The 80’s were The Blueprint
If you’ve been to The Get Down, you probably know our owner — Houston White. You may also know that he owns a brand in Target called Houston White, and that the mission of this clothing line falls right in line with our mission here at the cafe.
The simultaneous coming to life of The Get Down and Houston White has worked in tandem to bring quality and culture to folks in whatever ways our business can — whether that be through clothes or coffee.
The cafe opened in November of 2020, but our relationship with Target was already established. The Get Down’s first real presence started in Target, when we got our house bean blends on Target shelves. After about a year of sales, the cafe opened, and simultaneously plans were in the works for a Houston White clothing line at Target.
The mission of the cafe as we opened was to bring diversity to specialty coffee — to promote change in an industry that had fallen victim to homogeneity. We noticed that coffee tasted really similar throughout the Twin Cities, and the people behind the bar at our neighborhood cafes all looked very similar as well. We knew we needed to bring something different to the specialty coffee industry, and as you could guess, we and Houston were working to bring this to the clothing industry as well.
Houston White clothing takes inspiration primarily from the 80’s, the time period that most influenced his personal style, but also a time that was bold and diverse when it came to the fashion scene. The 80’s marked a time where you could wear just about anything if you styled it the right way, and people would go all out with everyday wear. From penny loafers, to velour tracksuits, to padded shoulders, to flashy hair and nails — people made sure they were seen. Folks took pride in the way they dressed, and culture was conveyed through clothes in a way we don’t see in other generations.
This inspiration has led to the creation of multiple Target collections, and many more to come. Houston’s collections are unisex, can be worn by anyone, and offer color, flair, and boldness to everyday wear. The collections place an emphasis on texture and color, as these two things are hallmarks of what made the 80’s so beautiful and also lead to the creation of a very wide range of clothing.
If you’re looking for quality textures, patterns, and fabrics — you know where to shop. Just because it’s not the 80’s anymore doesn't mean you can’t be eye-catching in your everyday clothes.
We hope to collectively be offering you quality in our service and coffee, but also the best pieces to come to the cafe looking fly in.
