Meet the Robinsons. The Black love this married couple/business partners exude is exemplary. Creative entertainment execs Stan (Substantial) and Rachelle join us to celebrate this special issue.
It is beautiful to be able to build a business with the person you love, how did you first meet?
We met at Pratt Institute, an art and design school located in Brooklyn, NY. Stan was studying graphic design and I was studying fashion design. We became friends our freshman year and started dating our sophomore year.
What are some of the unique challenges you feel Black families face today?
Some unique challenges we feel Black families face today are access to quality healthcare and support for undiagnosed mental health issues, limited knowledge of how to access community resources, and low performing schools.
How has having a family impacted the way your art and the way you approach business?
Having a family encourages you to work harder and in earnest. Having a family you realize very quickly the value of your time. The challenges are finding the time to do everything you want to do and knowing that you will not be able to give 100% to anything.
In what ways has parenting brought you closer together?
We are partners. We share responsibilities, from cooking to general housework, we work together and support one another. If one of us is cooking the other is engaging the kids. We move together as a family and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. We believe strongly in communicating with each other and our kids. Even before the pandemic, we ate most of our meals as a family. We have a strong foundation in our relationship which has made us better parents.
Share with us some of the services Substantial Art & Music offers artists and creatives.
Substantial Art & Music (SAM) is a multimedia organization focused on providing consulting services to the art and music community. SAM was born out of a need to help visual and performing artists with social media marketing, brand development, design, programming as well as provide knowledge-based resources.
What would you say is vital to balancing your relationship and careers?
We divide the workload based on our strengths. I handle more of the administrative and client engagement while Stan focuses more of the design and technology. Scheduling is also very vital as well to ensure we maintain work-life balance.
Rachelle, you have a fashion brand called ChezChelle. Tell us about the name and product line.
The name ChezChelle is a play on words from a pet name my Haitian parents gave me as a child, Chechelle. The word Chez means house in French, together Chez Chelle means house of Chelle. ChezChelle is a brand I created in 2013 where I created custom garments and accessories.
You released a collaborative project with Marcus D as Bop Alloy back in December, How did it differ from your previous material?
Winter Breaks 2 is a holiday themed release featuring music inspired by the ups and downs of the holidays. Some of the songs reflect on the challenges of celebrating the holidays in a pandemic, following the principles of Kwanzaa year round and reminiscing on the sacrifices our mothers made to ensure that we had a great Christmas. It’s holiday Hip-Hop music with real substance.
How has your view of the way music and fashion are connected?
Musicians have influenced fashion since the beginning. What a musician wears often is a visual representation of their sonic creations. It’s as if we’re trying to dress the way the music makes us feel. Musicians often are sought after as brand ambassadors and often end up starting their own clothing lines. Fashion, just like music, also represents an individual’s cultural background, where they come from and how they want to be perceived.
Do you have advice for couples considering working together professionally?
For couples considering working together, they must start with a strong foundation. In order to be successful, you have to establish a partnership where roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and play to each other’s strengths. You should not only love one another, but have mutual respect for each other. Couples should value each other’s opinion, ideas, contribution, and love language.
Tell us the most beautiful thing about your spouse.
The most beautiful thing about Stan is how caring he is. He is a great provider and supporter. He’s my best friend and number one cheerleader. He is a great father and father figure to countless students and mentees. He’s passionate about his art, but is also willing to share his knowledge because he genuinely wants to see everyone win.
The most beautiful thing about Chelle is her constant focus to serve something greater than herself. Family, friends, community, clients, etc. She’s more than I ever imagined in a partner and as lucky as I am to call her wife/partner, our daughters are perhaps the luckiest of all. She’s an awesome role model and advocate to them and leads by example.
BE’N ORIGINAL
