible, all while giving a nod to our past. The conversation was moderated by our style crush,Madeline Nachbar, the Trend + Style Editor of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine.
On a crisp fall day at Glass House, over 150 community members gathered to sip on Get Down Coffee Co. brews and connect over style and self. There were many spontaneous rounds of applause, laughter, and connection over the many ways these panelists are showing up for themselves and their community.
As always, I left feeling invigorated and inspired by the many multifaceted creative ways these panelists incorporate their identities into their work. Also, we want to extend a special thanks to Galleria for sponsoring the conversation.
Here are just a few of our favorite moments from the conversation:
On Personal History
Where we’re from is who we are. How does our past shape our future?
Houston White: “I was born in Mississippi and moved to Minneapolis when I was 7. Immediately I fell in love with Prince. The idea of cultural collision came from my history as a multifaceted creative who grew up in these two different spaces. It’s not even a race thing - Mississippi and Minnesota are so different in so many ways, that coming here and colliding those two parts of my life was a way to create something unique. You can’t grow in a room full of people who are the same - you need to surround yourself with different perspectives and experiences to get the best creative result. I challenge myself, and others, to not be so judgemental, and believe the idea of cultural collision is a premium method for social innovation.”
Hilal Ibrahim: “When I wake up every morning and put on my hijab, I’m proudly identifying myself as a Muslim woman. One of the quotes I think of often is, ‘Be who you needed when you were young.’ I get emotional even thinking about it because when I was growing up, there was no one who looked like me in any of these spaces, doing these things. I actually started my career in medical school and created my first medical-grade hijab when I was studying to take the MCAT I saw a need in hospitals for not only myself but Muslim women everywhere, and when the business started to take off I realized I could have a far greater impact in this work than on my original path. My hijabs are now offered in healthcare systems around the world.”
Bobby Rogers: “I grew up in the Twin Cities and moved every six months or so. No matter where I went, it felt like the lack of opportunities was always in my face. It wasn’t until I got to college that I realized all of the things I could do with art. I have always loved drawing, and it wasn’t until my time at MCAD that I understood there could be a real opportunity to build a career on my creativity. That’s why I’ve founded The Bureau, which is a multi-disciplinary creative studio to provide those same opportunities to others. I see myself as the person sitting on top of the wall, pulling people from one side of the barrier to another. As we know, industry is a creature of habit. You give the same people the same opportunities year after year, and the results end up creating a sea of sameness.
On Authentic Partnerships
If you’ve yet to see Houston’s clothing line at Target or shopped Hilal’s hijabs at Nordstrom, consider this your reminder to add to your shopping list. With each panelist’s work being featured on a global scale, we wanted to know how they decide to say “Yes!” when an opportunity comes knocking.
HI: “I like to go where I’m celebrated. I strive for excellence in my own work, and value companies that do the same in both their quality and sustainability efforts. Staying grounded in prayer and meditation are also hugely important for me to stay true to the core of who I am.”
HW: “You have to be willing to walk away if it’s not a fit. I am not for sale, and my experience is something a corporation can never replicate. I move forward with partnerships that showcase the best of myself because my lived experience is who I am, and I’m all about protecting that legacy.”
BR: “Before we approach a project at The Bureau, we try to define our purpose and then move forward by aligning with others who share that same vision. For example, we had the opportunity to work with a large alcohol brand on a campaign. However, most of our team either doesn’t drink or has had their lives affected by alcohol in a negative way. Alcoholism and addiction have negatively impacted our community, and so ultimately we made the decision to pass.”
On What Fuels You
What keeps these creatives coming back to their work on a daily basis? What is it about the communities they serve that inspires them?
HW: For me, the money doesn’t matter as much as the influence and excellence that comes from a project. Urban culture from the inner city is one of the most global and influential references in the world, and I’m proud to continue representing that. I have never had a W2 job in my life, ever. My goal has always been to spend 80% of my time creating, and right now that’s what I do. As someone who has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, I want to bring that energy to others. I want to make more room for collaborations that can help turn that person who’s 5% entrepreneur into someone who is 100%.”
HI: “The driving force in my work is to constantly ask myself, ‘How do I not only do this, but do it in the best way possible?’ I sat next to a woman a few years ago at New York Fashion Week who recognized my hijabs and told me that my company makes ‘the Gucci of hijabs’ which was such a high compliment because that means it’s at the top of the line with other luxury brands.
BR: “I didn’t know if I was good at anything when I was younger, only that I loved to draw, which I didn’t think was an actual skill. I am a working artist on a daily basis, which to me is a success. There are, of course, other moments of success that I’m proud of, like bringing a project to life in New Orleans for Target, which was a first for the company. It is a historically black creative space that I don’t think they would have considered for a campaign photoshoot otherwise, and I was proud to have helped bring that infusion of black creativity into this space.”
On Minneapolis
Minneapolis made us. How does our city inform our creative identities?
HW: “Being a young black boy from Minnesota has been a superpower for me. I think differently than people on the coasts. Building Camdentown Flats in North Minneapolis has been such a vital project to help build cultural capacity in our city. I don’t want to build spaces that just anyone could create, I want to build a uniquely black creative space, which is what we have in Camdentown.”
HI: “I don’t think I could have had the same story and success anywhere but Minnesota.”
BR: “Minneapolis is uniquely positioned as a creative city because we are still growing and have a high creative vitality. I want us to be proud of Minneapolis in the same way people are proud of New York and Los Angeles. I want to build a global audience that sees the best parts of our city and emphasize how collaborative we are – we aren’t in that same coastal competitive cycle.”
After the talk, Houston signed copies of his latest book, Culture Making, which emphasizes the importance of human connection that we all believe in so deeply. The book, available exclusively at Target, makes space for ideas and experiences that unite people instead of pushing them apart, reminds us that our differences make us hip, and that cultural collision is the supreme model for creativity and social innovation.
As another year of LAB Talks comes to a close, we are so thankful to everyone who helped us bring these wonderful mornings to life. We started LAB Talks as an opportunity to connect with people in our community to share their perspectives on relevant topics in business, and design, and ultimately bring people together. We’re looking forward to more connections and conversations in 2024!
Emma Geary
Emma is the one writing it all down. She's been with LAB since 2021 and is finishing her MFA in Creative Writing in her spare time. Her favorite color right now is cobalt blue.
