Áwet New York has launched The Storefront Project, a national retail initiative designed to provide emerging brands with direct access to physical storefronts, with the goal of supporting 2,000 businesses across the U.S. by 2030.
The platform builds on a pilot developed in partnership with UPS, through which Áwet New York has already supported more than 200 brands across key markets. The early model demonstrated that physical retail remains one of the most powerful drivers of customer trust, brand growth and long-term revenue, yet it is often financially and operationally out of reach.
“Access to physical retail is not equal,” said Áwet Woldegebriel, founder of Áwet New York. “For most emerging brands, the door is closed before they ever have the chance to meet their customer in person. The Storefront Project is changing that.”
What the project does is transform underutilized retail space into fully supported short-term storefront activations. Selected brands participate in curated, cohort-based residences — typically spanning three to five days — where they receive retail space, operational infrastructure, and integrated marketing support. However, it can run from a one-day pop-up to a month. There are no upfront costs to participate, and brands retain 100 percent of their revenue, a structure that departs from conventional wholesale or consignment frameworks.
“We provide the platform. Brands keep the upside,” said Woldegebriel, the Eritrean-American designer and entrepreneur who originally established his brand as a luxury fashion label and has since expanded it into a multidisciplinary company spanning fashion, storytelling, hospitality and retail innovation.
A spokeswoman said the short duration is part of what makes the model work. This format allows brands to create in-person engagement, press moments, customer acquisition and real-world retail experience without taking on the financial burden of a permanent storefront. It also creates urgency and energy around each activation.
Each activation is supported by an ecosystem of partners across logistics, technology, marketing and real estate. Shopify powers point-of-sale infrastructure and UPS provides logistics support. Áwet New York is in conversations with additional partners as the initiative expands nationally. Áwet New York is also working with real estate partners to convert vacant storefronts into active commercial and cultural spaces, creating value for landlords, communities and participating businesses alike.
As for the criteria for participating brands, the initial focus is primarily on fashion and beauty brands, including emerging ready-to-wear designers, handbag and accessories brands, jewelry designers, skin care and fragrance companies, or beauty concepts looking to create in-person experiences without the burden of a long-term lease. They are seeking brands with strong product, clear storytelling, and an engaged customer base which they have largely grown online or through wholesale and are now looking to build direct relationships with customers through physical retail.
Elizabeth Clark Zoíá and Áwet Woldegebriel
Christina Holmes
Elizabeth Clark Zoíá, head of partnerships at Áwet New York, described the initiative as both a business model and an industry intervention.
“There’s a clear disconnect between available retail space and the brands that need it,” said Zoíá. “This platform brings together partners across logistics, real estate, finance and technology to create a new pathway into physical retail. It allows brands to show up fully, connect directly with customers, and build long-term value in a way that isn’t previously accessible.”
The program operates through a structured cohort-based system with quarterly application cycles and city-specific activations. The first phase will launch in New York, with planned expansion into Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta, before scaling into additional U.S. markets. Áwet New York will track performance across each activation, measuring revenue, customer engagement, conversion rates and long-term brand growth.
The idea for the project is rooted in the brand’s own origin story. Woldegebriel credits an early opportunity to open a storefront on Bond Street in Manhattan — made possible by Kenneth Cole — as a defining moment in the company’s trajectory.
“That opportunity significantly fueled the growth of our business,” he said. “It allowed us to build meaningful relationships with our clients in a physical environment and accelerated the brand in ways that would not have been possible otherwise. That experience ultimately shaped the foundation of what we’re building now.”
The first participating brand is Cesta Collective, cofounded by Courtney Fasciano and Erin Ryder, and known for its handbags made by artisans in Rwanda and finished in Italy. They will set up a shop this month at 122 Madison Avenue, which will run for about a month.
“As a small brand — it is truly just the two of us — this kind of opportunity is incredibly meaningful,” said Fasciano. “At this stage of our business, having a storefront on our own simply isn’t feasible, so the chance to meet customers in a physical retail environment is both rare and invaluable. That is especially true for a product like ours, which is uniquely tactile and made entirely by hand. Our basket bags are woven in Rwanda by talented female artisans and finished in Italy by skilled leatherworkers — and so much of their beauty lies in the craftsmanship texture and detail. In person, the human element is immediately felt: the care, skill and time that goes into each bag. The opportunity to engage with customers in this way allows us to share the full story behind our products and unique supply chain, connecting in a way that digital alone cannot.”
Ryder added, “The Storefront Project is Áwet to the fullest: building something with purpose, then finding thoughtful ways to share both that purpose and the access it creates. He has always had a way of making room — and with this project, he is doing that in a beautiful, tangible way.”
