Admittedly, Damiane Nickles has found himself scrolling plantstagram feeds once or twice, but he really thinks the hashtag can be “whack and kind of problematic.”
When Nickles decided to start his Chicago-based business, Not a Plant Shop, he quickly realized white walls, sunlit rooms and the “perfect influencer aesthetic” wasn’t his style.
“In the beginning stages you think, ‘Oh, I gotta be in the mix. I gotta do those things. I gotta have [that look],’” Nickles told The Block.
But when trends don’t match the real you, you have to be willing to say, “That’s not who I am.”
When people understand what you’re about, they’re going to latch on to you a lot harder, and those connections—they’re more concrete.
Damiane nickles
A Brooklyn native with Trinidadian roots, Nickles joins the ranks of those showing off their green thumb online, while being unapologetically Black.
Though the pandemic had us buying throw pillows and plants to beautify our spaces, he notes how people of color are still underrepresented in the gardening community.
“When I first started getting into plants, I would bounce around all these shops and it was—generally speaking—older white women with the apron, the shears and hat. Shouts out to her, but I didn’t see anybody that looked like me.”
It wasn’t until Nickles visited Plant Shop Chicago that he got a revelation.
“I remember going there and seeing the owners, two Mexican dudes,” he said. “They’re playing Wu-Tang, and there’s art all over the walls.”
It just felt right, and that’s exactly how Nickles wants his audience to feel when they engage with him. His IG bio reads “still Black af.” And working with creatives of color is a non-negotiable.
“I’m open to collaborating with people who are not Black, but how about I get my homies together who are doing their thing and then, we could just be Black and excellent together. [It’s about] making that conscious effort.”
For those who say they can’t find a Black voice in their industry:
“Nah. Keep looking. You will find one eventually.”
Nickles started Not a Plant Shop (NAPS) after consistently coming up short in his search for the perfect pots to match the feel of his home. Rather than settle for mass-produced planters, he hit up thrift stores for something more unique and started posting them on his Instagram account. Turns out, a lot of people were looking for dope pieces to put their plants in, too.
Nickles tugs on his background in art and micro gardening to help tell the story. He can go full botanist talking about the history of a philodendron species. Other times, a planter takes him down memory lane.
“I remember there was this creamy purple and white pot with a kind of marble base that reminded me of my mom,” he said. “Whenever we’d go on road trips, she would stop at the gas station and get a bag of Cream Savers and a bag of Corn Nuts. The texture of the Cream Savers is what the pot reminded me of.”
Nickles runs NAPS from his home—something he thought would be a hindrance. But from the start, his efforts have been about making space where it may seem like there’s no room. He encourages more creatives of color to do the same.
If you have an idea, even if it’s a kernel of an idea, you build it.
Damiane Nickles
Nickles credits a lot of his success to building community and welcoming collaboration. His recent projects include a pop-up shop with fellow Black creatives, artist Kaleem Jones and florist Taylor Amilas Bates.
To enhance his connection with followers, he often shares the music and books bringing him joy and why. Nickles is also known to get behind efforts that speak to his personhood, like raising almost $20,000 for those unjustly arrested during the George Floyd protests.
“Keep it 100. Be honest about who you are and about what you want,” he said. “If you’re selling something, you have this huge opportunity to connect with someone in a way that’s beyond the product.”
To learn more about Damiane Nickles, you can follow him on Instagram at: @notaplantshop and via his website notaplantshop.com.
