For Tahir Murray, founder and CEO of clothes model Legacy Historical past Satisfaction, success isn’t simply outlined by greenback indicators, it’s in regards to the affect. The Howard College Alum and entrepreneur is main a cultural motion by way of vogue, constructing a model that celebrates the legacy of Traditionally Black Schools and Universities (HBCUs) whereas reimagining what it means to put on its pleasure in your chest.
Rising up watching his grandfather, who got here from Trindad and Tobago in quest of the American Dream, Murray says. “He was a shoe cobbler and opened a shoe restore retailer that later grew to become a sneaker store. My dad labored in it too. That retailer was greater than a spot to purchase sneakers, it was a hub for group, for connection, for tradition.”
It was in that small family-owned area that Murray first noticed the ability of fashion as a automobile for storytelling and transformation. That lesson would carry with him by way of faculty and past, inspiring the beginning of Legacy Historical past Satisfaction, a model rooted in heritage and pushed by function.
When Murray stepped onto the campus of Howard College, as a freshman, he instantly observed a distinction within the attire supplied on the establishment’s bookstore. Murray recollects, “Going to the bookstore my freshman yr, I positively noticed only a lack of illustration in terms of simply the design and high quality of products we had within the bookstore in comparison with different colleges and in comparison with PWI’s”
As a substitute of complaining, Murray started working. He got down to design merchandise that matched the vibrancy, excellence, and cultural energy of HBCUs, creating gear that not solely appeared good however carried deeper which means.
“LHP is about matching the power of the HBCU expertise,” he explains. “ So my important focus was how can I create merchandise and construct a model that matches the power that’s rooted within the HBCU spirit and rooted in black tradition.”
Attending an HBCU didn’t simply form Murray’s artistic imaginative and prescient, it resonated in his spirit. He describes his time at Howard as a transformational chapter, one which gave him the braveness to steer with authenticity and function.
“You actually learn to be unapologetically your self,” he says. “Being round people who find themselves dedicated to constructing you up, not simply as a pupil however as an individual, gave me the boldness to grasp who I’m and what I stand for. HBCUs will humble you, however additionally they put together you for the world like no different place can.”
Whereas Murray’s model is understood for its daring designs and high-quality attire, he needs to remind those who LHP is greater than only a clothes firm. It’s a platform for social affect.
“We’ve partnered with the Atlanta HBCU Alumni Alliance on philanthropic initiatives, and certainly one of our greatest collaborations was with Black Lives Matter,” he shares. “That initiative allowed us to offer 1 / 4 of one million {dollars} in scholarships to Black and Brown college students and HBCUs college students.”
Tahir Murray is just strolling within the footsteps of his grandfather, however he’s carving a brand new path. One which honors custom whereas pushing the boundaries of fashion, storytelling, and social change. Legacy Historical past Satisfaction isn’t only a model; it’s a motion. And thru it, Murray is proving that success isn’t measured by what you make, however by what you allow behind.
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