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Black culture took center stage during NBA All-Star Weekend, and it was on display at Circle Centre Mall.
The downtown Indianapolis mall attracted bigger crowds than it has seen in years as fans swarmed temporary pop-up stores selling exclusive sneakers and sports gear associated with NBA All-Star Weekend. Among the mall’s 20 pop-up stores this weekend were two shops showcasing Black clothing designers.
The HBCU Store, operated by Baltimore-based CollegiateLuxe, offered clothing for about 30 historically Black colleges and universities, including Howard University, Morgan State University, Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University.
CollegiateLuxe founder Ande Wallace said he started the brand in 2020 because people who wanted HBCU gear often had difficulty finding it. The company has licenses to produce merchandise for about 80% of the country’s 105 HBCUs.
“It’s very important to show the younger generation where the older generation is coming from and the journey it takes to get where they’re at and to want to learn and have places where they can go to get a higher education,” Wallace said.
This was Wallace’s second NBA All-Star Weekend. He opened a pop-up HBCU Store in 2022 when Cleveland hosted the event.
He said it was important to open a shop this weekend to serve people attending the NBA HBCU Classic between Virginia Union and Winston-Salem State, who played Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“Indianapolis is a blessing,” he said. “The marketplace is vibrant. They support us. They embraced us. And we want to say thank you for the support and the love they show us.”
Down the hall on Circle Centre Mall’s second floor, Jalen McCallum sold clothing from his brand HEROES, or Hustle Everyday Reaching Out to Every Soul.
McCallum and four other designers showcased their work at a pop-up store organized by Indianapolis designer Monty Matuka, who operates the clothing brand MELI, or More Equality Less Ignorance.
“We are all Black-owned brands. We all represent the Midwest and Indianapolis. We all want to see each other win, and that’s something that’s big in our community,” McCallum said.
“Collaborating, it just brings people together. And what we’re trying to do is not single anyone out but lift each other up.”
McCallum, a Marion native who played basketball at IUPUI, previously attended NBA All-Star Weekends in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago and Los Angeles.
“For it to come back to my hometown and being a basketball player myself, it’s amazing,” McCallum said. “It’s great for the city, and it just brings people together and that’s really great.”
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