A Black-owned company in the nation’s capital is changing the game when it comes to multi-use spaces. Manifest, located at 1807 Florida Ave NW, offers a comprehensive experience for its patrons. It has become a cultural hub in DC – celebrating style, community, and entrepreneurship. Manifest was born from a desire to create a space that caters to multiple aspects of modern urban life. This concept combines grooming services, fashion, caffeine fixes, and nightlife under one roof.
The Barbershop Where Style Meets Skill
Manifest is the brainchild of KJ Hughes, a serial entrepreneur and faculty director of the sports and entertainment business program at the University of Maryland. Hughes and partners Brian Merritt and Susan Morgan envisioned a space that would transcend traditional business models and offer a holistic approach to modern self-care. He then partnered with Snarkitecture, a renowned New York-based design practice, to bring this vision to life. The collaboration resulted in an aesthetically striking and functionally innovative space.
At the core of Manifest is its barbershop. Here, skilled barbers offer a range of grooming services in a stylish, contemporary setting. The barbershop area’s design, with its curved walls and wooden archways, creates an atmosphere of both luxury and comfort. It redefines the traditional barbershop experience. Adjacent to the barbershop, Manifest’s retail space showcases a carefully curated selection of fashion-forward apparel and accessories. The store features a mix of high-end brands such as Rick Owens Drkshw, Issey Miyake Homme Plissé, and Engineered Garments, alongside offerings from Manifest’s in-house label, Of Us.
Terrazzo countertops and thoughtfully designed displays create an inviting shopping environment that complements the space’s overall aesthetic. Then there’s Manifest’s coffee bar, which serves as a daytime gathering spot. It offers a selection of quality beverages in a welcoming atmosphere. Open from Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the coffee shop provides loose-leaf tea from the BIPOC-owned company Aesthete Tea and locally sourced coffee from the Black Acres Roastery. Supporting other minority-owned businesses further affirms Manifest’s dedication to community empowerment.
Why You Should Visit Manifest
Manifest represents a new wave of Black-owned businesses reshaping urban landscapes and redefining community spaces. By combining a barbershop, clothing store, coffee bar, and speakeasy, Manifest offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience that caters to various aspects of modern urban life. If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area and need a new hairstyle, fashionable clothing, a coffee fix, or the perfect night out, Manifest is the place to go.
