BAU-HŌUSE and Pensole Lewis College partner to offer design workshops to Flint community

FLINT, Michigan — Last month, the downtown Flint streetwear store BAU-HŌUSE (511 Buckham Alley) hosted an exclusive design workshop in collaboration with Pensole Lewis College (PLC Detroit) and guest speaker E Scott Morris who is a former executive designer for Reebok and Nike.

“Creativity truly makes the world go around, and the power of design is literally in everything we can see, hear, and touch,” said Lee G. Allen Jr., CEO and co-founder of BAU-HŌUSE. “Once a creative person understands the principles of design, they can apply them to any design form, from architecture to footwear.”

This is why the collaboration with Pensole Lewis College was so important to the BAU-HŌUSE team as its core mission is to develop innovative opportunities by offering learning workshops and events to students and community members. 

According to Allen Jr., “The process of becoming a community partner started through social media. I contacted Pensole Lewis College via Instagram about a workshop we were organizing in the Detroit community. I asked if BAU-HŌUSE could partner with them and offer design education opportunities to students in Flint. My goal was to provide the city with an opportunity that I didn’t have when I wanted to pursue a career in fashion or design in grade school.”

Pensole Lewis College is a Historically Black College that is known for its specialization in business, design, and product creation. As a business looking to expand its impact and grow into the arts education sector, for BAU-HŌUSE this was an ideal collaboration that would offer a creative space and learning opportunities to the community.

“I strongly believe that the workshops have had a positive impact on the community in several ways. Firstly, local artists and designers have had the opportunity to learn design principles for free which they would normally have to pay for,” said Allen Jr.

Allen Jr. also shared that the design workshops are also beneficial because they are taught and led by industry professionals who are some of the biggest artists and creatives in the Flint area. 

According to Allen Jr., “It also shows Flint residents that they can be inspired to create, learn, and grow their design skills without having to leave Flint. The external design community gets to see the talent that Flint designers possess, giving the world a sneak peek of what Flint designers are capable of.”

Originally founded by Allen Jr., and Antonio Forte as an art space and streetwear pop-up shop, BAU-HŌUSE made its debut as an apparel shop and art gallery in the summer of 2022. Since then, BAU-HŌUSE has been on a journey to fulfill its mission of fostering true connectivity and collaboration within and beyond the greater Flint area through a love of fashion, art, design, and shared experiences. 

In celebration of Juneteenth and BAU-HŌUSE’s second anniversary this year, the business has a calendar full of community events, merchandise premieres, art exhibitions, and design pop-up shops scheduled.

To learn more about BAU-HŌUSE and its community efforts, visit its website here and find it on Instagram.