Michigan Central, Detroit
THE SITUATION
Michigan Central was finally ready to open for its Winter Markets. Rohani Foulkes, founder of FOLK, had a vision for a second concept—something distinct from the café. While she was still shaping the space, Michigan Central approached her directly with what they were looking for. The original plan paused, and concept development for Neighbor at Michigan Central began.
THE WORK
Brand Concept
Launch Support
UX Design
Market research, strategy, identity, and visual direction for a new concept built specifically for Michigan Central's space and moment.
Product sourcing, merchandising, brand merch design and production, and local artist liaison for opening holiday season activation.
UX design and copywriting for the parent site, seamlessly bridging brand positioning across physical and digital customer touchpoints.
THE ARTIFACTS
Documentation covering planning, launch preparation, concept decks, market research, positioning logic, and opening day in Detroit.
Neighbor's launch at Michigan Central started as a trial, a test run through the Winter Market activation, with the real decision, whether to sign a permanent lease, still ahead. Neighbor performed well over the holiday season, its modern sundry product selection resonating with the moment.
Once the decision came to stay at Michigan Central permanently, the work shifted again. The strategy evolved past a single concept into a higher purpose, redefining retail as a platform for cultural connection, community impact, and economic equity within hospitality, built to duplicate as Neighbor scales nationally.
That evolution repositioned the concept entirely. Retail became experiential retail as a service, a plug-and-play model for developers and hotels. Community-centered thinking became an economic driver, retail designed to increase revenue and foot traffic for the properties it lives in. Retail inside a hotel became true hospitality integration, in-room shopping, curated excursions, VIP retail events. Seasonal rotations became a cultural programming hub, year-round presence instead of a one-time activation.
The shift, in Rohani's own words, was from a cool retail concept to a must-have economic engine for high-end hospitality. FOLK is currently executing that vision.
In partnership with LFNCO
CREDITS
Leah Faust
Brooke Darrow
Bella DelMonico
Kenny Dalen
Creative Director
VP of Concepts
Art Director
Operations Specialist