Published: August 09, 2008 08:42 pm         

Holy hip hop!

Preacher uses urban fashion store to reach youth

Chesare Spadaro anxiously waited outside The Hook Up Tuesday for the urban fashion store to open.

“I want some Apple Bottom jeans,” the 16-year-old Mount Hope High School student said.

Apple Bottoms is a clothing line by hip hop rapper Nelly that caters to females of all shapes and sizes who are trendy and fashion forward.

The term “Apple Bottom jeans” is featured in the hip hop song “Low” by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain.

Spadaro says the jeans are very popular, but are hard to find in the Beckley area.

“My mom heard that The Hook Up in Beckley has some, so we came as soon as we could,” she said.

The shop is located on McCreery Street In Beckley.

Stacey Spadaro says if The Hook Up didn’t accept clothing vouchers, her daughter probably would have not been able to get the jeans.

“We are not rich people and the clothing vouchers help when you’re buying school clothes,” she explained. “Bless Pastor Robert Hicks for making it so all children have a chance to have some cool urban style clothing.”

Pastor Hicks, owner of The Hook Up, says he uses his business as another way to reach out to today’s youth.

“I really try to cater to the youth,” Hicks said. “It gives me an opportunity to talk with them, find out what issues and problems they have going on in their lives and reach out to them for support.”

Hicks is pastor at the Glorious Church of God and Christ, a Pentecostal church.

“We have churches all over the state, but I pastor the church in Logan,” he said.

Hicks lives in Oak Hill and has been in the clothing business for a long time, but he has only had his Beckley store for the past two years.

“Years ago, I had a friend who would come in from the city with different urban fashions and designs,” he said. “I got a peddler’s license and would sell them out of my van.”

Hicks said the clothing was so popular he would sell out, sometimes in one day.

“Everyone seemed to want this style of clothing, but there was hardly any places in southern West Virginia that sold it,” Hicks said. “So, I thought I would open my own store.”

The store has been prosperous, but Hicks is always thinking of ways he can help his community and bring people closer to God.

“I keep my prices low and have always accepted clothing vouchers,” he said. “We sell T-shirts for $5. You don’t have to buy four or five to get that price, like you see at some other places.”

That may not be the best financial decision, but Hicks says its the best moral decision.

“Sometimes it takes a while to get the money from the state, but I wanted all the children, not just the rich, to have a chance to have some clothes that are in style today,” he said. “I want to make everything affordable to everybody.”

The store started with clothing, but now sells shoes, handbags, jewelry, men’s colognes, women’s perfumes, body oils, and lots of suits.

“We sell a lot of suits,” he said. “I think our low prices have a lot to do with it.”

The Hook Up has clothing for all ages.

“We are anticipating seeing many back-to-school shoppers,” Hicks said.

Hicks has added hair to his line of urban products.

“The Beckley Beauty Academy is located across the street from us and they said I should sell hair,” he said.

The store now has a thriving hair business that features real hair wigs, synthetic hair wigs, hair extensions and other hair pieces.

Hicks says part of catering to youth is to listen to what they have to say.

“The youth at church, as well as my sons and daughters, tell me what the latest designs and fashions are today,” he said. “What’s a hot item this month may not be next month.”

Hicks says letting his customers tell him what they want is how he came up with the store’s name.

“That’s why I called it ‘The Hook up,’” he said. “They tell me what they want and I hook them up.”

Hicks says sometimes he is not able to find an item or product, but he has a humorous saying he offers.

“If we can’t get it, you don’t need it,” he said.

Some of the hot clothing items include the tall T-shirts.

“We don’t just have plain white and black,” Hicks said. “We have assorted colors and designs.”

Fitted hats, designer jeans, Polo shirts, men’s and women’s capris, throw-back football jerseys, and oversized clothing are also very popular items at the store.

“I don’t hardly have any small or medium sizes because nobody really wants them,” he said. “Small wants 4X, medium wants 5X and large wants 6X or bigger.”

Hicks recently introduced the VIP gift card to his customers.

“It looks like a credit card, but it’s for a very important person or customer,” he said.

Shoppers get one point for each dollar they spend at the store added to their VIP gift card.

“When they get 300 points they get $50 worth of free merchandise,” he said. “If they want to wait until they get 500 points they can get $100 worth of free merchandise.”

There is no cost to get the VIP gift card.

“It’s another way that I can give back to the community for their support,” he said.

The Hook Up also has a 30-day layaway plan.

“Put 25 percent down, come back in two weeks put another 25 percent down and you have two more weeks to pay the remaining 50 percent,” Hicks explained.

In addition to the youth, Hicks caters to the churches as well.

“In our organization, I’m the youth president in West Virginia,” Hicks said. “Lots of the youth and adults come to me for their church clothes. We are trying to accommodate everyone.”

Hicks believes youth should not be judged by the clothing they wear.

“I have been in church now 14 years,” Hicks said. “I have not always been saved. I understand that the youth just want to have the styles they see in music or on television and in the movies.”

Hicks says parents from all generations have had trouble understanding the styles of youth.

“When I was a kid there were things we wore our parents didn’t understand, but that didn’t make us bad kids,” he said.

Hicks says the myth is that everyone that may wear urban styles is unsaved.

“They want a little style and flavor from the streets as well, but to say everybody that wears it is unsaved is just not true,” he said. “Some youth at my church tell me they wear it too and they shouldn’t be judged just because they wear it.”

Hicks believes God is looking at your heart and soul, not your clothes.

“He is not concerned with what you’re wearing, He just wants to know what’s covering you,” he explained. “Are you covered in His grace, His mercy and His blood. He says come as you are and he will dress you up.”

Hicks says urban and hip hop styles are becoming more mainstream and more accepted.

“They see youth wearing it and still coming to church,” he said. “That’s better than them not coming and being on the streets because we wouldn’t accept them as they are and judged them by what they wear.”

Hicks says he plans to expand the store.

“I have plenty of room here, so I invite everyone to come and see what I have and let me know what they would like to see at the store,” he said.

The Hook Up is open Tuesday from noon to 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.; and closed on Sunday and Monday.

For additional information, call the store at 304-255-3040.