Young alumna turns passion for vintage fashion into sustainable venture

Alumna Desirée Celestin (RBS-Newark ’24) had an eye for fashion even as a grade-schooler. 

When her mother took her shopping, “none of the department stores had anything I liked," Celestin said. She found her happy place in thrift shops, and by 13, she was curating outfits and selling them on Poshmark.

As a senior at Rutgers Business School-Newark, Celestin won big in two competitions for her entrepreneurial plans for two sustainable fashion ventures – one a business and the other a nonprofit. She received the top prize of $5,000 and lifelong access to entrepreneurial mentors in the Social Venture Challenge sponsored by the Rutgers Institute for Corporate Social Innovation (RICSI) and the Resolution Project. She also placed second in the RBS Business Plan Competition, earning a $10,000 prize to help her startup take off.

“The business was calling me,” said Celestin, who studied leadership and management with a minor in the Business of Fashion. “I always knew this was the direction I wanted.” 

She named her business Le Hibou, French for owl. “Owls are known for their incredible eyesight,” Celestin explained, “and I want to tie that in with my keen eye for fashion.”

Celestin believes in quality clothing being passed along to people who will cherish it. She described Le Hibou as a rebranding of the business she started as a teenager.

“She had a solid idea and put in tremendous hard work to turn that into a viable plan,” said Doug Brownstone, an assistant professor of professional practice who organizes the annual business plan competition. He mentored Celestin and described her determination and work ethic as "rare among undergraduates.”

For her charitable venture, Le Hibou à la Mode, Celestin curated vintage dresses from the 2000s, sourced from donations on Facebook Marketplace and the closets of friends’ moms. Last spring, she provided prom dresses to 64 students at Newark's Westside High School and sold the remaining dresses for $1 each via TikTok, reaching young women outside the Newark area.

“The idea of reusing fashion is wonderful, and giving these gowns to young ladies in need is a great way to give back,” said Jeana Wirtenberg, executive director of RICSI.

Wirtenberg called Celestin “a powerful presence” who excelled as a student in her Women Leading in Business course in spring 2023. 

Wirtenberg donated nine gowns to Le Hibou à la Mode and was delighted to see photos of students enjoying them. Celestin has expanded the initiative to outfit students for other events like job interviews, college visits, and Model Congress.

Celestin, who is a first-generation Haitian American, said her faith drives her, and she believes her aptitude for fashion is a gift to share. “The world would be better if we asked, ‘What do we need?’ and then became the change,” she said.

Celestin chose Rutgers Business School for its proximity to New York City and its Business of Fashion undergraduate minor. Her courses provided the foundation for running a business, “but it was the professors who fueled my entrepreneurial spirit,” she said.

Currently, Celestin is working as a client advisor for fashion designer Camilla Australia while pursuing a position in fashion buying, merchandising, or operations. Her goal is to one day run Le Hibou in Brooklyn. As for the prize money, Celestin is in no rush to spend it. “I want to take calculated steps,” she said. “I’m going to keep gaining experience and knowledge.”

- Margaret McHugh