What was once a passion project for founder and interior designer Shannon Maldonado has transformed into a safe space for creatives from all walks of life. Originally a web store, YOWIE is a Philadelphia-based boutique that opened in 2016 to immense support from the city’s art scene. Despite YOWIE’s inaugural success, however, Maldonado noticed a division between creative groups in Philadelphia that she hoped the shop would eventually bridge.

“There’s a really strong undercurrent of community that started to build in the last two years of people starting group collectives or independent galleries—different places where people can gather to show their work,” says Maldonado. “[The scene is] in flux—there are tons of artists, tons of makers, and we have a few art schools. It’s really strong because Philly is a city [where] you can live fairly comfortably while you’re figuring out your art.”

After designing The Deacon, a nearby boutique hotel that doubles as a collaborative event space, Maldonado was inspired to convert YOWIE into a similar concept—bringing artists of different mediums together by creating a hotel space of her own. With eight to 10 rooms currently planned, the new YOWIE will be an extension of the current store, featuring playful, humorous elements and the brand’s signature color, yellow.

Somewhere between a retail shop and community center, the new YOWIE will incubate experimental concepts, further pushing inclusivity for POC guests and those who are interested in creating.

“Just by talking to customers, we’ve gotten a lot of feedback about the lack of spaces for creatives to collaborate or to shoot photography,” says Maldonado about how the concept evolved. “We’ve also got a really great food scene in Philly, so what if there’s a floor [that is] a rental space, a test kitchen, and a photo studio for people to pop in and either work on their own or collaborate with us?” She elaborates, “It was a natural progression of all these ideas we’ve been cooking up in smaller ways. Since getting into interior design, I’ve been wanting to bring more small furniture and accessories into [YOWIE], but our space doesn’t currently allow it, so [we’re] expanding, little by little, into one big ecosystem.”

With ample space for natural light, the eventual YOWIE boutique hotel is anticipated to have high ceilings and pops of color throughout each room. Each suite will also feature pieces for purchase such as totes and T-shirts, and Philadelphia city guides and locally curated playlists will authentically connect visitors to the city.

A Black entrepreneur, Maldonado learned that merely 1% of Black founders receive traditional VC funding. Instead of being discouraged, she’s amplifying The Future of YOWIE through the crowdfunding platform iFundWomen, which genuinely supports her campaign, which ends July 31.

“iFundWomen has a whole course that you can take [on crowdfunding], and I really do believe that’s why we were successful out of the gate with our campaign,” Maldonado says. “Their team is so lovely, and each of them has reached out to me. The cofounder sent me an email yesterday like ‘We’re so proud of you, you’re killing it!’ It’s a very personal experience compared to some of the bigger platforms [where] I felt like I would have just been one of many.”

As YOWIE is currently open part-time during the pandemic, the shop has shifted into the virtual sphere for intimate, hands-on workshops and community conversations, especially in light of recent Black Lives Matter protests. Maintaining engagement with their growing audience, YOWIE recently hosted a fundraiser which donated nearly $8,000 to eight local Black groups—and plans to donate half of proceeds for select shop products to Black organizations each month. Just as iFundWomen elevated YOWIE’s campaign for its hotel space, Maldonado envisions providing POC creatives with similar opportunities to thrive.

“We’ve spoken on civic and social issues in the past [through YOWIE], but when Black Lives Matter was amplified again in the last few months, I finally felt more comfortable talking about those things publicly,” says Maldonado. “This needs to be a bigger part of our brand, that we’re not afraid to speak on social issues and things that are important to us. We’re thinking about this space and how it can really be something that’s great for creatives, but also gives back to the community at large in Philadelphia.”

Visit YOWIE online and support The Future of YOWIE campaign on iFundWomen.

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