Noir Leather “Takes Back Tuesday”Celebrating 25 Years in Business
ROYAL OAK – Noir Leather, an independent clothing, leather and fetish store, located at 124 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak, MI 48067, celebrates its 25th year in business, by welcoming the punks back to Royal Oak and spice up Tuesday nights with“Take Back Tuesdays.”
Each Tuesday night from June 10th through the end of August, entertainers will perform outside of Noir Leather reminiscent of a tradition started by punk kids hanging out on the corners of Fourth and Main in the 90’s.
Upcoming Performances:
7/15 Skin and Bones Band
7/22 Satori Circus
7/29 The Motor City Rah Rah’s (Roller Derby Cheerleaders)
The History of Noir
Owned and operated by Keith Howarth since December of 1981, Noir Leather has had a front row seat and a hand in the birth of this urban-chic suburb.
Beginning as a wholesale leather company, Noir expanded in 1983 to a storefront in downtown Royal Oak at 117 W. Third St. After three years of having to close Noir at 5 p.m. due to a lack of foot traffic, Howarth collaborated with a handful of local businesses to entice people to visit downtown later in the evening.
The night was set - Every Wednesday restaurants and stores would stay open until 11p.m. The campaign was a massive successand has grown with the city over the past 20 years, becoming infamous in the metro Detroit area.
Over Noir’s 25 years in business, Howarth has had his fair share of opposition from citizens, city council, the Royal Oak Police Department and animal rights activists. Howarth contributes his longevity as landmark business, not only Royal Oak but also in the metro Detroit area, to his drive to succeed over opposition.
“I’ve watched [Royal Oak] prosper from a ghost town to the little Chicago it is now and Noir has been a part of that journey. Noir shocked a lot of people at first (because of the scene we are a part of), but we haven’t changed, we haven’t gone anywhere and we haven’t let any road bumps stop us from doing what we love to do,” said Howarth.