“Brother” Abdalla talks about the store closing and future plans
Brother’s Clothing Store has served Lafayette for nearly half a century — the retail store was a go-to for folks in and around Acadiana.
Celebrities and football legends were known to stop in as well from time to time.
“We have a lot of people who say this was their favorite place and they don’t know where they’ll go.”
After 43 years, Brother’s Clothing Store owner Edward “Brother” Abdalla says the family decided to make the move to concentrate on real estate.
Also, he’s recovering from a recent surgery.
“It’s been long enough. Life goes in phases and so this was the retail phase and next it will be the real estate phase.”
Brother’s has a reputation with far-reaching arms.
After the Super Bowl, Devery Henderson of the New Orleans Saints stopped by Brother’s. Henderson also played for Opelousas and LSU.
“When we got here the line was wrapped around the building and they were lining up at 3:30 in the morning.”
Abdalla says customers were in tears. One guy even pulled out the crawfish pot.
“What he boils crawfish in, he had Devery sign that, cause he’s a local native, and then Coach Hud and Tommy Hilfiger in the 1980’s.”
Yes, Tommy Hilfiger– the fashion icon.
Abdalla says that’s when Hilfger was starting out it was in fact Brothers that was Hilfigers largest single door account.
“We got on him really early. I remember some said when we were in Los Angeles at a Convention Center some said you need to go and check this guy out at the Holiday Inn. I said holiday inn? That’s where we met tom Hilfiger.”