A Day at the Beach: Sag Harbor with Mr. Baldwin Style

Photos by Brittany Ambridge. Originally published in *AphroChic* magazine Issue 1, Fall 2019.

There are some days that are magic. Days when it all goes right - the perfect setting, the perfect weather, and the perfect group of friends gathered to mark an important occasion.

For Donnell and Courtney Baldwin, New York fashion stylists known for their brand, Mr. Baldwin Style, that moment came on a sunny day at Havens Beach in Sag Harbor. The idyllic location, set among bright white sands, long blades of grass, and even a few deer roaming by the ocean, was perfect for the couple’s celebration of their six-year wedding anniversary.
To make the most of a beautiful day, the couple, whose brand works with Ralph Lauren and Rosario Dawson’s globally conscious Studio 189, called on an equally fashionable array of guests to toast their latest milestone in one of their favorite places to visit.

“We enjoy visiting Sag Harbor during all times of the year,” says Courtney. The couple was first introduced to the area when Donnell lived in East Hampton for a short time. “Each season has its own charm. In the summer, Main Street is bustling with a mix of residents and weekenders heading to or coming from the beautiful area beaches. In the winter, the town is visibly less populated, but equally charming. Sag Harbor serves as an escape and a place to recharge year-round. It’s a place where you can go for fresh air and get a fresh perspective, whether it be for the day or the entire summer.”

On this day, guests arrived in a steady stream. Shoes were quickly discarded in favor of the feel of sand and surf and sun on bare feet. Among the guests, a number of people in the fashion world came to celebrate the couple’s anniversary. Fashion designer Jerome LaMaar arrived in a flowing lilac kimono, while stylist James Bianca stunned in an African wax print dress. Vintage blogger Krystle DeSantos came in a stylish assortment with a ‘70s vibe. In addition to the fashion crowd, other creatives were also in attendance, including interior designer Mikel Welch from TLC’s Trading Spaces, and advertiser Law Smithson.

Over the years, Sag Harbor and its many beaches have seen countless days like this, when African Americans gathered to celebrate moments like these. It’s a history that begins with freed slaves coming as laborers in the 19th century, and later in the 1940s, African Americans developing safe places of refuge and leisure. This was particularly true in the Sag Harbor Hills, where African Americans have lived in the beach community since World War II.

During the Jim Crow era, the area served as a seasonal destination for affluent and middle class African Americans. Notable figures, including Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Duke Ellington, and Langston Hughes to name a few, have long come to Sag Harbor as a summer retreat. The area’s legacy is so important to American history that the SANS neighborhood, named for the historically Black Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest and Ninevah areas, was recently added to the New York State Register of Historic Places. “When we first began visiting Sag Harbor, we always felt a connection to the town, but had no idea of the history,” remarks Donnell.

For this special day at Havens Beach, with the historic SANS houses in the background, guests gathered for an intimate afternoon soirée. Donnell and Courtney worked with John Goodman of JL Goodman Design to create the perfect look for their gathering. Sitting firmly in the sand, with the tide lapping about its legs, a carved, wooden table looked as if it had risen magically from the ocean. Goodman’s design featured a bold mix of pink, fuchsia and lavender, offering a bright pop of color against nature’s palette of green, blue, and sandy brown. The tablescape, with pampas grass and fuchsia coral, was a modern nod to the coastal setting, complete with beach sand and pebbles dusted lightly across the surface of the table. Against the backdrop of sand and surf, guests toasted the couple while nibbling on local cheeses, fruits, and vegetables all from the Hudson Valley.

As Courtney and Donnell learned about the history of the place following their first visit, they began to better understand the connection that they felt whenever they were there. Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were not allowed access to many of the beaches and entertainment activities in the area - so we created our own. For over 40 years, the summer crowd in Sag Harbor consisted of a mix of affluent and middle-class Black people. Doctors, lawyers, educators, and blue-collar professionals met each year to escape the racism that they faced in the world away from the beach. Meanwhile many of these families took advantage of the opportunity to buy beachfront property, a chance that was scarcely available elsewhere. Today, many of the homes in the area have been passed down to family members and there are still a few of the original residents that live in the coastal communities, helping to continue the traditions and teach others about the long-standing importance of the area.

“There are a lot of places that we enjoy in Sag Harbor. We love Long Beach and Havens Beach. Both are fairly small in size but offer a little something different. Havens Beach is adjacent to the historically African American private beaches,” reflects Courtney. “From there you have a great view of the boats and yachts that come in and out of the town harbor. Long Beach is beautiful, with areas of no traditional sand at all, just large pebbles. It’s just a few minutes drive from the main village and offers some of the best views of Sag Harbor’s amazing sunsets.”