There is no wonder why vintage styles always come back with a vengeance. From a young age, girls want to play dress up in their mother’s closet and as they get older, want to mimic the eternal grace of the Dorothy’s and Lena’s. Dandridge’s sexy high-waist ruby red skirt and Horne’s very femininely tailored pieces are blended with modern flare to produce free base apparel, euphoric in its anatomy. Enter Crakk House, senior film major Chinaedu “Chi Chi” Nwadibia’s out-of-home boutique. She takes the work out of sorting through the endless racks of charitable donations to find the flyest of pieces for the fierce closets of the Howard fashion elite. Crakk House is as addictive as its namesake claims and has attracted everyone from hardcore thrifters to vintage newbies searching for the perfect piece to spice up their wardrobe.
The Grind: Why did you start Crakk House?
Chi Chi: I saw the rising trend in “vintage” clothing and wanted to bring the
vintage look to those who didn’t to rummage through estate
sales/thrift stores etc. I also love buying and controlling my own
stores and hooking people up with pieces that are unique, timeless and
really accent their personal style.
The Grind: How did you come up with the name of Crakk House?
Chi Chi: “Crakk House” comes from a long line of names for my boutique.
Eventually I just thought, “hey all my shit (clothes, jewelry, bags and
shoes) are “crakk” and I sell them out of my house…so I guess I’ll
name it…Crakk House!
The Grind: What Type of People Shop at Crakk house?
Chi Chi: Many of my customers are men and women ages 18-35 of all races & creeds.
The Grind: What is the inspiration for the pieces you chose?
Chi Chi: Whenever I choose a piece, I try to imagine what type of person would
buy/love it. I try to step out of my own style and think about current
trends that I might not choose for myself, but would look great on
someone else.
The Grind: What are your plans for life after college?
Chi Chi: I plan to maintain Crakk House and take it wherever I go. I probably
won’t have a venue to sell from so I might just participate in Trunk
shows and have viewing by appointment. I also want to go to a graduate
arts school in New York City and go on to pursue a career in fashion
photography.
The Grind: I see you like photography…
Chi Chi: I love, love, love photography!
The Grind: What else do you love?
Chi Chi: Healthy living and reading good books.
The Grind: Who are some of your Favorite designers?
Chi Chi: Marc Jacobs
Missoni
Alexis Phifer: Gita
Adrienne Yancy: Ariel Simone
Chloe
Balenciaga
The Grind: Right now, there is a lot of talk about racism in the fashion industry, what are your thoughts?
Chi Chi: The fashion industry is always changing and growing and is still
controlled by the fact that its core aesthetic values are deeply based
on a Western European ideal.
