Raleighite Luke Suggs, the owner and founder of a menswear store coming soon to Raleigh Iron Works, started mocking up a business plan for his vision called Beatniks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward to this fall: Luke will have turned his plans into reality.

Beatniks is a term coined in the 1950s to describe young people who rejected traditional ways of living and dressing.

Luke felt there weren't enough options in Raleigh that fit his style, so he curated his menswear store to be tailored toward his and his friends' unique tastes.

He wants to introduce Raleighites to different streetwear styles and brands they may have never heard of, like bound, a bold clothing company out of the UK. "I've gotten a lot of pieces — I want to see which ones stick first and just kind of roll with it."

Get ready for some hip new styles, Raleigh. | Photo by Anna Routh Barzin

You could say fashion is in Luke's genes. "My parents have a clothing store [Fisher's Clothing] in Elizabethtown, where I'm from — they've owned the store my entire life."

Luke secured a spot at the budding Raleigh Iron Works development. "I chose Raleigh Iron Works because when I toured it, it just felt right," Luke told RALtoday. "[Developers Grubb Ventures and Jamestown] want to make it like a really unique experience for everyone. They want people to come, park, and stay the whole day into the night."

The store's vibe will be funky and fashion-forward. "I am doing a really cool yellow tile wall in the back that I'm super excited about," Luke said. (We're getting new Instagrammable wall vibes.)

When Luke isn't working on his hip new store, he likes to frequent local spots like Junction West, The Avenue, Standard Beer + Food, and checks in on his friends at Voda Boutique and Dose Yoga often.

Get ready to flip your closets this fall when Beatniks opens. And if you want to stay in the loop, subscribe to get email updates about the brand.