We are starting this campaign because our family needs help. As difficult as it is to ask, Noir Star Emporium is currently only breaking even. There are no funds left to invest in growing the business, and our personal savings are nearly gone after my job was downsized and my position was ultimately eliminated as my employer restructured around AI. We have been putting everything we have into Noir Star, and over the past three months, we've seen some real growth. Unfortunately, it still isn't enough to secure our personal finances or give the business the breathing room it needs to grow.

So we are facing a hard question:

We’re Linus and Martin — the husband-and-wife team behind Noir Star Emporium, a family business we run alongside our two children.

Since opening our doors, Noir Star has become so much more than a store for us. It has become an extension of our family, our creativity, and the things we believe in. Along the way, we’ve met some truly wonderful customers who have become friends, collaborators, and an important part of our community.

They remind me to step back and look at what we made, and honestly, we make some amazing things. Noir Star is something we have built with our own hands, piece by piece. We embrace the strange and unusual, and we've worked hard to create a place where other people can do the same.

Where the Funds Will Go

Funds raised will give our family some much-needed breathing room while helping us keep Noir Star operating. They will help us catch up on outstanding business expenses, maintain inventory and materials, invest in advertising and online sales, and give us the runway to make the changes necessary to build a more sustainable business.

We believe strongly in what Noir Star can become.

One of the things that has meant the most to us has been seeing how people respond when we create opportunities for the community to come together. Last April, we held a fashion show in our store, and the response was incredible. Watching people connect, support one another, make new friends, and celebrate creativity together reminded us why we started Noir Star in the first place.

We don't want Noir Star to simply be a store that sells things. We want it to be a place where people discover something strange and wonderful, where artists and creators have a place to be seen, and where our community can come together.

If you’re able to contribute, any donation — no matter the size — will make a difference. And if donating isn’t possible, sharing this fundraiser with your friends, family, or social network is just as meaningful to us.

As a thank you to those who donate and choose to provide their mailing information, we will send a handwritten thank-you card along with a limited-edition, signed art print.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for supporting small independent businesses, and for believing in Noir Star Emporium and the community we’re trying to create.

Thank you for helping us keep the doors open.