A life of wine and fashion
Entrepreneur who came of age in just-post-apartheid South Africa celebrates burgeoning black businesses
Warren Luckett is grateful for several life-changing experiences he’s had in his 32 years.
The first was attending high school in South Africa. His dad, Wayne Luckett, an AT&T senior exec; his mother, Patricia Luckett; and younger brother Brandon moved from their native Houston first to New Jersey, then to St. Louis and San Antonio and finally, in 1997, to Johannesburg — just three years after the end of apartheid.
The country was still reeling from nearly 50 years of an institutionalized system of racial segregation; it was an eye-opening experience for the teenage Luckett.
“We actually got to see things evolve,” Luckett said. “There were white South Africans who had to adjust in a world where they didn’t know their place and black South Africans who felt like we thought we were better than them.”
In Johannesburg, Luckett attended an international school with more than 50 nationalities represented. Because of safety concerns, his family, like many of his classmates’ families, lived in a gated community and often traveled with armed guards.
He recalls a white South African kicking the family’s cart at a grocery store. And going to prom with an Afrikaan girl, which didn’t sit well with her parents. He visited orphanages for children with AIDS and witnessed extreme poverty, yet he saw so much beauty through his travels in Africa.
“I feel alive when I’m outside of the country, especially when I’m in uncomfortable situations. It’s how I learn and grow.”
Luckett also was inspired by the country’s fashion.
“In the U.S., we tend to get so caught up with trends,” he said. “But in South Africa, I learned a lot about dressing more classically and being open to wearing color. They do it there with such elegance.”
In 2002, his family returned to Houston, and Luckett finished his senior year at Hightower High School. He earned an academic scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta and majored in marketing. After graduation, he took a lucrative job as a sales trader with Morgan Stanley in New York.
By 2009, Luckett’s trading career came to an end with the market crash.
“I knew corporate America wasn’t my calling. I made a lot of money, but I wasn’t fulfilled there,” he said.
He returned home to Houston, withdrew his 401(k) savings and set out with a new dream — to be the next Sean “Diddy” Combs. Working with the local rap scene was difficult, and money was slow to come in.
But by this time, Luckett had had a second life-changing experience: fatherhood. His daughter, Arianna, is now 9.
“When I had my daughter, it became less about me and more about living for her and focusing on family values, legacy and pride.”
Luckett’s father had begun importing wines from South Africa, so Luckett, who knew nothing about wine, took a job as store manager at a Sugar Land wine bar to gain experience. He was a quick study and eventually earned an MBA from Texas Southern University and Level 1 sommelier certification.
Branwar Wine Distributing Co. now sells wines from all over the world to H-E-B, Del Frisco’s, Whole Foods, III Forks and Peli Peli, among other establishments.
In 2016, Luckett founded Houston Black Restaurant Week to celebrate Houston’s burgeoning black business community.
And those baggy pants from his “Diddy” music days?
Luckett just laughs and adjusts the jacket of his perfectly tailored suit.