Katrina Parris, an entrepreneur in Harlem , is being praised for her vibrant boutique shop. Parris, who opened NiLu in 2015, sells accessories, gifts and home goods, which mostly represent Black woman-owned brands, including Sheila Bridges, Adjourn Teahouse, Harlem Candle Company, Lomar Farms, Healthmade and Frederick Benjamin. “We love representing Harlem through international gifts, many from local makers in the community and beyond,” Parris said in an interview with Black Enterprise . In a news release, she described Harlem as once being a “gift desert.” “Raising a young family, and finding a place for gifts for birthdays or housewarmings outside the drug stores was hard,” she added in the same news release. “We needed a place that was local and had quality merchandise but represented the culture.”
