HERstory: Andréa Marcellé

As the owner of a black-owned business, Andréa Marcellé is slated to be featured this month in Downtown Haddonfield's Black History Month social media campaign.

Below is a preview of Andréa Marcellé's HERstory and interview.

For the full interview and more photos of Maison Marcellé's February window display celebrating the extraordinary life of Josephine Baker,

follow @DowntownHaddonfield on

Instagram and Facebook.

Downtown Haddonfield: What does Black History Month mean to you?

Andréa Marcellé: For me, black history month is a time to celebrate our journey. I think of black history much like a quilt, each square being an individual story. By itself, each small piece of fabric is bright and beautiful, but when you bind that fabric to another bright square with a common thread, it becomes more impressive. With each square added, the quilt becomes stronger and bolder until finally, those squares tell a complete story. Beautifully woven together, each unique piece of fabric becomes an awesome work of art.

Black history month reminds us that while the quilt can be appreciated from a distance, it is when we take the time to get close to it, to examine it, to see the time and skill that has gone into each carefully placed stitch, that is when we can really appreciate the magnitude of its glory.

I am fortunate to come from a family who prides itself on our extensive knowledge of our generational ancestry. When I consider the lives of my grandmother, and her mother, and her mother before her, I know that through their hard work, struggles and unshakable faith, they have intentionally tethered me to their stories while preparing me to write my own. My Nana used to say "You sit under the shade of trees you did not plant." I feel a great sense of pride in knowing that I am their wildest dream.

Downtown Haddonfield: What drives you?

Andréa Marcellé: Each day, I am motivated by the passion and creativity of the extraordinary entrepreneurs in this wonderful town. It's a privilege to do business in Downtown Haddonfield. I am also driven by the confidence that was instilled in me from childhood to know that, with hard work, humility and gratitude, I could achieve anything that I could dream. I feel abundantly blessed to now be in a place where I can reach back to lift those behind me.

Downtown Haddonfield: What about your business are you passionate about?

Andréa Marcellé: At Maison Marcellé, we dream in French. We're passionate about style and the très chic community that we have created. Everything we bring to our French brand, from our Parisian collections to product launches to experiential events, is done with #TeamChic in mind.

Downtown Haddonfield: What outside of your business are you passionate about?

Andréa Marcellè: Global travel makes me giddy! As a child, I was gifted a great big, hardback atlas (that I still have, by the way). I'd lie on the floor, flipping through the pages of rivers and forests, mountains and deserts. While I've been very lucky to see many of the places that I used to daydream about, there's still so much to explore! I want to experience new cultures, taste new foods, worship in great temples and swim in far away oceans. The world is an exciting adventure. I want to experience it all!