Noir Leather, the edgy Royal Oak boutique that some tried to push out of the suburb when it first opened up in the 1980s, is moving to Ferndale, which its downtown development authority called “big news.”
Downtown Ferndale touted the edgy retailer’s change of address on Monday, April 27, on Facebook, calling it a metro Detroit staple, promising more details soon and adding, “we can’t wait to welcome them.”
It did not give an opening date.
The store — which describes itself as a place “where the dark side of fashion meets the kinky side of sex!!!” — has long had a reputation as a culturally provocative establishment, selling clothing, leather and novelties for adults.
The shop’s new storefront, at 175 W. 9 Mile, offered few clues, other than the logo — which includes a skull and crossbones — in the window along with the words “New Location,” and “Coming Soon!”
There was also a black skeleton in the corner of the window.
An uneasy Royal Oak relationship
To see if anyone would spill the tea on why — after more than 40 years — Noir Leather was moving, the Free Press left messages with the shop, Ferndale’s development authority and Royal Oak’s Chamber of Commerce, to see if anyone would spill the tea.
It’s unclear whether Royal Oak residents are happy about the move, and in the past few months, the fate of the store has been unclear. In December, the store — which has a long history in Royal Oak — said it was closing to be renovated.
The store marked its 40th anniversary in Royal Oak in 2023 with a series of events, and the Free Press reported that when Noir Leather first opened, some in the city found the store too taboo and, for years, tried to shut it down.
Even its name was a little edgy, with Noir being both French for “black” and a genre of film characterized by dark themes.
Still, the business kept expanding, and then-owner, Keith Howarth, also kept testing the limits of what residents would accept, using the two large front windows to feature live displays of models dressed half-nude in leather.
By the mid-’90s, some even saw the shop as a draw, enticing others who characterized themselves as — punks, the goths, revolutionaries, anarchists, freaks, weirdos and misfits — to hang out.
Will it be Noir Leather’s ‘new era’?
Several commenters on Downtown Ferndale’s Facebook post on Monday seemed to rejoice in the news, remarking that Ferndale — which claims on its website that it “has something for everyone” and is sometimes referred to as “Fabulous Ferndale” — is now “a better fit.”
One person even called this a “new era of Noir Leather.”
A few folks waxed nostalgic about what they missed about Royal Oak when the shop first opened there in the 1980s. It used to be, one person said: “a little but gritty,” “a little bit flashy,” and had a “mix of everything.”
And by the evening, more than 100 people weighed in on the post.
One summed up the announcement as the “best news ever,” and, of course, a jokester couldn’t resist poking fun at all of it, noting he liked the store was next to a business that offered skin care because “if you’re wearing assless chaps, your skin better be smoother than butter.”
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: After 40-plus years in Royal Oak, Noir Leather is moving to Ferndale
Reporting by Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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