10th Edition of The Current launches this weekend

Boston, MA – October 4, 2022 – Boston Seaport by WS Development announces the 10^th edition of its wildly popular retail incubator, The Current. Since its debut in 2018, The Current has featured more than 75 brands, many of which have been women-owned. Now in its 10^th season, The Current’s milestone edition will showcase a unique collection of businesses. The Fall-Winter Current lineup includes handcrafted bite-sized cupcakes from Baked by Melissa; sustainable women’s clothing brand, KADA; accessories and apparel brand, Mure + Grand; revolutionary equal-share streetwear brand, ONE432; hats and beanies that give back from Project Paulie; essential hair beauty products by Sleepy Tie; plus three encore businesses: fashionable retail brand 7uice, created by Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown; fine jewelry purveyors, Brave Daughters; and natural candles and incense from Lifebloom.  The Current will be open October 7 through December 31, 2022 and is located at 100 Seaport Boulevard, adjacent to Seaport Common. www.atthecurrent.com; www.bostonseaport.xyz

“The Current has quickly become a favorite for shoppers seeking emerging brands and unique products. Celebrating this milestone of ten seasons is even more exciting because we are welcoming such a strong collection of businesses, ones that blend community-mindedness with high-quality offerings. The Current will surely drive traffic to the neighborhood during the fall and of course, throughout the gift-giving season,” says Carina Donoso, Senior Director of Retail Experience & Incubation, at WS Development.

In celebration of The Current’s opening on Friday, October 7, Boston Seaport will host live music by The Last Minute Band, as well as handout delicious churros from Puffy Clouds on Seaport Common,  from 3pm to 5pm.

In addition, The Retail Darwin will launch “Shop Talk,” a series of conversations with leaders across the retail sector, exploring the post-pandemic impact on the consumer experience and retail market. Topics will include Experiential Shopping, Physical Retail, Omnichannel Marketing, Brand Storytelling, Technology and Innovation, Founder Stories, and more. The inaugural panel conversation, highlighting the founders from The Current’s 10^th edition, will take place on Wednesday, October 26.

The Current is located at 100 Seaport Boulevard, alongside Seaport Common. Below are details on the 10^th edition. Shops will be open seven days a week, Monday to Friday from 11am to 7pm, and Saturday and Sundays from 12pm to 6pm. The Current will be closed on Thanksgiving (November 24) and Christmas Day (December 25). Look for more information and further updates at www.atthecurrent.com and @seaportbos.

7uice

Created by Celtics player Jaylen Brown, 7uice, a brand cultivated around positive energy, returns to The Current for its second season. The Boston-based retail brand features a variety of fashion wear as well as a series of new collections. The shop will also feature Donda Sports, who Jaylen recently signed with earlier this year. Donda Sports is where talent culture and genius come together and will have activations throughout the pop-up term. 7uice will open at The Current on October 15.  www.7uice.com | @7uice

Baked by Melissa

Founded by Melissa Ben-Ishay in 2008, Baked by Melissa is the NYC-based dessert brand famous for its handcrafted bite-size cupcakes in a wide variety of ever-changing flavors. Every bite-size treat is made by hand using only the most delicious ingredients like real Oreos, Hershey’s Fudge and Skippy peanut butter. Seasonal and holiday collections will be available, as well as nut-free, gluten free, and vegan options. With nationwide shipping and gift boxes for every occasion, the brand’s nostalgic treats are here to make life sweeter for all of life’s moments, one bite at a time. www.bakedbymelissa.com | @bakedbymelissa

Brave Daughters

Brave Daughters is home to a bespoke fine jewelry collection and gifts from small brands in support of everyday magic. They create Forever + Whenever Jewelry—sparkly and sustainable reminders of magical moments and cosmic connections all custom fit to your body and preferences. Forever Jewelry is welded onto your body and is a claspless, painless, and meaningful way to celebrate special occasions. Brave Daughters’ Whenever Jewelry features the same custom cut gemstones and locally sourced 14kt gold chains but with clasps for the commitment-phobe. Either choice is perfect ways to celebrate a milestone, achievement, bond, or just a long overdue day out with friends. www.bravedaughterspvd.com | @bravedaughterspvd

KADA

KADA is a sustainable, responsible-created clothing brand that designs wardrobe essentials to empower the modern woman, founded and operated by Kassia Davis. By making versatile pieces using high-quality fabrics that can be dressed up or down, swing edgy or feminine, and withstand the test of time so they are always ready to wear, KADA empowers women to express themselves and never stop evolving. In addition, KADA sets a new standard for sustainable production for a cleaner, safer world by using a fabric called Cupro, also known as “vegan silk”. Cupro is made from a waste product of cotton, is 100% biodegradable and conserves water and dyes, creating a buttery soft and premium feel. Produced in a solar-powered mill based in Portugal, all textile waste is recycled with a 100% clean-air system that prevents greenhouse gasses from being released into the surrounding environment. With all designs made in the USA, every clothing product is made in small batches to avoid overproduction. www.wearkada.com | @wearkada

Lifebloom

To enhance the human experience through handmade products that bring nature home, Lifebloom was created by husband-and-wife duo Eric and Megan after a weekend getaway in Vermont. Wishing to bring their favorite aspects of the outdoors home, they created candles that evoked memories of nature. All home fragrance products are 100% natural and crafted by hand, including hand poured, natural candles in handmade concrete vessels, wax melts, Palo Santo incense and Palo Santo smudge bowls. www.lifebloomcandles.com | @lifebloom

Mure + Grand

Mure + Grand is a woman-owned accessories and apparel brand with a mission to spread love. With new, curated collections each season, plus exclusive, one-of-a-kind handmade items, Mure + Grand is a go-to destination for cool-meets-classic pieces, and a boutique shopping experience like no other. In addition, any third-party items are ordered in limited stock with female ownership and sustainability in mind, ultimately making every item a rare find. Founded by Emily Guggino’s love of fashion and travel in 2015, Mure + Grand opened its door in the iconic Little Italy neighborhood in New York City and named itself after its cross streets Mulberry + Grand. The brand strives to help people express their individuality and make them feel confident in their uniqueness. Along with a passion for unique style, Mure + Grand strongly believes in and supports diversity and inclusivity in the stores, and company as a whole. Love makes the world go round, and Mure + Grand commits to spreading that message as much as possible. www.mureandgrand.com | @mureandgrand

ONE432

ONE432 is a revolutionary handmade streetwear brand that shares 50% of net profits with artisans and provides access to primary education for underprivileged children in Pakistan. All of the pieces are detailed with signature hand embroidery to support indigenous craft and made sustainably using upcycled materials from big-box factory waste. Customers can custom design one-of-a-kind colorways on in-store iPads and view digital renderings as well as customize the colors and fit of each piece without any upcharge. ONE432’s mantra of ‘Craft – Cause – Community’ is based on the premise of a triple bottom line and is inspired by founder Ammar Belal’s personal commitment as an educator at The New School Parsons in New York City. The brand embodies an unprecedented standard of Equality, Transparency and Responsibility within the fashion industry. www.one432.com | @one432

Project Paulie

Project Paulie began in Boston, delivering food to restaurant workers and their families focusing on the undocumented community, however, it quickly became apparent that so many Boston-based charities that feed people also need assistance with housing, education, and mental health. Today, Project Paulie works with 27 charitable organizations, the majority of which are based in Boston, and 20% of the proceeds of every colored hat or beanie sold is donated to an organization that betters the community. Through its hats, this charitable business hopes to strike up an opportunity to talk about the organizations that they work with, bringing people together and spreading awareness to communities and causes that need their attention. www.projectpaulie.com | @_projectpaulie_

Sleepy Tie

Sleepy Tie® focuses on beauty products that make beauty routines easier for all hair types and textures. The revolutionary, patent-pending Sleepy Tie® allows you to wake up with perfect hair® and prolong and enhance blowouts or styled hair to last longer. Having owned a hair salon for over a decade, Rachael Shtifter hand sewed the first prototype of Sleepy Tie® in 2020 and has since taken the internet by storm with over 200 million views on TikTok.  The brand has sold out five times since its launch. Offered in a range of sizes and seasonal holiday items, Sleepy Tie® saves on time and saves hair from harsh heat for styling. www.sleepytie.com | @sleepytie

About Boston Seaport: Culture, industry and community converge making Boston’s Seaport district a dynamic and vibrant area that has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting neighborhoods and destinations in the country. Seaport is currently Boston’s single largest development project. WS Development is transforming 33 acres of waterfront land with a carefully selected mix of residential, hotel, office, retail, entertainment, civic and cultural uses, and public open space across the district. Combining the best of historic and modern-day Boston, Seaport is the destination for fashion, culture, arts, dining and entertainment, and technology and life sciences, expanding Boston’s position as one of the top cities in the world for innovation, science, and quality of life. For more information visit www.bostonseaport.xyz, follow Boston Seaport on Facebook, and @SeaportBos on Instagram and Twitter.

About WS Development: Massachusetts-based WS Development is a mixed-use developer with a singular mission: creating places people want to be. With an approach that values art, science, innovation and, above all else, people, WS strives to engage each community it serves with best-in-class installations and activations. Established in 1990, WS is a vertically-integrated company that conceptualizes, owns, operates and leases more than 100 properties that range from cutting-edge urban spaces to lifestyle and community centers. With over 22 million square feet of existing space and an additional nine million square feet under development, it is one of the largest privately-owned development firms in the country. For more information, visit www.wsdevelopment.com, call (617) 232-8900 or follow WS Development on LinkedIn.

Photo Credit WS Development by Lindsay Ahern