Black-owned boutique in West Philadelphia receives grant from Beyonce

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Grant Blvd, a Black-owned clothing boutique located on the 3600 block of Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia, won a $10,000 grant from Beyonce.

The all female-owned shop is all about women supporting other women. Recently the owner Kimberly McGlonn learned that she was awarded a BeyGood grant.

The pop star's charitable organization partnered with the NAACP to help support small Black-owned businesses during the pandemic. Grant Blvd was the only local business in the Philadelphia-area to receive the prestigious honor out of thousands of applicants across the country.

"We were one of the recipients of the Bey Grant, featured on the website and our picture. It was so amazing, we're on Beyonce's website," said Director of Design Nevada Gray.

Since being recognized by Beyonce, Grant Blvd has seen a boost in sales. While the business was created in 2017, the storefront opened in the summer, during the pandemic. Before all sales were online.

All fashion is handmade by a team of seven women. The mission is sustainability.

"I think our brand reflects that you can have it all. You can have the fashionable attires, but you can still have your principles. You can still be a part of the community. You can still stand for something," Gray said.

Many of the clothes are made from scrap from big retailers. The designers use men's wear and reclaim it into all sorts of clothing for women.

Another big mission for the shop is creating job opportunities for women in the community. The creators want it to be a safe haven for women who were incarcerated and have trouble finding work given their criminal record. Part of the BeyGood grant money they intend to use to create more jobs.

Right now the boutique is focused on getting their spring line out, but these hard-working designers hope to one day see Beyonce, herself, strutting something they produced.