office people: Gabriella Khalil

He designs every charm, trinket, and piece of clothing in Star Shop, reflecting his DIY and personal approach to the store’s uniqueness. The shop thrives on word of mouth, and at times, Umeki even makes the @starteam.eastvillage Instagram account private, reinforcing his belief in keeping the shop grounded in community rather than the internet’s spotlight. For this cover story, we paid a visit to the shop where Umeki reflected on its roots, his love for the neighborhood, and how he’s keeping the spirit of Tompkins alive — one star-emblazoned piece at a time.

Where are we? 

Welcome, office. My name is Kyota, and we're at the Star Shop. 

What’s your morning ritual? 

I really like city-biking downtown. That always gets my focus right, and helps me think of all of my tasks for the day. 

What do you eat for breakfast? 

If I stop at a deli, usually a cinnamon raisin bagel toasted with cream cheese and jelly, plus an iced coffee with milk and two sugars. I’m back into using the Dunkin Donuts app to get free coffee and really good deals.

What inspired you to start Star Team? 

Definitely everyone I grew up skating with at Tompkins. Those are my day ones, they motivate me the most. They remind me of how fast things change and let me know how important it is to stay active. We created this environment where we can try anything.

And what about the shop? 

All of my friends who hang out there motivate me. I think it’s important to have a lot of people observing changes in you, whether they're good or bad. These peers shape who I am and the community I’m trying to build. I have nothing without the friends I hang out with. 

If you weren’t running the Star Shop, what would you be doing instead?

Probably making pastries. I love cafes. A pastry shop with my own coffee mix is definitely a later goal.

Is there a place in NY that’d break your heart to see disappear?

So many food spots. A lot of my favorites closed during the pandemic. I can’t even name just one. 

What's your favorite part about the stuff you sell? 

It’s like a gift shop for Tompkins. We sell East Village gifts, charms, bracelets and clothing I design.

Where’s this bench from? 

Yeah, this bench is the original from Tompkins actually, before they renovated a couple years ago — it has like ten layers of olive paint on it.  Steve Rodriguez drove it here and gifted it to me after we opened. It's probably the most important artifact in the shop. 

And you grew up around here, right? 

Yeah I was born and raised like three blocks away. My parents still live there. I went to high school on 12th street and spent every lunch break at Tompkins. That community is still a big part of my life. I don’t think I’d be able to have this going the way it is now without them.

What year did you release your first piece of clothing? 

Maybe like 4 or 5 years ago. We started with screen-printed t-shirts, but the pants were the first product to really take off. It’s wild to see the star logo everywhere.

What’s your favorite part about people visiting the store? 

Honestly, meeting people who don’t even skate but are still into the brand. We have a very niche audience.

Do you think people learn about the brand more through word of mouth or social media? 

I think it's mostly word of mouth. I like to keep the Instagram page private. It keeps things more subtle and surprising when people actually come into the store or see it in the street. It feels more special when people find us in person. A lot of brands blow up online, but I want the shop to be a place people experience when they walk in, not just through a screen. I'm more proud of my shop than my website design.

What’s one of your favorite interactions in the store? 

I like when like 15 of my homies pull up just to chill. It’s always at maximum capacity, just hanging out, watching TV, drawing and kicking it. It feels like the main menu of a game before we all accomplish our missions. 

Does the shop remind you of places you used to go growing up? 

For sure. It’s like the skate shops I used to hang out at, like Labor on Canal Street. I’d spend hours there, just chilling. It’s cool to see the reflection doing the same here.

What’s the wildest thing that’s happened here? 

The day before our one-year anniversary, my friend was like, “You’ve never slept at the store.” So I ended up sleeping behind the counter that night. I had to do it. I got some work done too.