Haus Cafe x LamierLee

Written by: Brianna Angeliz

In 2021, I attended my first college. I took a class that I don’t recall the name of. But what I vividly remember is learning about ideation. Ideation is the formation of ideas and concepts. To better understand this, the Professor had us draw an ideation map of our lives, connecting important events that make us. 

Lamier was in this class. 

I remember him drawing a sewing machine and discussing how he wanted to design clothes. I transferred out of that school and took this ideation lesson with me, as well as the impression Lamier had made on me, and how passionate he was about discussing his ideas. Since 2021, I have had the honor of seeing Lamier grow his idea. Not only did he learn how to use a sewing machine, but he has created a household brand. 

After college graduation, most early to mid-twenty-year-olds either hit the bed to catch up on all the lost sleep or book a backpacking trip to travel to Japan or Italy (yes, this happens for the rest of our lives).

Not for designer Lamier and his brand Lamierlee. Back in January, when he graduated, Lamier took this common post-graduate existentialism to create. Lamier said that there was no end-of-year project at his university, so a pop-up would be at least that. After four months of detailed hard work and a lot of prayer, Lamier made this vision into reality this past May 4th at Zen Haus in Ridgewood, NJ. 

This was the debut of his first collection titled Interlude. He was introduced to Haus Cafe a little over a year ago through his friend Michelle, who worked there, and she had given Lamier insight that the owner, Jaime, wanted to do something more creative with the café. He shared that he has always loved cafes and recalled times when he was younger with his friends going to New York and standing in lines for pop-ups at Kith, Supreme, and Bape. One can say this speaks to the power connections have, whether with people or memories, and how it can be utilized for the good of a community. 

Lamier spoke on the idea of “bridging the gap.” Collaborations with fashion designers and spaces outside of this framework can shine light on creatives that don’t necessarily get the attention that they deserve. He mentioned how in most circumstances, the “trickle up theory” comes into play and that it starts with us (the people and our ideas) and then goes on to luxury brands and/or top of whatever food chain we find ourselves in. 

When Zen Haus was locked in, Lamier contacted Blossom to Life, owned by Alex, whom he met through a mutual friend in 2021. If there are some things designer and creative Lamier loves, it is free things and gardens, hence why Lamier paid Alex in advance at the pop-up, where guests would be greeted with bouquets. This quickly shifted to the designers Buy Her Flowers campaign. What started as a joke expanded to the value of how important it is to make the women in your life feel special. Something Lamier did at his pop-up. 

As if well-crafted free flowers weren’t enough to brighten someone’s day, anyone who went to the pop-up was also blessed with a gift bag courtesy of one of Lamier’s friends, Pam, who runs Valdez Agency, a fully self-owned and operated content creation/marketing agency. The gift included tangible supplies from brands such as Curology, Cetaphil, Twisted Lilly, Myna Snack cookies, Mezcla Protein bars, and Ceremonia hair products. There was even an interactive portion throughout the event where guests could help build a LEGO set specifically customized for Lamier. 

The event took place from 2 pm-8 pm, where guests had the opportunity to talk with designer Lamier himself and mingle with other guests. There was a display of cut and sewn garments, sweatpants, shorts, and  new t-shirts, which are currently available online. 

If you follow Lamier on Instagram, the designer is primarily a cut-and-sew designer, and these Buy Her Flower shirts are contrary to his previous work. Lamier shared that he never wanted to let go of the street wear edge that first cemented his love for high fashion, and for the most part, he loves screen printing. 

The day was rainy, and despite this causing some anxiety for Lamier, his trust in God was greater. As God always shows up, there was an influx of people who attended the six-hour event. Lamier described the setting as there was a lot of love in the room where a lot of great conversations took place.

One thing Lamier hopes that people got from the event is the truth that you can do it too. Such a sentiment is the essence of everything Lamier does and his main drive for what he does on social media. 

When asked if Lamier could describe the day in one word, it would be: fun. On social media, he can appear to be a stoic and focused designer, but his kind and open heart transcends. He shared that God set him apart for a reason. From being the college kid who would work on sewing tote bags in his dorm until 4 am to getting ready for class at 6:45 am, he has always understood that his fun is different. What he started in his dorm room is growing and will outlive him. And this collaboration with HauseCafe was just the first public display of this.

LamierLee x Haus Cafe

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