Jerome Lamaar: The Style
Monk of Bruckner Boulevard
BY ALEX MITCHELL
It may be shocking to
some, but the south Bronx
wasn’t always the emerging,
cultural oasis that has
captivated all of New York
City; however, there was
one individual that predicted
its rise at the early
age of eight, the ‘Style
Monk,’ Jerome Lamaar.
If you weren’t already
aware, Soundview’s favorite
son has appeared on the
cover The New York Times,
designed marvelous wardrobes
for A-list celebrities
like Beyoncé, lived and
travelled worldwide in the
name of style and ruled the
corridor of Bruckner Boulevard
near the Third Avenue
Bridge well before the rest.
Lamaar did so by bringing
innovative elegance
through a ‘South Bronx
Luxe’ brand and concept
clothing store called 9J at
41 Bruckner Boulevard
some years ago, competing
only with himself.
“Back then, people would
think of the Bronx as a place
people would go through
and not to, and that’s what I
wanted to change,” Lamaar
said, noting the intention
of exposing the borough’s
beauty worldwide.
9J ended up accomplishing
just that. Especially
when that store incentivized
Rihanna to come to,
rather than go through,
the Bronx, in addition to a
plethora of other worldwide
celebs and fashion afi cionados
worldwide.
“People that didn’t understand
would say ‘Oh,
the Bronx is burning’ and
I would respond ‘Well my
store isn’t,’” Lamaar said.
It was also through
9J that Lamaar initially
opened up a gateway to the
concept of a creative and
stylish south Bronx community
that now fl ourishes.
Along the way, he inspired
some of the new
commercial tenants on the
block, like fellow clothing
brand Bronx Native.
Lamaar decided to close
down the successful business
by his own choosing
in February of 2018; doing
so to pursue more personal
projects along with DJing
some Calvin Harris-infl uenced
tracks for fun.
“I get asked all the time
to reopen 9J, but it’s just
not what I want to do right
now,” he said.
Given that Lamaar travels
worldwide, attending the
Grammy Awards, Coachella
for Google, Tribeca Film
Festival for Airbnb and most
recently the Met Gala’s afterparty
for nobody but himself,
he just doesn’t have the time
to spend in a store from dawn
until dusk.
Nevertheless, this Renaissance
man still utilizes
an elegant and more private
workspace at 2407 Third
Avenue.
While the purpose of
that space is for projects
and work, the Style Monk
also uses it for meditation.
“That’s where the term
Style Monk actually comes
from,” Lamaar said explaining
that his success
revolves around internal
spirituality more than anything.
“It’s about fi nding balance,
about learning and
knowing yourself,” Lamaar
said while discussing the
complexity of living in the
moment during overwhelming
achievement.
With his 34th birthday
beckoning in just three
weeks, the Pelham Bayite’s
next endeavor will be to
publish a book by this time
in 2020.
“It’s going to be more
than self help, it’s going to
be self elevation,” Lamaar
promised.
Keep up with Jerome Lamaar
by following his ever
so growing Instagram: jeromelamaar.
www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY May 12, 2019 12
Jerome Lamaar Rama Tortosa
Amaurys Grullon with the band Conversing With Oceans at BX Live Nights.
Bronx Native
Bronx Native collabs with Hutch
Marriott for ‘BX Live Nights’
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The brand that represents Bronx
style and culture is checking in to a
new deal with the Residence Inn by
Marriott at the Hutchinson Metro
Center.
Bronx Native and its owner
Amuarys Grullon are hosting ‘BX
Live Nights,’ a collaboration of music,
drinks, and merchandise with what
Grullon described as ‘chill and cool
vibes,’ each upcoming Thursday night
from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the hotel.
Each BX Live Nights feature a new,
Bronx-based musician performing
while Grullon MC’s the occasion with
his brand’s merchandise on grand display.
“What’s exciting about this is an
opportunity to showcase not only to
the Bronx but people travelling in and
out of the borough,” Grullon said.
BX Live Nights also showcases another
new, more fl uid facet to the borough,
the Bronx Berry drink.
It’s a blackberry infused, mellow
but zesty drink sold exclusively dur-
A bartender mixes ‘The Bronx Berry’ drink.
Bronx Native
What’s exciting about
this is an opportunity
to showcase not only
to the Bronx but people
travelling in and out of
the borough.
Amuarys Grullon
ing the evening shows.
Bronx Native recently opened an
outlet in Hunts Point. His latest move
signals the trendy entrepeneur’s expansion
of the brand into the east
Bronx.
Of course, he’s no stranger to the
area since Grullon won the ‘Made In
the Bronx’ award and was honored by
the Bronx Chamber of Commerce at
Marina Del Ray on Thursday, April
11.
“The future is very bright and it is
in the Bronx,” Grullon said excitedly
about the new residency with the Residence
Inn by Marriott.
/www.BXTimes.com