FLIGHT STUDIOS LANDS IN NEW HAVEN
CAFETERIA CHATS WITH FOUNDERS AMBER & JAMES ON NOSTALGIA, SUSTAINABILITY & PRESERVING THE LEGACY OF BLACK FASHION
Walking into Flight Studios is like walking into a time capsule. Upon entry, you’re immediately greeted with a technicolor whirlwind of nostalgia. Neon pink Pac Man arcades, framed posters of Aaliyah, Britney Spears, Malcolm X and Tupac line the walls, while a stack of thick TVs playing reruns decorate each corner. Nestled on 1 Grand Ave by the Quinnipiac River, Flight Studios is a time machine posing as a vintage clothing store.
First founded in 2017, co-founders Amber and James transported their Hamden shop to New Haven, bringing their love of 80s and 90s fashion (with a splash of Y2K) to the charming location. “In the back of our minds, we always had a feeling that we would do well in New Haven,” Amber shares. Collectors at heart, Amber and James take pride in presenting premium vintage clothing, staying ahead of the trends by going straight to the source. At a time when fast fashion brands are collaborating with Baby Phat and FUBU, Flight Studios offers the originals, reminding today’s generation of the impact of Black fashion brands. “These pieces need to live on and people need to remember their impact,” Amber continues.
Offering a robust selection of both men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, Flight Studios is for the stylish and sentimental. Whether you’re a serious student of streetwear or a casual clothing connoisseur, Flight Studios is worth the visit.
Continue scrolling to read the full interview.
Cafeteria: What inspired you to start Flight Studios?
Amber: We're collectors first and have always been into fashion, but vintage clothing is our niche — anything from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. That time period is our specialty. We started out in Hamden in 2017, but alway had a feeling in the back of our heads that Flight Studios would do well in New Haven and wanted to set up shop here.
How would you describe the store’s aesthetic?
Amber: Nostalgia is definitely our aesthetic, anything from your childhood memories — that’s what we have in our store. We try to take people back in time, not just with the clothes we carry, but with how we’ve decorated the shop as well. We want to remind you of being a kid again.
In a digital first age, do you think brick and mortar stores still have value? What vibe are you trying to bring to the community?
Amber: We’re trying to encourage people to shop sustainable, pre-owned clothing. There are a lot of fast fashion brands out there, but we want to promote the importance of secondhand clothing and let the community know that you can still get a good deal, buy cool clothes, rock it and feel comfortable without breaking the bank.
James: One thing about us — we try to specialize in premium vintage. There are a lot of vintage stores to choose from and a lot of trends, but we try to focus on quality as well as quantity. We’re looking for the cream of the crop, everything is cleaned, washed and hand-picked by Amber and I. Our goal is to seek out and offer high quality statement pieces. We take pride in providing clean, premium vintage pieces.
How do you navigate the stigma around second-hand clothing and encourage people to look at vintage as a first option when shopping?
James: If you look at a lot of contemporary streetwear brands, they’re all inspired by vintage. Reworked Carhatt for example, is a riff on their vintage styles. Visiting vintage boutiques like ours will actually set you ahead of the trend curve, so it’s better to shop vintage first instead opting for a copy or something that’s been remade.
Amber: I’ve also noticed that a lot of fast fashion brands like Shein will reproduce something that already existed in the early 2000s, but the quality is horrible. The quality of clothing made nowadays is terrible – it’ll tear and rip. When you wash it, the fabric frays. You’re getting what you pay for when you buy vintage. A lot of the pieces we carry are older than both James and I, but they’ve lasted so long because they’re made well. Vintage clothing has a lot more life left in it.
Can you speak to the importance of expressing yourself through fashion especially as “urban or Black-coded” aesthetics are often policed and then later co-opted and commodified?
Amber: It’s incredibly important for us to remind people of Black fashion’s influence. Growing up, I wore brands like Rocawear, Baby Phat and Enyce, which are so popular right now. Someone might think, “Oh this is a cute new brand,” but there’s an entire history and legacy behind it. When Forever21 collaborated with FUBU and Baby Phat, we’d have to remind people that these brands have been out for a while. We pride ourselves on having the originals. Black fashion brands are not just an influential part of fashion history and streetwear, but also music as well as the entertainment world. These pieces need to live on and people need to remember their impact.
James: When you look at new brands that are coming out, you see the inspiration from Black brands or they’ll use the same logo, font and materials as those brands, so why not just give recognition to the original? Trends come and go, but when it’s authentic and good quality, it never goes away.
Earlier this year, you had a booth at ComplexCon. As a Connecticut-bred brand, what does it mean for you to be able to share Flight Studios beyond the state’s borders? Do you think local brands have the power to attract people to Connecticut?
James: We take pride in traveling and sharing our brand with other cities. Traveling sheds more light on Connecticut as well. When we visit different states, people are surprised to hear that Connecticut has a fashion scene because New Haven is known for pizza and Yale. Most people just think of New York when they think of East Coast fashion, but naturally, that sprinkles into Connecticut. It’s important for us to travel, show others what Connecticut has to offer and share our culture.