Today we’d like to introduce you to Taurean Lewis.
Hi Taurean , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I actually started my journey at Shaw University, but pretty early on I realized I wanted to learn by doing, not just sitting in a classroom. So I took a leap and left school to chase something real. That decision led me to an internship with King/XXL Magazine, which really opened my eyes to the world of media, fashion, and culture on a national level.
From there, I moved to Atlanta, and that’s where things really started to take shape. I was working closely with athletes and artists, styling and being around that energy every day. At the same time, I’d go into boutique stores I used to pull clothes from, but now I was actually learning the business side—how retail works, what sells, how brands move. That was a turning point for me.
I started realizing that back home in North Carolina, especially at the time, there wasn’t much of a presence for streetwear or skate culture in retail. So I decided to create what I felt was missing. That’s how my first store, Estate Essentials, came to life. I ran that from 2012 to 2018—it was really my dream business and a huge part of my identity.
Closing that chapter was tough. I didn’t really know what was next for me at that point. But not long after, I got an opportunity to work with Nike, which took me to Portland and Los Angeles. That experience gave me a completely different perspective—being inside a global brand and seeing things at that scale.
Then COVID hit, and like a lot of people, I had to pivot. I ended up taking a role with a billion-dollar e-commerce company as a senior set stylist in Pennsylvania. That role sharpened my eye even more and taught me how to operate at a high level in a fast-paced environment.
But eventually, I felt that pull back home. After about eight years, I returned to North Carolina and opened Mansion Neue—bringing everything I’ve learned full circle and creating something that reflects not just where I started, but everything I’ve experienced along the way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. A lot of it has been learning things the hard way and figuring it out in real time.
Leaving Shaw early on was a risk in itself. I didn’t have a clear blueprint, just belief in what I wanted to do. When I got into the industry, especially working with artists and athletes, it looked exciting from the outside, but behind the scenes it was a grind—long hours, inconsistent money, and constantly having to prove yourself.
Opening Estate Essentials was a big moment for me, but running a store comes with pressures people don’t always see. You’re responsible for everything—rent, inventory, building relationships with brands, making sure people actually walk through the door. And at that time, streetwear and skate culture weren’t as accepted in North Carolina, so a lot of it was educating the market while trying to survive as a business.
Closing the store in 2018 was probably one of the hardest things I’ve gone through. It felt like I was walking away from something I built from the ground up, and honestly, I didn’t know what was next. That period came with a lot of uncertainty.
Even after that, nothing was really linear. Getting the opportunity with Nike was a blessing, but it also meant starting over in new cities and environments. Then COVID hit and disrupted everything again. I had to pivot, adapt, and stay open to opportunities I didn’t originally plan for, like moving into e-commerce as a senior set stylist.
I think the biggest struggle overall has just been staying consistent through the unknown—trusting the process when things don’t make sense yet. But at the same time, every challenge kind of prepared me for the next step. Coming back home and opening Mansion Neue, I’m moving with way more experience, perspective, and resilience than I had before.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’d say at the core, I’m a creative who works across fashion, retail, and visual storytelling. A lot of what I do is rooted in styling, brand curation, and building experiences—whether that’s through a store, a shoot, or just how product is presented to people.
I’ve worn a lot of different hats over the years. I’ve worked in editorial, styled athletes and artists, been inside a global brand like Nike, and also operated on the ground level running my own store. Now with Mansion Neue, I’m really focused on creating a space that blends all of that—bringing a certain level of taste, intention, and culture to retail back home in North Carolina.
I’d say I specialize in having an eye—knowing how to put things together in a way that feels elevated but still authentic. Whether it’s styling a shoot or curating what goes on the racks, it’s always about balance and storytelling. I’m also big on understanding both sides of the industry—the creative side and the business side. That’s something I had to learn over time, but it’s a big part of how I move now.
What I’m most proud of is honestly the journey. Building Estate Essentials from the ground up, even though it eventually closed, taught me so much and laid the foundation for everything I’m doing now. And being able to come back years later and open Mansion Neue with a new perspective—that means a lot to me. It feels full circle.
As far as what sets me apart, I think it’s the fact that I’ve really lived every layer of this. I didn’t just come into it from one angle. I’ve been the intern, the stylist, the store owner, the corporate creative. I’ve had wins and I’ve taken losses. So when I create now, it comes from real experience, not just inspiration. There’s intention behind it.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think risk has been a part of my life from the beginning, whether I realized it or not. Leaving Shaw early on was a risk. Moving to Atlanta, New York, Portland and Los Angeles without a real safety net was a risk. Opening a store with little to no working capital—that was definitely a risk. But for me, it never really felt like I had another option. I’ve always just believed I’d figure it out.
A lot of people look at risk as something you take when you’re in a comfortable position, but for me it’s been the opposite. A lot of my decisions came from not having everything lined up and still moving forward anyway. Just trusting my vision and being resourceful enough to make something out of nothing.
And honestly, I’ve lost a lot along the way. Not just in business—where things don’t always work out the way you planned—but also on a personal level. You lose relationships, friendships, sometimes even parts of yourself trying to chase something bigger. That’s the side of risk people don’t really talk about. It’s not easy, and it comes with sacrifices that don’t always show up on paper.
But I think those experiences shaped how I move now. I’m still willing to take risks, but I take more calculated ones. I understand timing more, I understand people more, and I trust my instincts a lot more than I used to.
At the end of the day, I don’t really separate risk from growth. Every step that’s pushed me forward came with uncertainty. So for me, it’s less about avoiding risk and more about being prepared to handle whatever comes with it—and staying grounded through the wins and the losses.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maisonneue.com
- Instagram: @MaisonNeueCo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaisonNeue/
