BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — On the third floor of the Mall of America, right across from Nordstrom Rack, sits 4 The Love. It's a clothing store working to change the community one design at a time.
"It's been great. Literally better than I could have ever imagined," said Dave Wanpue, 4 The Love founder.
Wanpue says he secured the 4 The Love storefront after graduating from the Community Commons program two years ago.
Community Commons is a new program at the Mall of America helping minority-owned businesses get a leg up by letting them build their brand for free.
Many businesses have already gone through the program and eventually opened their own storefronts in the mall.
"It was a dream of mine since a kid to have my own storefront in the Mall of America," said Wanpue.
The store has been drawing people in since day one. Wanpue says his logo is what usually attracts customers. His logo symbolizes culture, community, and love.
"I grew up over North Minneapolis. The people that were in my environment just come from so many different backgrounds, and I learned to celebrate those differences. The different shades and ethnicities, that representation is very important to me," said Wanpue.
Wanpue set out to create a brand people can relate to with his love for people and his community in mind.
"I'm always hearing, 'Oh, this is super dope. We don't have nothing like this back at home.'" said Wanpue.
Right now, 4 The Love is the only brick-and-mortar. Dave says he's there every day, waiting to greet customers with a smile.
"All my customers, I'm really accessible to them, and I think that's something they enjoy," he said.
Dave doesn't limit that accessibility to the walls of Mall of America. Getting out into the community and being of service to others is also a priority.
"I went to Robbinsdale-Cooper High School, and I support the women's varsity basketball team," said Wanpue. "If that's paying for team shoes or travel, food expenses, or just allowing them to have that extra funding to do whatever it is that the girls need to feel empowered."
When Dave thinks about the future of his brand, becoming a household name comes to mind. So does opening up more storefronts. But the bigger goal is still community-centered.
"Working with other creators, providing them opportunities to maybe design collections and showcase what they're capable of through our brand's platform and just doing the work. Doing the work to make the world a better place," said Wanpue.
4 The Love also has an online store with new collections coming soon.
To learn more about applying for the Community Commons program, click here.
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