Business & Tech

Double Up Brings Custom Streetwear to Ferndale

"We want people to have fun with fashion," owner Ray Charles Colville says of the boutique that opened Friday on Woodward Avenue.

Double Up, a custom streetwear boutique that opened Friday at 22730 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale, will cater to customers with a creative bent and hip-hop sensibilities.

Owner Ray Charles Colville of Ferndale, who also owns Double Up locations in Birmingham and East Lansing, said he hopes the high-end streetwear shop will serve as a "communications hub" where fashion, music and culture meet.

Double Up will sell men's streetwear, hats and sneakers; provide custom tailoring for casual clothing; and put on in-store events featuring local musicians. Eventually, the boutique will sell a limited selection of women's clothing, as well, Colville said.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"We want people to have fun with fashion. A lot of people take it so serious," he said. "That's why we're bringing (custom tailor Kelley Hice of Detroit) into the picture. There's nobody who tailors daily clothes. You can only get a suit tailored."

Hice will work with customers who bring in casual clothing for tailoring or want to propose a design. For example, he recently used a vintage Givenchy scarf to create a custom T-shirt for a client.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"My whole background comes from thrifting, finding these vintage pieces and then repurposing them to make them wearable. All the greatest clothes came from the past eras," said Hice, who also will serve as manager and buyer for the Double Up store in Ferndale.

Joe Robinson, a graduate of University High School in Ferndale who now lives in Detroit and promotes Metro area musicians, rounds out the team at Double Up in Ferndale. He will bring artists into the boutique – which is outfitted with a Ping-Pong table and sound system – for events, including meet-and-greets and performances.

"This is a community hub for streetwear, whether it's music, fashion or culture," Double Up owner Colville said.

Visit dbl-up.com or follow @DoubleUpFerndale on Instagram for more information. The boutique will be open 1-8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday; Double Up will be closed Monday. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here