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WWW.BELLABAG.COM650 MIAMI CIRCLE

T H E B E S T I N T H E S O U T H .

Tootsies - Swank - Crate & Barrel - Seven Lamps - Kendra Scott - lululemon athletica

Suitsupply - The Impeccable Pig - Paper Source - Bhojanic - Ona - DEKA

Roots Juices - American Apparel - fab’rik - Dantanna’s - Bill Hallman - Bevello

S H O P S A R O U N D L E N O XS H O P. S I P. S AV O R .

3400 Around Lenox Road, Atlanta – @lenoxshopgirl – shopsaroundlenox.com

T H E B E S T I N T H E S O U T H .

Tootsies - Swank - Crate & Barrel - Seven Lamps - Kendra Scott - lululemon athletica

Suitsupply - The Impeccable Pig - Paper Source - Bhojanic - Ona - DEKA

Roots Juices - American Apparel - fab’rik - Dantanna’s - Bill Hallman - Bevello

S H O P S A R O U N D L E N O XS H O P. S I P. S AV O R .

3400 Around Lenox Road, Atlanta – @lenoxshopgirl – shopsaroundlenox.com

OSCAR BLANDI’S

Tova GelfondEDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Craig RosenbergCFO

Avi GelfondART DIRECTOR

Jaime Lin WeinsteinSENIOR EDITOR

Tian JustmanFASHION DIRECTOR

Christina MontfordEDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Mark HaddadASSISTANT DESIGNER

Joanna Berliner, Victoria Knight Borges, Jess Graves, Denise K. James, Sheyda Mehrara, Anna Morris, E.J. Ogle, Kelly Skinner, Han Vance and Gina Yu

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Chelsey Ashford, Colby Blount, Claudia Bost, Max Eremine, Brett Falcon, Julia Gartland, Maddie Harney, Jamie Hopper, Jameykay Hu� man, Jimmy Johnston, Elliott Liss, Alex Martinez, Faisal Mohammed, Brooke Morgan, Caroline Petters,

Brianna Roth, Paul � atcher, Sara Tiberio and Brittany WagesCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Hannah Johnson and Belinda MartinCONTRIBUTING STYLISTS

Brooke Hutchins and Meghan JacksonEDITORIAL INTERNS

Curtis Carter and Cassie KayeFASHION INTERNS

© Enlightenmint Media Group, LLC 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher Enlightenmint Media Group. � e views expressed in Eidé Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its sta� . � e registered o� ce of Enlightenmint Media Group is at 1200 Foster Street NW, Suite 20, Atlanta, Ga

30318. All information contained in the magazine is for information only and is as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Enlightenmint Media cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Enlightenmint Media a license to publish your submission in whole, or in part, in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any

material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Enlightenmint Media nor its employees, agents, or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.

Published six times a year by Enlightenmint Media Group, LLC900 Dekalb Ave. Suite D, Atlanta, Ga 30307

noun, plural of ei·dos [ahy-dee]. The distinctive and formal expression of the cognitive or intellectual character of a culture or social group. It is the essence of each thing

and its primary substance. OSCAR BLANDI’S

ELLIOT LISSElliot Liss is a freelance photographer born and raised in Atlanta. He primarily shoots fashion and lifestyle portraits, but has recently entered the world of drone photography. He produces images that show the various forms of beauty and energy that all subjects hold. “I loved having the opportunity to work with some of my best friends on this project,” Liss says of photographing Jim Chambers and Camryn Park of boutique Henry & June for this issue. (elliotlissphoto.com)

CHELSEY ASHFORDChelsey Ashford is a photographer based in Greenville, S.C. “I am drawn to pho-tography because I’m compelled to tell a story,” she says, which is why she was so honored to photograph the hip Greenville boutique Custard and her friend, owner Tara Kirkland, whose style is a re� ection of her store. “� is was creative adventure and collaboration at its best, where inspiration was found in exploration, and artistry was conveyed in a still moment.” (chelseyashfordphotography.com)

COLBY BLOUNTColby Blount was born and raised in East Dublin, Ga. After completing the pho-tography program from Portfolio Center in Atlanta, he worked at Big Studio where he gained invaluable knowledge. After a year post-PC, he then moved to New York, where he currently resides. For this issue, Colby worked with Hunter Bell and Wes Gordon. For Hunter’s portrait, he wanted to really capture her great personality and the fact that she is a modern day #GIRLBOSS. He also had the honor of shooting the iconic Wes Gordon with one of his favorite models, Nina. For the shoot day, he put his favorite crew together (mostly comprised of fellow Southerners) and created as many beautiful images as possible. (colbyblount.com)

MAGGIE HARNEYMaggie Harney is a Savannah, Ga. native currently working as a freelance writer and photographer. When she’s not on the hunt for her next international adven-ture, she can be found checking out the local music, art and fashion scenes, which is why getting to hang out with Brooke Atwood in her design studio for this issue was such a treat. “I’ve worked on shoots with Brooke’s designs before but I’d never met her,” Harney says. “Getting a sneak peek into her natural habitat, complete with her pit rescue Hank, was such an insight into her creative approach and vibe.” (margaretharney.com)

CONTRIBUTORS

CAROLINE PETTERSA native of Atlanta, photographer Caroline Petters now calls Brooklyn, N.Y. home. She strives to tell stories through images, and is inspired by creating genuine imagery that captures a subject’s genuine nature. “Billie was such a delight to photograph,” Petters says of shooting jewelry designer Billie Hilliard for this issue. “Her joy, pas-sion and curiosity for her craft is inspiring. Billie is constantly looking for her next creative outlet, and I look forward to seeing where she goes!” (carolinepetters.com)

SARA TIBERIOA graduate from RIT with a BFA in professional photographic illustration, Sara Joy Tiberio specializes in fashion and portraiture photography. She is constantly ex-ploring and looking for ways to evolve and develop her personal artistic style and enjoys collaborating with other creatives to develop one artistic vision and turn it into a reality. “I typically shoot posed portraits, so I enjoyed the challenge of pho-tographing Stacy at Hampden Clothing in a more photojournalistic style,” Tiberio says of her shoot for “� e Rise of Fashion South” in this issue. (sarajoytiberio.com)

ON THE COVERWES GORDON

Photography by COLBY BLOUNTStyling by BELINDA MARTIN

Model: NINA DE RAADTMakeup by KATY ALBRIGHT

Hair by CLAY NELSON(More on pg. 70)

BROOKE MORGANAs a photographer, Brooke Morgan believes the greatest source of inspiration is always the subject. “Connecting with the four Nashville artists and learning about their brand and their place in the city’s fashion revolution has been such a wonderful experience,” Morgan says of photographing designers for “� e Rise of Fashion South,” in this issue. “I’ve been incredibly inspired by the innovation, hustle and vision of these individu-als. It’s an exciting time to be in Nashville right now, and I’m honored to bring some of the city’s premier fashion industry talent to the forefront.” (brookemorganphoto.com)

W W W . Z E N Z I I . C O M

Yo u r n e w j e w e l r y o b s e s s i o n !

THREE YEARS YOUNG

L E T T E R F R O M T H E

Tova Gelfond

Three years ago, a spark set � ame to an idea that the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the South deserves to be front and center. We assembled a team with these ideals and a pride for our Southern cities that seemed unmatched by sports fans with warrior paint and team colors. It caught � re throughout the region and banned people together through ideas, design and the written word. We didn’t know what would come of our dream to entertain and delight with a zealous proclamation that the business and communities in which we live are the ones that inspire us most.

Three years ago, Eidé began with a website and a name meaning “the essence of culture.” Our culture. And out of the woodwork came a never-ending well of talent from Florida to Virginia to Texas that rivals any major city in the world all vying for a “New South” that grows and celebrates as they do. We discovered an aes-thetic that’s re� ned and soulful — a thread stitched into each of our styles that’s better than seersucker or hip-hop streetwear. It’s more comforting than fried chicken and more refreshing than sweet tea. Because it’s not a cliché. The South is real and dynamic and possesses a collective of burgeoning artists that renews our sense of exhilaration.

One-hundred-and-� fty-six weeks ago, we decided talking wasn’t enough. We had to do something and tell these stories in the way they deserve to be shared. We watched as the nation embraced bacon and pickling, preserves and mason jars as if it were their own, but wanted a deeper view. We told the truth. We’re not the “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” and we are not trying to be New York City. There’s something charming about our pace and our grace that manifests in every food festival and dinner party. And it’s special, even treasured. It launched us into a print edition that people couldn’t put down, and a demand we could hardly keep up with — from newsstands to bookstores to airports.

One-thousand-and-ninety-� ve days ago, we unearthed an exploration that took us to the rise of “Fashion South.” Some of the world’s best designers, entrepreneurs and style innovators live, build and create here in the region — humble and complex individuals that share our passion for the cul-ture enough to make it their home. And we fell in love with our own backyard all over again.

Three years ago, we decided to break the rules, and Eidé Magazine was born. Thank you for your unwavering support, from the South and beyond.

Love,

and the Eidé Team

Photography by Jimmy Johnston

eidéEIDEMAGAZINE.COM/SHOP/SUBSCRIPTION

6 ISSUES $35 DOLLARSSUBSCRIBE

Illustration by Ally Hodges, “In the Grass,” 2013, Watercolor and Oil. allyhodges.com

WHILE PREPPING TH IS ISSUE WE...

Gained a sister-in-law. Spent a weekend in Puerto Rico.

Ate gourmet butter from Banner Butter (try the pumpkin!).Karaoked late into the night at a bar in New York City.

Visited Gibbs Gardens, home of the largest daff odil, lily and Japanese gardens in the country!

Saw Cirque du Soleil’s “Amaluna” — amazing.Played a rousing round of darts at Ormsby’s in Atlanta.

Ate lots of pie: pizza pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, peach pie…Felt nostalgic for the early 2000s seeing Brand New in concert.

Discovered the amazingness of Whole Foods’ macaroni & cheese. Celebrated our editor-in-chief’s 30th birthday! Made a skeleton costume for Halloween by hand.

Watched the series fi nale of “Video Game High School.”Ate a lot of biscuits from Highland Bakery.

Discovered and trained in Transcendental Meditation.Shared the beauty and addiction of reddit with others.

Saw Abbey Glass and Megan Huntz runway shows.Made fake snow with a secret recipe (no, you can’t have it!).

Researched authentic mugshots from the 1920s.Bought an incredible art print for the new offi ce at Crafted Westside.

Taught a cat to sit on command. Yes, a cat.Walked the Atlanta beltline every sunny day we could.

Ate dinner at The Luminary (loved “The Secret Girlfriend” cocktail).Wore matching cat pajamas.

Drank Campari like it was going out of style.Called Comcast, a lot.

Got locked out of the offi ce several times.Finally had a reason to wear fur.

FOLLOW TH E JOURNEY ONLINE @EIDEMAGAZINE and EIDEMAGAZINE.COM

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TABLEWES AND HIS WOMEN (70)With an old soul and a modern charm, 28-year-old Wes Gordon is becoming one of the most coveted fashion designers in the industry, wooing women of every era.

THE RISE OF FASHION SOUTH (80)� e rise of Fashion South has begun, and a new era of style savants lead us down the runway.

CIDER BRAISED PORK CHOPS (18) With fennel, porcini and thyme.

DINNER PARTY DNA (22)A rustic Italian evening.

RETRO-GRAIN (28)Ancient grains are making a modern-day return.

DÎNER EN BLANC (31)� e world’s largest dinner party comes to Atlanta.

SAVANNAH RISING (32)TV icon in the making, Savannah Chrisley.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT (40)From tragedy comes triumph in Atlanta’s restau-rant industry.

CRIMINAL PER SUITS (44)Suited elegance from a time when there was truly honor among thieves.

FASHION ANATOMY (56)What makes a tailored suit worth all the money?

RISE & SHINE (58)A collector’s spirit dictates Jonathan Shapero’s art-� lled apartment.

A WEALTH OF SUNSHINE (62)LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort draws travelers to Naples, Fla.

A SOUTHERNER’S CHI-TOWN (66)� e windy city has never felt so much like home.

NOT THAT KIND OF LOVE STORY (69)Colleen Oakley delivers a page-turning debut novel on life and death.

TRUE SOUTH (102)Southern designers remind us that we don’t have to look so far for fashion.

TURTLE POWER (138)� e turtleneck makes a statement beyond style.

IN A FLURRY (142)Embrace winter weather with accessories made for snow and style.

GETTING TECHNICAL (152)Accessories highlight how technology is dominat-ing fashion.

FOR ART’S SAKE (154)Fashion illustration has enjoyed a recent come-back.

(Serv

es 2)

Cider Braised Pork Chops

WITH FENNEL , PO

RCIN I AND THYME

F O O D & B E V E R AG E

18 | E I D E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Recipe and photography by JULIA GARTLAND

2 THICK, BONE-IN PORK CHOPS

3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED

5 SMALL SHALLOTS, WHOLE OR HALVED

2 - 4 GARLIC CLOVES, WHOLE

1 SMALL FENNEL HEAD, QUARTERED

2 LADY APPLES, HALVED

22-OUNCE BOTTLE HARD CIDER

1 OUNCE PORCINI MUSHROOMS, DRIED

7 - 8 FRESH THYME STEMS

Ingredients

BONE- I N P ORK C H OPS

LADY APPLE

GA RL I C

GARL IC

PEPPER

F ENNEL HEADS

TH Y ME


DirectionsS EASON PORK CHOPS ON BOTH SIDES.

HEAT A LARGE CAST IRON SKILLET (10

- 12 INCH) OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT.

ONCE PAN IS HOT, ADD 2 TABLESPOONS

OLIVE OIL, THEN SEAR PORK CHOPS FOR

ABOUT 3 - 4 MINUTES ON EACH SIDE. TRANS-

FER PORK CHOPS TO A PLATE TO REST.

USING THE JUICES LEFT IN THE PAN AND

ANOTHER TABLESPOON OF OLIVE OIL,

USE A WOODEN SPOON TO LOOSEN THE

BROWNED BITS STUCK TO THE PAN. OVER

MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT, SEAR SHALLOTS, FEN-

NEL, APPLES AND GARLIC, MIXING OFTEN

TO PREVENT BURNING.

ONCE EVERYTHING IS BROWNED (ABOUT

5 - 7 MINUTES), ADD A BOTTLE OF CIDER

(SOMETHING BRIGHT, BUT NOT TOO SWEET),

THYME STEMS AND PORCINI MUSHROOMS.

BRING TO A BOIL FOR 5 - 7 MINUTES OR

UNTIL MIXTURE HAS REDUCED BY ABOUT

HALF. ADD PORK CHOPS BACK TO THE PAN,

MAKING SURE TO INCLUDE ANY LEFTOVER

JUICES, AND COOK FOR AN ADDITIONAL 5

- 6 MINUTES OR UNTIL INTERNAL TEMPERA-

TURE IS 145 F. ENJOY!

T H E T H E M E : Rustic Italian

T H E L O C A T I O N : Studio 20 at the Goat Farm Arts Center. Hosted by SOFIA XIV of XIV Dinners.


P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B R I A N N A R O T H

T H E P L A C E S E T T I N G : � e table, made from reclaimed wooden pallets, created a simple canvas for the place settings. A linen napkin neatly hung o� the table from each seat and sat upon two white, ceramic plates. A single fork sat to the left of each plate while crystal water and wine glasses, as well as a knife, rested on the right. Simple. Beautiful.

THE DÉCOR: Adorned with ripe lemons and greenery straight from the garden, the décor evoked a rustic and warm aura. Lit candles with melting wax displayed throughout the room recreated the romance of Italy, softening the splashes of orange on the wine bottles spaced over the set tabletop. Transparent green carafes of water caught � ickers of the candle light,

immediately drawing the eye upward and o� ering a sense of form and function to the table. A mix of yellow wild� ower and green rosemary created vibrant and fragrant centerpieces that lined the dark, wood table. Bright, yellow lemons sat next to plates and long-stemmed wine glasses, emitting a scent reminiscent of the Amal� Coast of Southern Italy.

Chef Luca Barolli, Atlanta’s own “Vespa Chef,” was brought in to create the most important aspect of the evening: the menu. Born in Parma, Italy, he spent his

childhood roaming his grandmother’s farm and learning the value of organic produce during the Sunday feasts she prepared for dozens of friends and family. After moving to Atlanta with his wife in June 2014, Barolli began o� ering cooking classes and creating one-of-a-kind dinner parties in clients’ homes to share his passion for Italian cuisine, packing 3,000 years of history into each customized meal.

Barolli created the evening’s menu based on the authentic Italian cuisine he grew up with in the countryside of the Province of Parma. Each course toasted a � nal goodbye to warm weather and lasting daylight hours, highlight-ing a few of the season’s fresh ingredients. � e night started o� with a Campari spritz cocktail — an Italian classic of bitters and Prosecco — and a light Caprese, � nished with various salts sourced from around the globe. � e meal con-tinued with a torta di patate (potato cake) with Taleggio cream, using Taleggio cheese that’s

produced in northern Italy each autumn and winter, “when the cows are ‘stracche’, or tired.”

� e main course featured a simple but � a-vor-packed spaghetti alla pesto Genovese. “� e trick to a delicious pesto is not spoiling the � avor with the heat from a food processor,” Barolli says. “You can avoid this by freezing the processor’s removable parts for a few hours be-fore using it. You should also put all your dry ingredients in the processor at the same time and blend on minimum speed, slowly adding the olive oil. By reducing the amount of time the leaves are in contact with the blades, you’ll make a great pesto.” � e evening capped o� with a sweet a� ogato al ca� è, complete with ice cream, espresso and cacao powder.

“My ultimate goal is to have every dish, every bite and every glass of wine tell a story — a story about one of the most beautiful and incredible countries in the world,” Barolli ex-plains. “I’ve been fortunate enough in Atlanta to meet new friends from all social and eco-nomic classes, and to share the one common passion among all of us: satisfying our souls through di� erent tastes, colors, sounds and tex-tures, while socializing with those around us.”

I N G R E D I E N T S :4 organic tomatoes4 fresh pieces mozzarella1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil4 leaves fresh basil, ground1 teaspoon oregano1 teaspoon saltPinch black pepper

D I R E C T I O N S : Slice tomatoes and mozzarella, then assem-ble the Caprese by � rst placing the toma-toes on the plate and placing the mozzarella slices on top of each slice of tomato. On the side, mix extra virgin olive oil and basil; let sit for 5 minutes. Last, pour mixture of olive oil and basil on the plate and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano.

CapreseS E R V E S


Taleggio CreamI N G R E D I E N T S :1 pound Taleggio cheese1/2 cup whole milk

D I R E C T I O N S :Mix ingredients in a pot and melt slowly. Once melted, let sit for 5 minutes and pour onto plate, where you will add 3 small squares of potato cake.

Torta di Patate with Taleggio Cream S E R V E S 6

Potato CakeI N G R E D I E N T S :2 pounds potatoes4 tablespoons butter1 cup whole milk2 cups Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese, grated1/2 onion, chopped 2 teaspoons salt2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilBreadcrumbs

D I R E C T I O N S : Boil potatoes with skin for 20 minutes. Remove skin and mash, then add salt, milk and Parmigiano-Reggiano. In a separate pot, add extra virgin olive oil and onion, and cook for 10 minutes on low � ame. When onions are translucent, add to mix of potatoes and blend slowly with a wooden spoon; let sit for 15 minutes. Grease the surface of a baking pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs to cover the bottom. Add your potato mix to the baking pan, � ll-ing to approximately 2 inches, and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Bake in oven for 25 minutes on 300 F.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 25

I N G R E D I E N T S :6 cups fresh basil leaves1 clove garlic1/2 cup pine nuts2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated1/4 cup Pecorino-Romano cheese, grated1 box pasta (any pasta will do)2 tablespoons butter

D I R E C T I O N S :To make pesto, add basil leaves, garlic and pine nuts to a food processor. Blend on low speed while slowly adding extra virgin olive oil. Cook pas-ta al dente following the directions on the box. When ready, strain and add butter, cheeses and pesto. Mix gently and serve while hot.

Spaghetti alla Pesto GenoveseS E R V E S


I N G R E D I E N T S : Stracciatella ice creamMocha or espresso co� eeCrushed walnutsCacao powder

D I R E C T I O N S : Take one scoop of stracciatella ice cream and place in bowl. Add 3 tablespoons mocha co� ee and crushed walnuts, and top o� with cacao powder.

I N G R E D I E N T S :CampariProseccoTonic Water

D I R E C T I O N S :Mix 1 part Campari and 2 parts Prosecco, then top o� with tonic water. Garnish with lemon and orange slices.

Spritz Cocktail

Affogato al Caffè

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 27

Ancient grains are making a modern-day return.

Story and photography by GINA YU

Barley tea was common to my Korean-Ameri-can childhood home. I could always count on the roasted barley � ecks that just escaped the tea strainer at the bottom of my cup. Served tongue-burning hot or throat-tingling cold,

the tea has a deep amber color — bright and golden, like honey. Mildly nutty and subtly mineral-sweet, it tastes roasted and wholesome (if “wholesome” were a � avor). � oughtfully sipped or haphazardly gulped, the result is the same. Renewed. Refreshed.

I started to notice headlines touting “farro” or “chia” on magazine racks, followed by cardboard displays at Whole Foods with pyramids of boxed quinoa. It was

like the fro-yo phenomenon, a Yogurt Town or two for every suburb and mall.

I could say this was just another food trend: topping sal-ads, becoming salads, soaking soups, replacing pasta, replac-ing rice, substituting � our, blending into yogurt, becoming the source for smart carbs and protein. But really, I think that the humble grains have always been around, just like yogurt and wine, and people now strive to consume more of them, knowing that there may be more to them than satisfaction (i.e. probiotics, antioxidants, all the good stu� ).

� ough the origins of the grains aren’t clear, the stories and speculated history around these four varieties only seem to deepen their � avor and enhance their texture.

Retro-Grain



Farro is the oldest ancient grain. All the others are merely varia-tions of it. � e Italian word farro is actually thought to reference three di� erent types of wheat families that originally came out of the Fertile Crescent, which is now a region that spans across Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Syria and Iraq. Julius Caesar dubbed farro “Pharaoh’s Wheat,” because it was believed to be what sus-tained Roman armies for years. � e grains were also unearthed from the tombs of ancient Egyptian kings, which meant that farro was thought to be essential for their souls’ journey into the afterlife. Farro is derived from farris in Latin, which means “a kind of wheat.”

Today, farro is grown in Italy, mainly Tuscany. It’s nutty, a little chewy, earthy and almost slightly sweet. � e � rm but easily digestible kernels make it a versatile choice for rice replacements in risottos and hashes, as well as protein and texture builders for veggie burgers and soups. High in iron, vitamin B and � ber, the wholesome grain is even delicious over yogurt and berries with a drizzle of honey.

More than any other ancient grain, spelt has a de� nite age — approximately 9,000 years. Mentioned in the Old Testament (i.e. Ezekial 4:9 Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself …), spelt grains have been found all over Stone Age excavations across Europe and explorations of the Middle East. Roman armies were said to have deemed spelt their “Marching Grain,” while mystics throughout history have praised it for its uses — most notably, Hildegard von Bingen, named “Doctor of the Church” by Pope Benedict XVI, who said, “Spelt creates healthy body, good blood and a happy outlook on life.”

Spelt was introduced to the States back in the 1890s, where the ground grains were short-lived due to the popular rise of bread � our. Now, it’s mainly grown in Europe but has made a recent return to this side of the hemisphere. With heart-healthy nutrients like niacin and magnesium, and less gluten than wheat, the happy grain can be used in similar ways to farro. Spelt � our is more commonly used as a denser and sweeter substitute for normal wheat � ours in anything from bagels and pound cakes to pu� ed cereals.

FARRO The Grandmother

SPELT The Old Soul

Spelt Olive Oil Cake with Pistachios and Lavender*

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 29

Kamut is the grain that almost never was. Or at least, almost never made it to today. � e story dates back to a time follow-ing World War II, when a U.S. airman was said to have taken a handful of the grains from a stone box (some say tomb) near Dashare, Egypt. � e 36 or 37 grains (sources are con� icted on the exact amount, but just think a small handful of the last re-mains of an existence on Earth) were then brought to the States where the airman handed them o� to a friend who then mailed them to his father, a wheat farmer in Montana.

� e grains were planted and harvested in a small quantity to be shown o� at a local fair. From then on, the grain kernels were rumored to be a novelty from an Egyptian tomb, thus kamut ac-quired the name “King Tut’s Wheat.” � e grain was later revived in 1977 by T. Mack Quinn and his son Bob, who � nally named the kernels “kamut,” which is Egyptian for “wheat.” It’s also said that Noah took kamut with him on the ark, bringing the grains to the washed Earth, but the former is more popularly accepted.

� e o� cial name for kamut is khorasan wheat. Khorasan ker-nels are twice the size of normal wheat, which makes them a hefty choice for slick pilafs and tossed salads. Nutty sweet and near but-tery, kamut is known as the “high energy wheat” for its levels of fatty acids and protein. Now seeded all over the U.S., the grain � our is frequently used to make denser breads, crackers and sweets.

KAMUT The Survivor AMARANTH The PhoenixAmaranth was essential to the Aztecs for nourishment and re-ligious practices. Not only did the grain-like seeds supplement corn tributes to the Aztec emperor, amaranth was also used in worship to their gods. Some sources say the Aztec people created art in likeness of their deities from a mixture of amaranth grains and honey, but others say the grains were mixed with blood in-stead. In both cases, the masses were then worshipped and bro-ken apart to be eaten (blood, grains, all of it).

When the Spanish conquistadors heard of this, they made it practically illegal to posses amaranth, in an attempt to halt what they considered a savage interpretation of Christian com-munion. � e crops were burned, and for centuries, the grains could only be found in remote, mountainous areas of Central and South America.

Amaranth can be found all over the world now, growing in areas like Nepal and even New York. � e malty and crunchy grains are es-pecially important to Mexico, where they create a treat with popped amaranth, honey and chocolate called “alegría,” which means “joy.” Popped amaranth also makes appearances in cereals and snack foods. � e grains are rich in iron and calcium, adding texture when sprinkled into soups and stirred into cake or cookie batters. When simmered, the grains become sticky, creating warm breakfast por-ridges just asking for fresh blueberries or cinnamon apples.

Kamut Butter Cookies*

*Recipes available at eidemagazine.com.

DÎNERenBLANC

The world's largest, secret dinner party comes to Atlanta.

Story by CASSIE KAYE

Bring a meal, bring a new friend and dress in white so we can � nd each other.” � is simple message from François Pasquier to his friends

in 1988 sparked an international dining event known as Dîner en Blanc. Now celebrating 26 years of ele-gant fêtes, the Paris-born, secret dinner party (up to 12,000 people strong in the French capitol) has ex-panded to 50 cities across � ve continents, and the all-white a� air graced the streets of Atlanta for the � rst time to celebrate the release of Moët & Chandon’s Moët Ice Impérial — the � rst Champagne made to be served over ice. “It was the brainchild of the winemaker a few years ago,” explains Donae Burston, regional marketing director of Moët & Chandon, of their new line. “For traditionalists, it takes some getting used to, but it’s meant to be fun and make you realize you should drink Champagne every day as you would wine.”

On October 16, 2014, hundreds of Atlanta in� u-encers stepped out in their chicest white ensembles to gather for an elegant picnic in one of the city’s most beautiful areas. � e rules of Dîner en Blanc are pretty simple: gather together a table, two white chairs, white table linens and a china dinner service, dress in white and await the revelation of the event’s location. (To retain the mystery surrounding the fes-tivities, the party’s locale is kept secret until the last minute.) “Each city brings its own unique elements. We love to include local performers, local music and musicians, local chefs and local businesses in each of our events,” says Sandy Sa� , co-founder of Dîner en Blanc International. “We felt that Atlanta, being such a vibrant metropolitan city would make an excellent addition.” Dîner en Blanc was held on the lawn out-side the Millennium Gate Museum in Atlantic Sta-tion, and, after enjoying an evening of high-quality food, Moët & Chandon Champagne and dancing, the partygoers took their belongings and litter home with them, leaving behind no trace of the sophisticat-ed revelry that took place.

Photography by CLAUDIA BOST


DÎNERenBLANC

The world's largest, secret dinner party comes to Atlanta.


Bring a meal, bring a new friend and dress in white so we can � nd each other.” � is simple message from François Pasquier to his friends

in 1988 sparked an international dining event known as Dîner en Blanc. Now celebrating 26 years of ele-gant fêtes, the Paris-born, secret dinner party (up to 12,000 people strong in the French capitol) has ex-panded to 50 cities across � ve continents, and the all-white a� air graced the streets of Atlanta for the � rst time to celebrate the release of Moët & Chandon’s Moët Ice Impérial — the � rst Champagne made to be served over ice. “It was the brainchild of the winemaker a few years ago,” explains Donae Burston, regional marketing director of Moët & Chandon, of their new line. “For traditionalists, it takes some getting used to, but it’s meant to be fun and make you realize you should drink Champagne every day as you would wine.”

On October 16, 2014, hundreds of Atlanta in� u-encers stepped out in their chicest white ensembles to gather for an elegant picnic in one of the city’s most beautiful areas. � e rules of Dîner en Blanc are pretty simple: gather together a table, two white chairs, white table linens and a china dinner service, dress in white and await the revelation of the event’s location. (To retain the mystery surrounding the fes-tivities, the party’s locale is kept secret until the last minute.) “Each city brings its own unique elements. We love to include local performers, local music and musicians, local chefs and local businesses in each of our events,” says Sandy Sa� , co-founder of Dîner en Blanc International. “We felt that Atlanta, being such a vibrant metropolitan city would make an excellent addition.” Dîner en Blanc was held on the lawn out-side the Millennium Gate Museum in Atlantic Sta-tion, and, after enjoying an evening of high-quality food, Moët & Chandon Champagne and dancing, the partygoers took their belongings and litter home with them, leaving behind no trace of the sophisticat-ed revelry that took place.

Photography by CLAUDIA BOST


W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 31


Gown, LAUREN COLE, at Miz Scarlett's.

S T Y L I N G B Y T I A N J U S T M A N | A S S I S T A N T S T Y L I N G B Y H A N N A H J O H N S O N M A K E U P B Y K A T I E B A L L A R D | H A I R B Y B R I E N I C H O L S F O R B . Y O U B L O W D R Y &

B E A U T Y B A R | S H O T O N L O C A T I O N A T S W A N H O U S E

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A L E X M A R T I N E Z

SAVANNAH RISING

T V I C O N I N T H E M A K I N G , S A V A N N A H C H R I S L E Y , S T A R O F “ C H R I S L E Y K N O W S B E S T , ” G R O W S U P B E F O R E O U R E Y E S

My dad’s going to hate this,” she says with a sly grin. Savannah Chrisley

pulls an $8,000 plunging, V-neck cou-ture dress o� the rack of glistening de-

signer pieces. She runs her � ngers over the delicate lace of the dress, then the tight

beadwork of a cardigan, � ipping through the looks as if swiping through a vintage

catalogue of records. She sighs, taking in the moment, calming her nerves. Today, she

walks onto set a pageant queen but will emerge a fashion model. Outside, the sun is starting to

rise over the Atlanta History Center, and we want to get � rst light.

� e young star, known for her lovely, mischie-vous ways and charming, but relentless father on the

instant-success reality show, “Chrisley Knows Best,” has become a Southern icon in the making. Her good

looks, coupled with wild family antics, has turned the heads of network powers that be — proclaiming this the

next Kardashian family. And if so, then she is Kim — though obviously more demure. She’s spent hours parad-

ing down pageant runways, answering questions on world peace and chasing crowns (a hobby she acquired to develop her public speaking and self-con� dence), � nding herself now drawn to an edgier space in the modeling realm — as proof by her new locks, cut o� to reveal a more sophisticated appearance. No longer the bubbly sprout of a teenager we met in Season 1, a year of sun-drenched limelight in an in-creasingly public world has changed her. She’s calmer, more self-assured, unknowingly more in control.

At 17, there’s a team of beauty and hair stylists fawning over her, powdering here and curling there to stay on the call sheet schedule. And she’s glowing, as comforted and un-a� ected by this routine as she might be grabbing her order through the Starbucks drive-thru window. Although it’s safe to say there’s no real routine left in her life, on-camera or otherwise. “All the normal things that I used to do aren’t so normal anymore,” she says, candidly. “� e mall is my go-to hangout spot because, let’s face it, shopping is my get-away when I just need a break. But now, going to the mall gets di� cult at times because there’s always people stopping me, so now I have to strategize and go at the least busiest times of the day.” She takes a breath and smiles. “Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE our fans and I wouldn’t trade them for the world but, it’s still nice to have a little quiet time,” she amends graciously. And now I see how di� erent her childhood must be than mine; than all of ours. She has fans, for one. Not the ubiquitous few hundred ever-present social media supporters that thumbs-up your sel� e e� orts. She has a sea of strangers � ghting over every 140th char-acter for a shot at her response. And she loves them back, responding with heartfelt sincerity you’d expect from a cher-ished pen pal. “I try to have a conversation. I get their name and I try to hear their story because we all have a story of some sort. I want to make people feel special and feel the love that we all deserve.”

Story by TOVA GELFOND


Dress, BELLVILLE SAS-SOON-LORCAN MULLANY, at Miz Scarlett's.

Dress, SAM & LAVI, at Anthropologie.

Dress, ETINCELLE COUTURE, and Cardigan, MISSONI, both at

Miz Scarlett's.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 37

Though, not every engage-ment is even worthy of this kindness. She’s had to develop a balanced world perspective — one that rivals most of the Dr. Phil guest experts I’ve seen. She

deals with challenges that would tear most adults to shreds, and does so with grace. People call her fat, they say her dad is gay, or make fun of her niece for being biracial. “� e world that we live in can be so amaz-ing but also so horrible at the same time,” she says with a clarity speaking beyond her years. “� e absolute hardest thing for me to get over would be the labels. I don’t get why people feel a need to de� ne a person with a word.” A comment revealing a sad wisdom that has come hand-in-hand with her op-portunities. “It’s hard always being around adults and having to act like an adult,” she says. “But at the same time, this whole expe-rience has caused me to grow as a person and de� nitely mature.”

At times, Savannah wishes she was 6 again, and I understand why. � e pure simplicities in life tremble in the face of her universe. To cope, she speaks about God. Not once. Not twice. It’s the pervasive thread sewn through her favorable point of view. A spir-ituality that she was no-doubt raised with in the South. Rich ties to family and faith are steadfast answers to her every question. It has manifested itself through toler-ance in lieu of conformity, and ends up forging a rhythm in her conversation. A cadence that’s wholesome but never preachy.

She’s still an innocent, but she can’t go back; she’s gone too far along her path, and there’s too much ahead. � ere are dreams of college — Vanderbilt or UCLA — and run-way shows at Fashion Week. � ere’s a drive to step out of her father’s shadow — a big one at that. And in reality, she’s still just a kid — something I have to remind myself while we converse. Like every other teenager in America, her life’s dramas are wrapped up in

high school football games, going to home-coming, going to prom, taking a spring break with friends, regardless of the fact that she bumps elbows with famous people and gets to collect expensive designers the way most 17-year-olds collect Forever 21 (favorites in-clude Givenchy and Chanel; Alice + Olivia and Ted Baker).

We’re on set now; she readjusts her straps and gathers her nerve, shaking o� the restless energy in her � ngertips. As she gets comfort-able with the � ocks of people watching her pose, the movements become more connect-ed and her stares more haunting. She comes behind the camera to see one of her shots and she’s instantly giddy. “I love it! Oh wow, I love that one!” she jumps back in front of the camera to continue the series, poised with the con� dence of her slender body and good looks. “I’m not the ideal model” — one of her few grievances. “I’m not 6-feet tall, nor am I 100 pounds, but I work with what I have.” � ere are those who tell her she doesn’t � t the criteria for a career in this � eld, and they’d be right. Yet, greatness nev-er comes from the obvious standard. “Little do they know that only pushes me harder to achieve the dreams and goals that I have set

out for myself.” � ere is a � ght brewing inside her to pursue her ambitions, challenging ev-ery naysayer. “I mean, this world can be so crazy at times,

but when I step on a stage or in front of a camera, everything just seems to go away … it’s like I'm in my own little world and it feels incredible!”

She talks about wanting to leave a lega-cy behind in an overly romantic, Spartan kind of way. � inking about tomorrow and yesterday seems to be the focus of her ever-buzzing mind. But today, we are here on set and she’s present. Straddling the line between who she was and wants to be — a child at heart, a woman in mind; a normal high schooler, a Miss USA; a success, an al-truist — but today, she’s a model. Or may-be, she’s just a girl.

“WHEN I STEP ON A STAGE OR IN FRONT OF A CAMERA, EVERYTHING JUST SEEMS

TO GO AWAY … IT’S LIKE I’M IN MY OWN LITTLE WORLD AND

IT FEELS INCREDIBLE!”


Gown and Fur Coat, both ERMANNO SCERVINO,

both at Miz Scarlett's.

FOOD

The Giving Kitchen and Staplehouse: From tragedy comes triumph in Atlanta’s

restaurant industry.

Story by JAIME LIN WEINSTEINPhotography by BRETT FALCON

THOUGHTorf

Jen Hidinger standing in the future home of Staplehouse.

“In many ways, our industry can be archaic and get away from the simple facts of celebrating life. Food is just that — food — but peo-ple are the most integral ingredient in a restaurant’s recipe. I cer-tainly am in awe of their mission and use it as a reminder often of why we cook in the fi rst place: to make people happy — ourselves,

our staffs and our families — fi rst and foremost.”

FLIP BURGER BOUTIQUE, THE SPENCE,

JUNIPER & IVY (SAN DIEGO)

WINNER, “TOP CHEF: ALL-STARS,” SEASON 8

JAMES BEARD AWARD FOR “COOKBOOK: GENERAL COOKING,” 2014

Richard Blais

It was one evening, just on a date night … And we stum-bled on Staplehouse,” says Jennifer (Jen) Hidinger. “Sta-ples, meaning the things that you love and crave, and house, the place you go to get them.” She’s explaining how she and her husband, Ryan Hidinger, came upon

the name of their restaurant, slated to open in the spring. She’s standing in the middle of its future home in East Atlanta, an old building from 1906 that used to provide overnight lodging for railroad workers; downstairs was a grocery store. It certain-ly has the makings of a cherished home. � e old wood � oors and exposed brick walls have an authenticity that tells of actual age, rather than new décor made to look vintage. An outdoor courtyard (where guests will enter) provides a sense of secluded comfort amid Atlanta’s bustling streets just outside the gate.


W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 41

The restaurant itself is actually a � ve-year-old dream, � nally coming to fruition. Ryan, a seasoned chef, was well known throughout the Atlanta culinary

community. He worked at the city’s ac-claimed � ne dining restaurant, Bac-chanalia, and held the position of sous chef at Floataway Café (both owned by James Beard Award-winning chefs Cli� ord Harrison and Anne Quatrano), before ending up at Muss & Turner’s in Smyrna, Ga., a neighborhood joint that he helped develop into a full-service restaurant. Ryan ran the kitchen there for about seven years, but always knew he wanted his own.

So while seeking funding for a brick-and-mortar locale, the couple decided to build a customer base on their own. “It was January 2009 when we started our underground supper club called Prelude to Staplehouse,” Jen explains. (� e trend may have already taken root in places like Seattle or Brooklyn, but in the South, this was well before your av-erage foodies began curating dinner par-ties for strangers.) Ten guests at a time, almost every Sunday, they welcomed in-dividuals to come and dine in their own home and try Ryan’s food. “We were that couple who just really believed in starting from the grassroots, ground up, and we really allowed people to kind of get to know us very personally,” Jen says. “So inviting them to our home, on that kind of intimate level, was very us.” But there’s another date when the story of Staplehouse, as it is today, really began.

� e world may not have ended when the Mayans predicted it would, but for the Hidingers, December 21, 2012 marked a di� erent sort of terminus, and the perceived end of their dream of cre-ating Staplehouse. “� at’s kind of when life started to change … � e dream for us stopped … When you’re told you have six months to live, I mean, what do you do? You don’t, really.”

Jen talks fast, and it’s hard to estab-lish if the speed is a natural quality or a forced one; a strategy for getting through the details of the past two years without allowing the chance for emotion to in-terrupt. At 35, Ryan was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer of the gallblad-der. He was given roughly six months to live. � e news not only struck the young couple, but their devoted supper club fans and the larger Atlanta restaurant scene as well. In an outpouring of sup-port, their friends and community came together to form “Team Hidi” (short for their last name) to raise money to assist in funding the care that insurance didn’t cover: like out-of-pocket expenses in-cluding medication, travel, co-pays and tumor testing, for starters. “It was headed up by Ryan Turner and Todd Mussman of Muss & Turner’s. And we had a com-mittee of about 20, 25 people, who said we’ve got one purpose in mind and we need to create this event to help them with anything they might need � nancial-ly during this medical battle,” Jen says, almost matter-of-factly. Within three weeks, the fundraiser was formulated, constructed and produced, ultimately raising $300,000 for the couple.

“So with that, there was an immedi-

ate need that was revealed,” she explains. And over the course of the last year, what began as a single fundraiser for a couple in need turned into a nonpro� t called � e Giving Kitchen, a 501(c)(3) designed to provide hardship grants to workers in Atlanta’s hospitality industry.

Restaurants employ more than 13 million people across the United States, comprising 10 percent of the entire U.S. workforce — and the majority of them live paycheck to paycheck. In Atlanta, — a city that has been privileged with a bur-geoning food scene rife with “Top Chefs” and 5-star cuisine — the 200,000 metro area restaurant employees “earn an aver-age annual income of just over $17,000,” TGK’s executive director, Stephanie Gal-er, tells me. And in an industry built on servicing others (read, tips), you have to show up to get paid.

Even if you’re lucky enough to have insurance — like Angela Riley, the victim of a hit-and-run accident — a crisis situ-ation that takes you out of the workplace for days, weeks, even months at a time, can leave you penniless. In May of 2013, Riley, a server at Leon’s Full Service in Decatur, Ga., was crossing the street one night when she was struck by the car of a drunk driver, shattering the windshield with her head. “I was 25 at the time and Obamacare had just been extended to cover dependents until they’re 26, so I was on my mother’s health insurance,” Riley explains. “I was very fortunate,” she says, punctuating each syllable as to articulate the severity of her situation. Insurance covered her time in the ICU and several weeks in a rehabilitation fa-cility, where she spent time recovering

JCT. KITCHEN & BAR, NO. 246,

THE OPTIMIST AND OYSTER BAR,

KING & DUKE, ST. CECILIA,

THE EL FELIX, SUPERICA

“As a chef and restaurateur, it is super clear that our industry is about passion for what we do; and more often than not, it’s not the most fi nancially rewarding. The Giving Kitchen has fi lled a void by serving its own

in times of need. ”

Ford Fry

RATHBUN’S, KEVIN RATHBUN

STEAK, KROG BAR, KR STEAKBAR

CONTESTANT, “IRON CHEF

AMERICA,” 2008

“Helping others in the restaurant community goes hand in hand with the passion for making people feel good, and The Giving Kitchen goes even fur-ther in its respect for the souls who provide that vision. It has changed the fabric of Atlanta and its

focus on helping our own.”

Kevin Rathbun


from fractures in her spine and a severe traumatic brain injury — re-learning how to hold a fork, how to walk, how to talk. But during that time, it was a grant from � e Giving Kitchen that a� orded her the ability to keep her apartment, her car, a sense of � nancial stability and the independence she needed to hasten her recovery.

But it’s not just about dire, crisis traumatic brain injuries or stage 4 can-cer diagnosis situations. In the past year, for example, � e Giving Kitchen has provided grants for a server who needed the funds to cover a security deposit and one month’s rent after the house he was living in was condemned, and another who used the money to purchase a plane ticket so he could participate as a pall-bearer in his grandmother’s funeral in Virginia. “It’s literally anything. It’s any sort of unanticipated hardship or crisis, whether it’s natural disaster, death, any-thing,” Jen asserts.

And then, of course, there’s Sta-plehouse. After that initial fundraiser, Team Hidi, the Hidingers realized there was both a need for � nancial assistance in the hospitality industry, and a place for Staplehouse within their new, al-truistic mission. “� at was, for us, a turning point perspective change that our dream does not necessarily have to die,” Jen says. “We can keep going, we can even keep going in a bigger, better way where we slightly change it con-ceptually.” In a unique hybrid struc-ture, Staplehouse will be a for-pro� t subsidiary of � e Giving Kitchen. How does that work? Jen explains: “It will still be a standard, structurally run

restaurant. It just so happens that now, because we’re owned by a nonpro� t, all of our net proceeds and pro� ts after taxes at the end of the year are donated to � e Giving Kitchen.”

With Chef Ryan Smith in the kitch-en (formerly the executive chef at “Top Chef” judge Hugh Acheson’s Empire State South in Atlanta), Staplehouse will surely be among the best casual � ne din-ing restaurants in the city. (Smith, Jen’s brother-in-law, left ESS to become a part-ner in Staplehouse at the end of 2013. His wife, and Ryan’s sister, Kara Hiding-er — formerly of Abattoir, also owned by Harrison and Quatrano — will serve as general manager.) “[Smith] is one of the most talented, creative individuals in the Southeast for sure, and I think that his career could have gone anywhere. And I still think it can. And I think it will,” Jen says with a passion in her tone that tells you her words aren’t escalated just because he’s family. “But it is interesting to know that you have this platform that you can just literally soar and � y on, but what’s most important to you is a tight-knit family and doing something for the greater good, and he chose to do that. So I think I have a pretty awesome family!” she says, laughing.

While Staplehouse will serve as the ongoing � nancial engine for � e Giving Kitchen, ensuring the sustainability of the nonpro� t, there has been no shortage of support from the surrounding culi-nary community, which started with that initial fundraiser led by the principals of Muss & Turner’s and Chris Hall of Local � ree. Dozens of restaurants through-out the city have since held TGK bene� t

nights and partnered with the organiza-tion to raise funds through campaigns such as “Multiply Joy,” which encourages diners to make a donation via a line item on credit card receipts or by cash. Atlan-ta-based SweetWater Brewery even col-laborated with Ryan Hidinger to create a custom beer — 250 barrels of an IPA called “Second Helping” — all proceeds of which (totaling nearly $40,000) went back to TGK. Woodford Reserve also distilled a custom bourbon blend, “� e Spirit of � e Giving Kitchen,” and Rich-ard Blais’ FLIP Burger restaurants served “� e Giving Burger,” both of which do-nated sales proceeds to the organization.

“We saw what a band of people com-ing together, what it was able to do to help us with our peace of mind,” Jen re-members. “And I think that’s what � e Giving Kitchen is really about.” She goes on to explain how the � nancial assistance means more than money. For grant re-cipients, it means relieving the stress of meeting their � scal responsibilities while they’re unable to work so they can fo-cus on healing and surviving in times of need. “� at’s actually what happened for us,” Jen says. “And I know, or what I be-lieve, is that it helped extend Ryan’s life. He was given six months to live and he lasted 13.”

When Ryan Hidinger passed in Jan-uary of 2014 at the age of 36, he had, in essence, transformed the care of Atlan-ta’s restaurant industry. And the dream of Staplehouse was fully alive. Ryan and Jen had secured a board of investors — including Ryan Turner, Todd Mussman and Chris Hall — and that 1906 build-ing that will become its home.

FIVE & TEN, THE NATIONAL,

EMPIRE STATE SOUTH, THE FLORENCE

JAMES BEARD AWARD FOR BEST CHEF: SOUTHEAST AND

“BEST COOKBOOK IN AMERICAN COOKING,” 2012

“It’s an organization built on great intentions, tons of heart and a willingness to work hard to give back. One of the most beautiful things that has happened since The Giving Kitchen was created is a strengthen-ing of the spirits of camaraderie among restaurants

in the Atlanta area.”

Hugh Acheson

4TH & SWIFT

Jay Swift“The restaurant industry spends thousands of hours and dollars each year working for charities. It is part of who we are. Finally, there is an organization that’s for our people in

their times of need.”

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 43

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 45

Suit, $995 and Shirt,

$135, both MOR-

GAN CODA, both at

morgancoda.com. Tie,

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at Henry & June. Hat,

Stylist’s Own.

Suit, $4,895, Shirt,

$570, Pocket Square,

$185 and Cashmere

Tie, $295, all BRUNEL-

LO CUCINELLI, all at

Brunello Cucinelli. Vin-

tage Glasses and Cane,

both Stylist’s Own.


W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 47

Three-Piece Suit,

$1,195 and Shirt, $135,

both MORGAN CODA,

both at morgancoda.

com. Tie, $95, HUNTZ

& WHITE, at Henry &

June. Buffalo Nickel

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CASH, at Crafted West-

side. Pocket Square,

Stylist’s Own.


Three-Piece Suit,

$1,195 and Shirt, $135,

both MORGAN CODA,

both at morgancoda.

com. Tie, $95, HUNTZ

& WHITE, at Henry &

June. Buffalo Nickel

Tie Tack, $20, MEGAN

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side. Pocket Square,

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Suit, $995 and Shirt,

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CODA, both at morgan-

coda.com. Bow Tie, $35,

EW MCCALL and Scarf,

$98, A. FINELINE, both

at Crafted Westside.

Vintage Watch,

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W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 49

Suit, $5,075, BRUNEL-

LO CUCINELLI, at

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$135, MORGAN CODA,

at morgancoda.com.

Tie, $35, EW MCCALL,

at Crafted Westside.

Glasses and Hat, both

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W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 51

Shirt, $148 and Jack-

et, $180, both HAN

KJØBENHAVN, Jeans,

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LIE and Tie, $95, HUNTZ

& WHITE, all at Henry &

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both BY JODIE, both at

Crafted Westside.


Shirt, $220, WON HUN-

DRED, Layered Shirt, $160,

NATIVE YOUTH, Overcoat,

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Pants, $186, FILES FROM

A JOURNAL, all at Henry &

June. Suspenders, $55, ME-

GAN CASH and Weekender

Bag, $225, RIVERS AND

COMPANY, both at Crafted

Westside. Vintage Watch,

Stylist’s Own.


Shirt, $129, Sweater,

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and Gloves, $129, all

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Tack (worn on lapel),

$20, MEGAN CASH, at

Crafted Westside.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 55

As in women’s fashions, popular suit styles are cy-clical, and the same trends come and go, albeit at a slower pace and with fewer nuances. For men, the baggy suits of our fathers are being replaced by a double-breasted variety that is snugger in � t — the suits on today’s man remind us why they say suits are to women what lingerie is to men. In terms of � t, everything about a high-end jacket is done to create the perfect � t and, ideally, a suit jacket will gently hug the body. “Men often come to me for tailoring complaining the jacket � ts too tightly, because it pulls the taping across the shoulders when they’re driving,” Hopper sighs. “But gentlemen don’t drive in their suit jacket. You don’t do acrobatics in your suit either; it’s not what it’s meant for.”

Styling & Fit

What makes a tailored suitworth all that money?


The suit jacket. Fewer articles of clothing are more steeped in history and tradition or evoke more of a die-hard following. A high-end suit can cost upwards of $3,000, and many don’t always understand what exactly their money is pay-

ing for. What makes a Giorgio Armani suit better than something you’d pick out at a department store? Craftsmanship and fabric. But it goes much deeper than that.

� e � rst mass-produced suit for men — the zoot suit — was purposely made big and baggy so as to � t many body types without additional tai-loring. Before that, everything was hand-stitched. “Patterns for suits were passed down through generations,” explains Rosemary Hopper, master tai-lor and professor at Bauder College in Atlanta. “� ey were protected like gold. You didn’t give up the secrets of the trade, and you never tarnished the craft with any talk of money while a garment was being made.”

In today’s world of standardization, Hopper fears the tradition and artistry behind hand tailoring is slowly disappearing. Fewer men know the way a luxury suit feels — how the fabric hugs the body in a way that truly makes you understand the term “power suit.” But as the legendary Tom Ford himself said, “Dressing well is a form of good manners” (for Jay-Z, it’s better than drugs: “I don’t pop molly, I rock Tom Ford …”), and there is no � ner way to dress well than with a well-� tting suit. Sure, the suit (or simply the suit jacket, in this case) may not make the man, but a high-end, well-tailored garment can make all the di� erence.

T H E

J A C K E T

FASHIONANATOMY


A collar should roll rather than have a sti� crease, and the hand pad stitching with a can-vas interior will give the collar a permanent roll — imitating this with a machine will give somewhat the same e� ect, but it won’t be lasting. All the stitching at the gorge line — which attaches the collar to the lapel — is done by hand on high-end garments, and a half-inch of shirt linen should show above the jacket collar in a well-made piece.

Collar

Hand-tailored garments typically have a hand pricking done to roll the seam along the edge of the lapel toward the jacket, so it won’t be seen.

Lapel

Whether the suit jacket has one, two or three buttons is dependent on style, but regardless of the number, the bottom button is never fastened. In terms of buttons on the sleeves, a high-quality suit jacket will have four, whereas a sport coat or cheaper suit may only have three.

Buttons

High-end suit jackets will have pad stitch-ing and taping in the shoulder area. � e pad stitching prevents “breaks” (wrinkles) in the fabric, giving the garment a smooth � nish from the shoulder down to the bottom � aps. � e canvas sewn inside the jacket makes the garment turn toward and hug the body. Cheaper, factory-made pieces tend to � ip out, particularly around the � aps. With expensive, hand-tailored garments, “there’s a reason for everything,” Hopper explains. � e taping also works to bring the garment toward the body. When you sew, the fabric is stretched, and taping helps form it back into shape and keep the jacket closer to the torso.

Shoulders

Pocket � aps tend to use more fabric, but now the insides are done with a lining, which, Hopper explains, is something you hardly see anymore. “It makes the pocket � aps melt into the garment,” she says.

Pockets

� e armholes are always taped because you put a sleeve in di� erently on a jacket than you do with a dress or a blouse. You tape it to bring the armhole back in and hug the body; otherwise, you could see the stretching that would occur. A two-piece sleeve is always going to � t better, because it tends to curve and take on the shape of the arm. � e sleeves are supposed to have a roll line, not a crease, to snugly � t the arms. Even men’s shirts shouldn’t have a crease down the arms, “but nobody knows any better these days,” Hopper says. Suit sleeves should also be short enough to reveal a half-inch of the shirt fabric, just like with the collar.

Armholes & Sleeves

D E S I G N

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R I S E &D E S I G N


Modern leanings and a collector’s spirit dictate Jonathan Shapero’s art-fi lled apartment.

S H I N E

W hen I � rst moved to Atlanta, I thought I’d miss the water, but, this is kind of like

being by the ocean,” says Jonathan Shapero. He’s the owner and designer of Atlanta’s lauded jewelry emporium, Jonathan Buckhead, and we’re stand-ing on one of the two balconies at his stunning Park Place on Peachtree apartment. It’s after 7 p.m., and the stars have started to emerge. Below, forest rustles to the left, skyscrapers twinkle to the right, and mountains loom on the horizon. Shapero lived in Sarasota, Fla., and Martha’s Vine-yard before moving here over a decade ago. But he’s right. Close your eyes and you have indeed found the ocean, right above the Buckhead skyline.

Inside the 2,000-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment, Shapero has created an opulent, yet com-fortable nest that caters to his love of art and entertaining. Despite this building’s prestigious reputation and famous residents (Janet Jack-son, Coretta Scott King and Elton John, to name a few), Shapero’s lair exudes an inherent ease and sense of comfort that’s unexpected, yet very Jonathan. “To me, what’s important about an environment is that it’s liv-

able, peaceful and restful, and that it indicates who I am, where I’ve lived and where I’ve traveled,” o� ers the gregarious host. “I’m extremely aes-thetic-oriented; any outward exten-sion of myself, I try to make pretty.”

And how pretty it is. Stepping in-side each room is like stepping inside of a life-sized jewelry box: Everything inside is meticulously placed and comes with its own sparkling anecdote. Painted stark-white and minimally fur-nished, the art dictates the space. As you step from corner to corner, you’ll � nd that Shapero excels at putting to-gether dynamic vignettes, comprised of � nds he’s taken a lifetime to acquire. Here, a thrift-store chest Shapero bartered for in his 20s; there, a small painting by Katharine Hepburn and a monogrammed tea set of his mother’s.

It’s a far cry from the state of the apartment when Shapero purchased it in 2002. “It was in hideous shape,” he recalls. “But all I saw was the view, the amount of space and room for po-tential.” With Shapero’s Art Deco and modernist leanings in mind, he and his contractor brought the apartment to its bones and rebuilt it around the incom-parable vantage point. Twelve years lat-er, and it’s still a work in progress. Here, we follow Shapero on the grand tour.

“� is zebrawood piece is pure ’20s French Art Deco. I found it at a Sarasota antique shop when I was 23. � e owners of the store had it shoved at the back of the store and I loved it but couldn’t a� ord it, so I would go visit it every day. � e owners eventually cut me a deal for about $1,800 I think, which they let me pay in $100 - $200 segments each month. Today, it’s highly col-lectible. � e pottery on top is by Jennifer McCurdy. It has such a lightness of being, like whipped cream. � e art is a thrift store � nd and the lamps are mercury glass from the 1920s.”

“� e co� ee table, sofa, white chair and black table were all my mom and dad’s. � ey built their dream home in 1959 and hired a designer who load-ed them up with really great stu� .” � e black chairs are by Le Corbusier.

Story by KELLY SKINNERPhotography by BRETT FALCON

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 59

Shapero’s bedroom is the only room in the apartment with a wall color other than white. � e hue — a cool, charcoal shade called “Obsidian Glass” — is from Pratt & Lambert Paints.

“I lived in Sarasota for 13 years and was an original corporate sponsor of the Sarasota Film Festival. � is is the poster from it. � e smaller piece is by a French artist named Patrick Boudon who passed away from AIDS.”

“I bought this piece about 24 years ago. A very close friend of mine, Virginia Ho� -man, did this piece as part of a series. It’s called ‘Caduceus.’ It’s about 3,000 pounds, and I’ve carried it with me from Saraso-ta, to Tampa, to here. It’s made of glass and concrete.”


Shapero’s bedroom is the only room in the apartment with a wall color other than white. � e hue — a cool, charcoal shade called “Obsidian Glass” — is from Pratt & Lambert Paints.

“I lived in Sarasota for 13 years and was an original corporate sponsor of the Sarasota Film Festival. � is is the poster from it. � e smaller piece is by a French artist named Patrick Boudon who passed away from AIDS.”

“I bought this piece about 24 years ago. A very close friend of mine, Virginia Ho� -man, did this piece as part of a series. It’s called ‘Caduceus.’ It’s about 3,000 pounds, and I’ve carried it with me from Saraso-ta, to Tampa, to here. It’s made of glass and concrete.”

“� is is by a woman named Joan Altabe. I met her when she was doing a series of these for outdoors. It’s made of marine plywood. � is one is called ‘Man on Surfboard,’ but it always looked like ‘� e � inker’ to me, or like a man in a yoga pose with his head in his hand.”

“I love being very high up. It feels peaceful and safe.”

“� is is a lucite Parsons table I got many years ago and a photo of my mom when she was 19 (she was born in 1918). � e painting in front of it was done by Katharine Hepburn; a friend gave it to me. � e mirror I bought at an antique show. It’s made out of tin ceiling tiles taken from an old building in Boston.”

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T R AV E L


A WealthLaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort draws world travelers to the wealthy coast of Naples, Fla.

I thought I knew Florida vacations. Really knew them. My grandparents have lived there for de-cades and I visit St. Petersburg often. � ere have been one too many Orlando trips to count, ones where Jaws and Mickey Mouse have been the

center of attention. I have partied my way around Mi-ami, enjoyed the best of pies Key West has to o� er and

amassed a large collection of tall tales from camping and beaching excursions alike. Each time driving south or emerging from a plane to that salty, humid, algae smell, it feels distinctly Floridian, swatting away mosquitos and gazing up at the palm trees. I’ve had ideas in my head of what to expect from the state that brings us navel oranges and Harry Potter theme parks — until I visited Naples.

of SunshineStory by Tova Gelfond

Naples is like the 1970s South-of-France version of Florida, the luxe edition. It’s glamorous and charm-ing the way you might expect for a region that at-tracts some of the world’s highest-income travelers.

It’s not the same crowd that listens to Jimmy Bu� ett or tours attractions like crocodile-tamers of the Everglades. Located on the western side of South Florida, the Gulf of Mexico insu-lates the sandy shores from rocky, tumultuous waves, leaving the beaches tranquil and calm. � e placid waters, gol� ng and high-end shopping have long made this a fashionable destina-tion for retired Fortune 500 execs. According to Forbes, some of the richest people in America live here, which has, in turn, made it ultimately desirable for vacationing (and beachouse acquiring if you can a� ord it). Want to see a $40 million home for sale? You’ve come to the right place.

As an outsider embarking on these elite and foreign shores, there’s one major locale that will give you a passport into this lavish way of life, and that’s LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. As a part of Noble House Hotels & Resorts collection, this des-tination features not only accommodations for travelers, but also a membership club for locals to come and partake of their well-manicured surroundings and amenities. It translates into an authenticity that you feel as a guest when you can see that the little oasis is beloved by the community.

But the LaPlaya mission is to make people feel a part of it — local or outlander, at all of their properties — in Florida at Little Palm Island, Ocean Key and Pelican Grand, in Wash-ington (� e Edgewater Hotel in Seattle) or Colorado (Gateway Canyons Resort). � e general areas of the hotel feature an array of colorful, bright prints and design choices that make you sus-pect you’ve wandered into Lilly Pulitzer’s living room. Warmth is added to the staging through traditional light � xtures and charming Southern details like rustic, wooden, picture frames and stylish rocking chairs. � e governing feeling the common areas create is that of home — a very expensive and elaborate home, but yours nonetheless. � e rooms share the overarching theme, followed through by design and attention to detail with comfort. Palatial marble bathrooms are a reminder it’s posh, while the quaint patios have the intimacy of your own backyard.

Out on the shoreline, there’s no greater allure than beach butler service. A sta� of gentlemen trek your supplies down to your prime spot — towels, umbrellas, side tables and all. � en it’s a quick raise of a � ag, and you have cocktails and lunch de-livered at your beck and call. � e mood on this beach is serene; you won’t end up down-wave from someone’s college spring break, or get relentlessly pursued by Speedo-clad, oiled-up ego-ists. It’s quiet enough for you to rock yourself to sleep in a lounge chair while reading on your tablet and listening to the waves, yet

free-spirited enough for you to block out several hours collect-ing salmon-pink seashells or running into the waves to cool o� . But even this is outshined by the almost-daily sightings of wild dolphin pods playing in the late afternoon hours. So friendly, they’ll nearly swim up to your kayak or paddleboard if you’re skimming across the water at the right time.

Mealtimes are the great uni� er; people gather to cool o� and indulge under the cabanas or on the patio of the BALEEN Restaurant. At sunset, guests merge together to take in the gen-erous view as the last halo of sunlight dips into the sea, over an excess of fresh ceviche, cold water oysters, yellowtail snapper or broiled lobster risotto. Never to be had without a chilled,

muddled cocktail or crisp glass of Champagne. After dinner, the BALEEN’s famed � re pit is ablaze with cinematic ambiance and incredible conversation (one evening around the pit, I found myself laughing at jokes from the former CFO of Citigroup with a woman who owns a slew of marinas around the world). Here, locals and travelers become old friends over single malt Scotch and cigars, making plans to return year after year.

After just three days traversing the sandy alcoves of LaPlaya, � nding new companions between dried-up sand dollars and after-noon massages, I was already planning my return. I had just wel-comed a Florida I never knew existed, while having to say goodbye to a second home I never knew I wanted. laplayaresort.com


free-spirited enough for you to block out several hours collect-ing salmon-pink seashells or running into the waves to cool o� . But even this is outshined by the almost-daily sightings of wild dolphin pods playing in the late afternoon hours. So friendly, they’ll nearly swim up to your kayak or paddleboard if you’re skimming across the water at the right time.

Mealtimes are the great uni� er; people gather to cool o� and indulge under the cabanas or on the patio of the BALEEN Restaurant. At sunset, guests merge together to take in the gen-erous view as the last halo of sunlight dips into the sea, over an excess of fresh ceviche, cold water oysters, yellowtail snapper or broiled lobster risotto. Never to be had without a chilled,

muddled cocktail or crisp glass of Champagne. After dinner, the BALEEN’s famed � re pit is ablaze with cinematic ambiance and incredible conversation (one evening around the pit, I found myself laughing at jokes from the former CFO of Citigroup with a woman who owns a slew of marinas around the world). Here, locals and travelers become old friends over single malt Scotch and cigars, making plans to return year after year.

After just three days traversing the sandy alcoves of LaPlaya, � nding new companions between dried-up sand dollars and after-noon massages, I was already planning my return. I had just wel-comed a Florida I never knew existed, while having to say goodbye to a second home I never knew I wanted. laplayaresort.com

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 65

A SOUTHERNER’S CHI-TOWNThe windy city has never felt so much like home.

STAYt’s the optimum union of location, style and spirit. Iconic in name, the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago seamlessly blends the sleek appeal of modern design with classic el-ements and attention to detail. Earthy, wooden headboards o� set damask-inspired carpeting, shiny fabrics and plush pillows. But the truly eye-catching feature of this hotel is the view of the city. Reach-ing nearly 40 stories high, the ho-tel rests in the Carbide & Carbon building, an Art Deco masterpiece of historic signi� cance, designed by the Burnham Brothers in 1929. In-credibly apropos, the construct was assembled to resemble the shape and color of a Champagne bottle — a party spot, indeed. � e om-nipresent rock ‘n’ roll theme with mounted guitars, signed posters and framed albums is just enough to be fun, but not cheesy. And this Hard Rock Hotel pays Southern tribute featuring a lavish medieval style coat that was worn by Atlanta-based Elton John to Elvis Presley’s birth-day party in 1971. 230 N. Michigan Ave. hardrockhotelchicago.com.

Pull up a seat at the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago’s bar, Angels & Kings.

If you’re staying at the Hard Rock, why not eat at their resident restaurant, Chuck’s: A Kerry Simon Kitchen? Chef Simon is known for his win of the “Iron Chef Amer-ica” Battle Hamburger challenge, among other things. But if you’re not in the market for a burger, it’s hard to go wrong with the Lollipop Lamb Chop made with red wine and garnished with bacon greens. Try it with a side of creamed spinach with bechamel, parmesan and white cheddar. And if you want a fresh take on a Southern fa-vorite, brussels sprouts, their version is tempura battered.

If you’re venturing out, it’s a 15-minute walk from the hotel to Carriage House, a restaurant featuring Lowcoun-try Carolina cooking located in Wicker Park. Here, you’ll � nd Charleston favorites mingling with new-South inter-pretations. You’ll taste a modern take on home when you try the baby back ribs made with pepper jelly glaze, pickled onions and topped with spicy peanuts. 1700 W. Division St. carriagehousechicago.com.

EAT

DO� e Hard Rock Hotel Chicago has a lot to o� er right on its campus. Take advantage of their “picks” program, which o� ers a menu of 20 legendary Fender guitars you can select from to play for free — they’ll even deliver one to your room with an ampli� er and headphones. No need to air guitar when you can play on a classic Stratocaster like your favorite Nashville star. � en kick back at their bar, Angels & Kings, where there are events nearly ev-ery night (and a “Gone Country” gathering each month replete with Fire� y Moonshine and Jim Beam Kentucky Fire). Stand-out events include an annual Playing It For-ward Ping Pong Ball (yes, there’s a ping-pong table right o� the lobby). When you’re ready to tour the city, it’s just a short walk to � e Magni� cent Mile, the theatre dis-trict and Navy Pier. Don’t miss a showing at the Chica-go Shakespeare � eater; patrons rave that seeing a show there feels like being at � e Globe. 800 E. Grand Ave.chicagoshakes.com.

Baby back ribs at Carriage House in Wicker Park.

T R AV E L

COMESAYHI.

E I D E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

ARI GRAYNORHOLLYWOOD IS CALLING

IN SEARCH OF THE SUITABLE MAN

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Not That Kind of Love StorySouthern author Colleen Oakley delivers a page-turning debut

novel on life and death in “Before I Go.”

Meet Daisy: 27 / Masters student in Athens, Ga. / Happily married to Jack (we’ll meet Jack later). Daisy may be the � ctional protagonist of “Be-fore I Go,” the irresistible � rst novel by New York Times-published Southern journalist Colleen

Oakley, but soon you’ll be more like friends who swap organic kale recipes. Which means you’ll be especially upset to learn that Daisy’s cheerful-sounding name is actually ironic. Because un-like the � ower, which opens its petals to the world each morning at daybreak, Daisy’s story isn’t one of renewal. Daisy has, as she would say, “Lots of cancer.”

� is isn’t the � rst time. At 27, Daisy has already conquered the disease once. But on the eve of her third “Cancerversary,” it’s back with a vengeance and a sti� prognosis: four to six months to live.

It all sounds so sad, doesn’t it? Strangely, it’s not. Yes, you will cry. But you will also laugh out loud at Daisy’s honesty and her ability to say exactly what you were thinking before you even thought it as you journey with her in present tense through every last moment. So it comes as no surprise that be-fore she goes, Daisy doesn’t want pity. She wants you to think of her husband, Jack.

Meet Jack: Vet / Crooked smile / Froot Loops for dinner. Jack is helplessly messy, in a charming way. At night, he jumps into bed wearing only socks, cocoons himself in the covers, then peels o� his socks one by one, letting them fall to the � oor where they stay, piled high, until Daisy scoops them up with a sigh into the laundry bin. To Daisy, this is all part of Jack’s charm. But it’s also what makes her heart skip a beat when she thinks about the after. When she’s gone, who will take care of Jack?

� e meat of Oakley’s plot revolves around this question and Daisy’s unconventional answer: Jack needs a wife. And she’s going to � nd him one — be it on the Internet or in the bookstores and dog parks of Georgia. It’s silly, perhaps, espe-cially if you’re imagining a woman out there swiping right to Jack on some hot new iPhone 6 app (Have you seen this guy on Find Love For Your Husband? Can’t imagine why any wife would want to give him up!). But Oakley’s premise never reads as unbelievable. � e task of � nding Jack a wife is, in the end, not bizarre, but relatable. It is a way of � nding order amid chaos, a showcase of love.

Because in the end, this isn’t a Buzzfeed “Top 10 Weirdest � ings in Online Dating” story. It’s a love story. One that will surprise you, delight you and touch your soul almost Nicholas Sparks-deep. � e author’s debut aims high for that same sort of strange and one-in-a-million romance — the kind you � nd in Sparks’ “� e Notebook” or Audrey Ni� enegger’s “� e Time Traveler’s Wife” — and, in its own way, delivers.

Except unlike the great love stories of today, it’s not the cou-ple’s love that makes you remember “Before I Go” — and beg Oakley for a prequel. It’s your immediate connection with Dai-sy. From the � rst sentence, it’s Daisy that makes Oakley’s novel a page-turner; Daisy who transforms a book about death into a book about life.

Be prepared: You will mourn her. Your love will be quick, like the read itself, but it will also be great. And in the end, as with every great love that’s passed through your life, you will be oh-so-very thankful for those introductory words:

Meet Daisy.

Story by JOANNA BERLINER

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A N D H I S W O M E N

With an old soul and a modern charm, 28-year-old Wes Gordon is becoming one of the most coveted fashion designers in the

industry, wooing women of every era.

Story by JAIME LIN WEINSTEIN

Photography by COLBY BLOUNT | Styling by BELINDA MARTIN | Model: NINA DE RAADT for New York Model Management Makeup by KATY ALBRIGHT for Agency Gerard Management | Hair by CLAY NIELSEN for Opus Beauty

Photo Assistant: MICHELLE KAPPELER | Stylist Assistant: RACHEL BARE

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 71

Outside his Finan-cial District studio at 8 a.m. on a cold New York morn-ing, Wes Gordon is running late (and as a young de-signer with a team that you can count on two hands, he’s the only one with the key). � e po-tential culprit? An

event for Cartier the night before. “Wes showed up with an entourage of eight girls with him,” his publicist explains. One might call it careless; Gordon might call it work. “� e perpetual source of inspiration for me are the women,” the designer says the next day from his latest trunk show in San Francisco. Indeed, while the average millennial males are browsing Tinder pro� les to discover the women mean-ingful to their lives, Gordon is traveling the country to � nd his. And at 28 years old, he may have the looks of youth — including a clean-shaven, undeniable “baby face” complete with a full head of (gorgeous) hair and an almost impish grin — but the sophistication in his designs tell of a man who has far more years experience attracting women than his age might convey.

Granted, Gordon is no fashion industry ingénue. Born in Chicago and raised in Atlanta, he was seduced by style at a young age. “I was always kind of under the spell of fashion, and the way beautiful clothes make you feel,” he explains. By the time he reached high school, he had cho-sen fashion design as a career and started taking pattern-making and sewing lessons from a local couturier before enrolling at Central Saint Martins (the London school with notable alums Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Stella McCartney, among others). Summer internships with Tom Ford and the late Oscar de la Renta prepared him to begin his own line upon graduation in 2009. His eyes light up when thinking back to his � rst presentation at the Fall/Winter 2010 New York Fashion Week. � ere may have only been � ve models and a dozen or so press and

buyers at a time, but Gordon’s sleek aesthetic and tailored elegance proved his potential; Harrods and Saks Fifth Ave-nue promptly picked up the line.

Almost a dozen collections later, his vision, along with the women he aims to dress, are becoming increas-ingly re� ned. “� ere are so many di� erent elements and components that go into a strong collection, but de� nitely the overarching theme is the woman that I imagine wearing it and that I know to be wearing it,” he explains. � us the trunk shows — an opportunity to spend time with the clients, get to know them, get to know the lives they lead and see what they love from the collection. What he’s learned to date: “� ey’re tired of things that are so precious, that have to be wrapped in tissue paper at the back of the closet. But they’re also tired of androgynous uniforms,” the designer muses. “So I want clothes that women wear in their lives, that can become a part of their wardrobe, and that can become that piece they constantly go to because they love how it makes them look.” � is translates to streamlined gar-ments that don’t overpower the woman wearing them (“� ere aren’t unnecessary seams; it’s not origami.”) en-hanced by feminine details and a quiet edge. � ink slip dresses in Chantilly lace, chunky knits over lightweight silk and organza skirts, or a baby-blue wool bomber with a fox collar paired with a pencil skirt — all from Gordon’s Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear collection.

One might call it clothing for the “modern” woman, though lately the term gets tossed around in association with just about anything this side of the second millen-nium. “So often today I think modern means narrow and vulgar,” Gordon says. His collections nod to a more “la-dylike” sensibility, which makes sense, considering he calls himself an “old soul.” And his ability to balance what ap-pears fresh and new with the romanticism of a sartorial past has made him a red-carpet favorite for celebrities that span generations — from Lena Dunham and Katy Perry to Gwyneth Paltrow and even Michelle Obama. (� e First Lady wore one of his metallic, houndstooth jackets to the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2012.) “I actually found out on Twitter!” he exclaims. “I continue to just get perpetually star-struck … It never gets less exciting.”

“I was always kind of under the spell of fashion, and the way beautiful clothes make you feel.”


Glacier/Slate Silk Chiffon Long Sleeve Draped Gown, $4,750, WES GORDON, at shopbop.com.

Earrings, $49.50, BANANA REPUBLIC, at Banana Republic. Ring, $29, TOPSHOP, at Topshop.


But the most thrilling moment in his ca-reer thus far was when he started to notice strangers wearing his clothes. “At � rst, you’re a small business, and you have very small volumes so you’ll make � ve of a dress, and you know exactly where those � ve are, and it’s a friend of a friend, or

someone you have two degrees of separation from,” Gordon explains. “When you start seeing a stranger on the street in a piece, that’s really exciting because that means that she walked into a store, and with all the options there in front of her, she fell in love with that piece you made, enough to buy it, take it home and wear it, without knowing you, without having a relationship with you.” Of course there have been more public moments of pride. Gordon received the 2012 FGI Rising Star Award and is a four-time recipi-ent of the coveted Swarovski Collective sponsorship (Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014 and Spring 2015). He was also a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund � nalist in 2012 and 2014 (you might have seen him posing alongside actress Grace Gummer in the November 2014 issue of Vogue).

Even with all the recent fanfare, it’s apparent that his focus remains on his brand — and with that, his women. One might expect a designer to prepare a rack of cloth-ing options for themselves, but at his shoot the day before, Gordon brought only three (and a pair of misplaced cuf-� inks narrowed the selection further). “I spend so much time thinking about my collection that the idea of trying to think about what I’m going to wear, I don’t have time for it,” he says. And when he’s not perfecting the look of his designs on the model beside him, he’s taking every op-portunity between shots to head back to his desk and talk with his team. Owe it to an unprecedented work ethic. Or the tenacity of youth. Or utter ambition. “For me, the idea of having my own collection and being a fashion designer were always one in the same … I want to spend my life building my own brand, brick by brick. And I didn’t want to have a second not devoted to that.”

For now, that devotion is to womenswear. “It’s really kind of a beautiful world to design in … � ere’s a creative freedom, a sense of adventure, a sense of reinvention,” he says, in a way that almost mimics the clothing he designs, if a tone could imitate apparel. It sounds romantic and charm-ing, but his words are direct and honest. Currently working on his Fall/Winter 2015 collection that he describes as a dichotomy between sweet and tough that stays true to his signature re� nement, it seems it’s only a matter of time be-fore women the world over will be wearing Wes Gordon.

“When you start seeing a stranger on the street in a piece, that’s really ex-citing because that means that she walked into a store, and with all the op-tions there in front of her, she fell in love with that piece you made, enough to buy it, take it home and wear it, without knowing you, without having a

relationship with you.”


Black/Navy Basketweave V-Plunge Dress made with Swarovski Crystals, $10,990,

WES GORDON, at Bergdorf Goodman by Special Request. Earrings, $129.97, ZSA ZSA,

at Nordstrom Rack. Bracelet, $55, BANANA REPUBLIC, at Banana Republic. Black Ring, $29, TOPSHOP, at Topshop. Silver Ring, $95,

MICHAEL KORS, at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bronze Satin Twill Dress, price upon request, WES GORDON, at wesgordon.com. Earrings, $92.97, ZSA ZSA, at Nordstrom Rack. Necklace, $245, MAX AND CHLOE, at maxandchloe.com.


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THE RISE

FASHSOUT

FA S H I O N


OFION H N

ew York. London. Paris. Milan. Tokyo. These are the longstanding meccas of fashion, the places that have become synony-mous with the ever-evolving world of style. But the tables have turned. Di-rect your eyes to the global runways of fashion weeks over the past decade, and you will see that Southern designers have earned a well-deserved spot

amongst the ranks of revered fashion veterans and newcomers alike. Flourishing with notable designers, unique boutiques and those whose names you will surely one day recog-nize, the South is home to a number of high-fashion moguls, and now more than ever, they are choosing to stay here to grow their businesses. The rise of fashion South has begun, and a new era of style savants lead us down the runway.

NW I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 81

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THE RISE

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“IT WAS LIKE 3 O’CLOCK A.M. I woke up, my TV was on and this guy was just standing right in front of the camera,” Afriyie Poku reminisces on his decision to become a designer. “He had on this beautifully cut, kind of orange-yellowish suit. I was like … that is how a suit is supposed to look. � e cut on it — everything. I watched the show and at the end of it everything went o� like … yeah, that’s what I want to do.” � e well-dressed per-son he’s describing, who left such an impact on him, is Ozwald Boateng, the English designer known for putting a twist on British tailoring and his shop on Savile Row.

But being enamored watching “House of Boateng” wasn’t the � rst indication that the Ghana-born Poku would have a future in fashion. He was used to seeing the men in his family dressed in well-tailored suits and clothing — a polar opposite to American trends circa 2004. “Everything was baggy! Baggy pants, T-shirts, your white tee used to be by your knees.” So he used his mother’s sewing machine to alter his own clothing to make it � t. “Some-times when I was done, there would be no pocket left on the pants, or the pocket would be sewn shut,” he remem-bers. But, for Poku, it worked and served as his � rst steps into the industry.

After being unable to � nd a tailor he could apprentice, he taught himself through a series of trial and error. He would buy jackets from the thrift store just to take them apart and put them back together to learn the complete construction of how they were made. Soon, Poku was skilled enough to create pieces of his own, focusing on � tted slacks and tailored jackets, and a line was born. Taking the overall prize at the 2012 Peroni Style Atlanta: Emerging De-signers Competition, as well as the Emerging Design-er Competition: East at Charleston Fashion Week 2013 solidi� ed and, more importantly, validated his decision to pursue creating his own line, Oberima Afriyie.

And while Poku continues to develop his craft and grow his brand, his goal is for his customers to use his pieces to express their own individuality. “I want to provide every gentleman with a key arsenal of pieces they can use to pres-ent themselves, whoever they are.”

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by FAISAL MOHAMMAD

Spartanburg, S.C.oberimaafriyie.com

AFRIYIE POKU

“IT WAS LIKE 3 O’CLOCK A.M. I woke up, my TV was on and this guy was just standing right in front of the camera,” Afriyie Poku reminisces on his decision to become a designer. “He had on this beautifully cut, kind of orange-yellowish suit. I was like … that is how a suit is supposed to look. � e cut on it — everything. I watched the show and at the end of it everything went o� like … yeah, that’s what I want to do.” � e well-dressed per-son he’s describing, who left such an impact on him, is Ozwald Boateng, the English designer known for putting a twist on British tailoring and his shop on Savile Row.

But being enamored watching “House of Boateng” wasn’t the � rst indication that the Ghana-born Poku would have a future in fashion. He was used to seeing the men in his family dressed in well-tailored suits and clothing — a polar opposite to American trends circa 2004. “Everything was baggy! Baggy pants, T-shirts, your white tee used to be by your knees.” So he used his mother’s sewing machine to alter his own clothing to make it � t. “Some-times when I was done, there would be no pocket left on the pants, or the pocket would be sewn shut,” he remem-bers. But, for Poku, it worked and served as his � rst steps into the industry.

After being unable to � nd a tailor he could apprentice, he taught himself through a series of trial and error. He would buy jackets from the thrift store just to take them apart and put them back together to learn the complete construction of how they were made. Soon, Poku was skilled enough to create pieces of his own, focusing on � tted slacks and tailored jackets, and a line was born. Taking the overall prize at the 2012 Peroni Style Atlanta: Emerging De-signers Competition, as well as the Emerging Design-er Competition: East at Charleston Fashion Week 2013 solidi� ed and, more importantly, validated his decision to pursue creating his own line, Oberima Afriyie.

And while Poku continues to develop his craft and grow his brand, his goal is for his customers to use his pieces to express their own individuality. “I want to provide every gentleman with a key arsenal of pieces they can use to pres-ent themselves, whoever they are.”

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by FAISAL MOHAMMAD

Spartanburg, S.C.oberimaafriyie.com

AFRIYIE POKU

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 83

“I’VE BEEN TOLD I’M LIKE A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL JACKIE O,” says Atlanta designer, Abbey Glass, of her design aesthetic. “I love mixing the proper woman with the kid inside her, the woman who secretly wants to be a little wild and crazy.” � e same can be said of Glass herself — she’s a pe-tite, smartly dressed woman who glides across the room, carrying inside her an explosive ball of ener-gy. Although she � rst appears quiet and reserved, she transforms into a force of nature with a pat-tern and some fabric in front of her, and she visibly throws that hidden vivacity into her designs. Glass describes her style as “classic, American sportswear with a twist,” and her line is synonymous with clean cuts, beautiful � t and simple shapes, with a touch of the unexpected.

� e child of two doctors, Glass was bookish in her youth and sewed for fun in her free time. She never considered fashion design to be some-thing she would do as a career until she explored the couture pieces at Saks Fifth Avenue in high school and fell in love with the way high-end clothing was constructed. After a stint at Cen-tral Saint Martins and four years at Rhode Island School of Design while taking business classes at Brown University, Glass moved back to Atlanta and started a small design venture, making most-ly custom evening gowns and coats.

Now working with Rosa � urnher and Regi-na Weir of Factory Girls, a fashion incubator for high-level designers in the South, Glass has been able to expand her business while still being per-sonable with her customers. It’s this commitment to intimacy that sets Glass apart as a designer. She makes custom pieces for her clients, and most of her line is sold through personal appointments at her showroom. � e one-on-one time Glass spends with her buyers is used to create a lasting relation-ship and drive home the fact that each item is spe-cial and not mass-produced. “I love seeing women with my clothes on,” Glass says. “... I’m making people’s lives better in some small way. And I don’t want to lose that. � at’s what keeps me going.”

ABBEY GLASSAtlanta, Ga.

Clothing available by appointment at Showroom Ampersand in Atlanta; Select

pieces available online and at Henry & June and Tootsies, both in Atlanta.

abbey-glass.com$150 - $1,450

Story by CASSIE KAYEPhotography by JAMIE HOPPER


MOST CHILDREN HAVE NO CLUE what they’re going to be when they grow up. Talk to a group of kids, and you’ll get a random assortment of answers, from the cliché � reman or veterinarian to the slightly bizarre unicorn fairy princess. But Amanda Valentine? She’s the exception. After watching her mother make the family’s clothing, the Nashville-based designer began to toy with di� erent materials, making costumes out of drapes around the house and her mother’s old hosiery. Fast forward to Valentine’s college years, and the University of Ne-braska graduate was more than certain she was destined to enter the world of fashion design.

Despite her propensity to create, her post-college years con-sisted of styling for her brother’s band, Maroon 5 (James Valen-tine is the lead guitarist). Because styling allowed her to essentially be in control of her career, Val-entine worked on every music video, commercial and shoot she could, but joining “Project Run-way” proved to be one of her biggest turning points. “It was ‘Project Runway’ that brought design back into my life in a big way,” she says. “I always kept up with design and sold little collections here and there. But after the whole process, I have so much more con� dence in my voice and my potential for doing design full time.”

Valentine’s garments boast a Saint Laurent aesthetic, but ask her where she draws her inspiration and, instead of listing top designers, she’ll give you a hodgepodge of in� uences. Big blocks of color in her designs are inspired by artists like Rothko, while tassels and crazy prints are a call to her love for funk music from the ’70s and the punk counterculture movement.

With Valentine’s second stint on “Project Runway” (and a second place ranking) at an end, you’d expect she would want to take some time to rest, but she shows no desire to slow down. Her brainchild, Valen-tine Valentine, is in full swing, with new pieces being added to her website every week, and a 10-look collection set to launch in spring 2015.

It seems as though Valentine has returned back to her roots and has found her niche, stat-ing that she now knows exact-ly what sets her apart: “No one has my point of view, my weird

mishmash of in� uences. I’m all about contrast, and I’m constantly playing with the idea that a woman can look gorgeous and punk rock at the same time; totally craft a dramatic look, but still look e� ortless; nod to history, but be strikingly modern. It’s all about that balance between opposites.”

Story by ANNA MORRISPhotography by BROOKE MORGAN

AMANDA VALENTINE Nashville, Tenn.

Clothing available online. amandavalentine.com

$18 - $1,150

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 85

ANNA TOTH FITS RIGHT INTO the relaxed, creative atmo-sphere of Asheville, N.C.’s River Arts District, a place that has nur-tured her hand-sewn, custom-� t, denim-based clothing company Bow + Arrow since 2010. A Charleston native, Toth � rst made her way to the bustling Western North Carolina city as a ceramics major at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Enthralled with the functionality of the art form, but feeling the urge to be more expres-sive in her work, Toth then turned to printmaking as her preferred � eld. Ultimately, a need to combine utility and creative expression was the driving force behind her deci-sion to � nally pursue patternmak-ing at the Apparel Arts Institute in San Francisco. Drafting clothing patterns by hand gave Toth the op-portunity to explore both aspects of what she has always loved about art.

A simple girl, often spotted in her favorite pair of worn, blue painter’s overalls that she scored from Goodwill in high school, Toth decided to try her hand at making a new version of the favor-ite standby as soon as the well-� tting pair croaked. Take a peek at her denim-inspired line today, and you’ll see that one of Bow + Arrow’s most popular items (and the � rst piece ever for sale) is an overall jumpsuit with a side zipper modeled after her infamous lived-in pair that started it all.

Every last inch of Toth’s high-quality denim is grown, milled and processed in the United States, which is a point of pride and rarity with today’s ever-increasing carbon footprint. “I love that we live in a part of the world where we can really see our resourc-es from seed to � nish. We can work as a team to make products that all of us can use,” Toth asserts. � e style of the Bow + Arrow line, inspired by workwear, menswear and the combination of

functionality and elegance, turned many heads at Charleston Fashion Week in 2014. Toth walked away as co-winner of the Emerging De-signer Competition and winner of the People’s Choice Award — a great honor as she continues to push the boundaries of denim ap-parel. “I’ve really had to creatively approach the con� nes of denim and embrace the challenge,” she admits. But there’s a simpler idea behind what drives her vision of custom-� t pieces with single-nee-dle construction and hand-felled seams: “I like the idea of being able to not really worry about your

clothing too much … to ride your bike or roll down a hill in it, and then just throw it in the wash,” Toth muses. And she’s excited to continue to introduce this versatile style into a realm of South-ern fashion that can easily translate cross-culturally to other locales like California and New York.

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by JAMEYKAY HUFFMAN

Asheville, N.C.Clothing available at Shelter Collec-

tive in Asheville and select boutiques in California, Illinois, New York and

Washington State. bowandarrowapparel.com

$50 - $375

ANNA TOTH

MADE FROM THE ANCIENT “LOST WAX” method of actu-ally melting the wax away and leaving an impression of the piece in hard plaster, all of the handcrafted creations in Billie Hilliard’s eponymous line are named after family members who have come before her. “� ey are all sort of me paying homage to the peo-ple in my family that I admired,” Hilliard says. “My grandmother was named Jimmy, and so my Jimmy line was birthed from a piece of jewel-ry she had that has been passed down, and I took it, revamped it and added my own twist to it.”

From a young age, the Atlanta-based jewelry designer knew a sti� ing career behind a desk was never in the cards. “I have always been very creative,” Hilliard says. “As a little girl, I was sewing my doll clothes and making little accessories. I got my � rst sewing machine when I was 7 … I never thought that I could actually make it my career until I started wearing my own stu� and really getting a reaction out of people.” Even when she was working as a triage nurse for a doctor’s o� ce, Hilliard knew that

it wasn’t the end goal. “Whenever I was doing anything other than living out my purpose, I always felt incomplete,” she says. Now, after having studied metalsmithing, casting and other tra-ditional silversmithing techniques under mentor and blacksmith Mark Hopper for 10 years, she has honed her craft, bringing her

clients the unique, hand-made metal creations she is known for.

“One thing that Mark always says to me is that … you can go buy some-thing for 20 bucks from any department store and it’s not gonna last be-cause it’s probably plated or made with white met-al — which is a cheap-er kind of metal — but when you are handcraft-ing something, it’s the real deal metal and you can dig it up 100 years from now and just clean it up, buff it and it’s go-ing to last,” which makes

her designs even more coveted. “Chocolates melt, and flowers will wither and die, but how about giving somebody something that’s an heirloom and they can wear it for the rest of their lives?” Hilliard challenges.

Story by CHRISTINA MONTFORDPhotography by CAROLINE PETTERS

Atlanta, Ga. Jewelry available online.

billiehilliard.com$48 - $1,000

BILLIE HILLIARD

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 87

SWITCHING SIDES OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY, Brooke Atwood decided to follow her heart as a designer, rather than a store owner. So she sold her Mississippi boutique and headed for Savan-nah, Ga. to get her masters at Savannah College of Art and Design. After graduating, she thought she would take a practical route for her � rst collection and create only one item, but do it real-ly well. She stayed true to her rock ‘n’ roll style by design-ing a line of leather T-shirts and found a showroom in New York to sell them. But it wasn’t quite as simple as she’d hoped for.

“[� e showroom man-ager] of course comes to me and goes, ‘Well … I hate to tell you this, but you’re gon-na have to do a full collec-tion because everyone wants to see more. You can’t just do leather T-shirts, Brooke.’” So Atwood added to the line of T-shirts to establish her � rst collection. And while she claims it felt a bit all over the place, it gave her a launching point for her second and now third collections. “As a new designer … you have to have at least � ve seasons to � gure out who your customer is.” � ough one can already tell, she’s e� ortlessly chic.

� e “just rolled out of bed look” and “I woke up like this” mantra combined with her passion for the music scene (partic-ularly Mississippi Blues) seem to play a role in her collection in-spiration. “I grew up on a horse, on a farm. I grew up showing horses, and the fringe pants (from her latest collection) … were

inspired by chaps I wore as a little girl. You know, there are de� nitely elements that come from my Southern past that are incorporated in my style.” However, she’s quick to add, “De� nitely you wouldn’t look at my col-lection and say oh my gosh, she’s from Mississippi!”

And nearing that fifth collection, Atwood seems to be figuring it out. She has made her way onto the radars of Saks Fifth Av-enue, Barneys New York and Intermix, which means we may see her leather lines stocked throughout the country sometime soon.

It’s not surprising when you consider the quality of her pieces. “I’m using 100 percent lambskin Italian leather. I’m just like a freak, everything is very top-notch. I don’t cut corners at all. That’s just how I am.”

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by MADDIE HARNEY

Savannah, Ga. Clothing available at boutiques in Austin,

Texas; New York, N.Y.; Rosemary Beach, Fla.; Savannah, Ga.; and Kuwait City, Kuwait.

brookeatwood.com$250 - $800

BROOKE ATWOOD

FROM TEXAS TO NASHVILLE to Atlanta and Nash-ville again, Eric Adler Bornhop has made his way around the South and hopes his clothing line will, too. Bornhop started designing clothes in 2012 upon returning to the U.S. after spending time soul-searching and teaching English in Spain. He began working under Manuel, the famed Nashville designer responsible for pieces such as Elvis’s iconic gold lamé suit, costumes for the Jackson 5 and garments for a plethora of other artists, athletes and presidents. Working under Manuel val-idated Bornhop’s epiphany that the fashion industry was where he belonged. “It’s really exciting that he’s such a legend and he supports me so much,” Bornhop says.

His designs feature menswear and accessories in unique patterns and fabrics. His tagline, “Menswear for the Tastemaker,” serves as a perfect blend of his high-end style with an understanding that to be successful in this industry, he’s going to have to � nd his niche. And when asked, “Why Nashville?” Bornhop laughs. “� ere are a lot of nice people here. It’s beautiful country. It’s not too big of a city, yet, there’s still free parking!” Joking aside, he’s becoming a bigger � sh in a small pond.

� e Eric Adler line is stocked in boutiques around the city, and Bornhop has plans to open a brick-and-mortar store soon. And Nashville, with all of its quirks, might just be the perfect breeding ground for his market, because the line, according to Bornhop, “is just for a fashion-forward guy, trying to get out there with people who are trendy and trendsetters, whoever they may be.”

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by IAN KEAGGY

Nashville, Tenn.Clothing available at Any Old Iron, Five and Tenn (Nashville Omni Gift

Shop) and The Label, all in Nashville. ericadlerclothing.com

$34.99 - $2,199.99

ERIC ADLER BORNHOP

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 89

IT’S HARD ENOUGH FOR ATLANTA to be considered a national fashion hotspot, much less a fashion vanguard. But the dominance of urban music and style in contemporary pop culture means the city has an undeniable in� uence on fashion o� the runway. � e “streetwear” world established in the ’90s as rap really broke into the mainstream — FUBU, Phat Farm, Rocawear, etc. — was quickly marginalized as a separate entity from the world of “high” fashion, but the next decade saw an intermingling of in� uences that has since trickled down to the current generation of designers, rappers and tastemakers. Atlanta label +Fresh.i.Am+ is continuing to blur the lines between the streets and the runway, ready to seize the spotlight when it swings their way.

+Fresh.i.Am+ favors an ever-minimalist, forever-fashionable, black-and-white palette with layered knitwear and bold, hieroglyph-ic-esque graphics. It is declarative, confrontational and punk in spir-it, but intensely conceptual. It’s high-minded, underground fashion for the digital age. Indeed, Designer/Creative Director Tunde says his in� uences range from “the Internet, [the Japanese anime � lm] Akira, Blade Runner, the army and punk-D.I.Y. sensibilities.”

� e label’s creative core — Tunde, head-of-production Oni, and Brand Manager C. Will — came together in the mid 2000s, when the Atlanta party scene was more divided and the pocket of club kids and creatives who straddled both the rap and hipster worlds were going unnoticed by culture-spotters at large. “At the time, the Atlanta scene was either really hood or very upscale, bottle-ser-vice-type places,” C. Will explains. “But we were in between that.” � e group didn’t begin with a clothing line, however. “We actually started out as a blog [in 2008],” Oni says, “where we were expos-ing Atlanta’s underground to the outside world.” Very much the big-picture conceptualist, Tunde states, “We needed our own look

and identity rather than relying on other designers and cities to give us what we want.”

� e catalyst for +Fresh.i.Am+’s rapid rise was undoubtedly the FUKK hat, a black ball cap emblazoned with white letters, part of their debut +State.of.Mind+ collection in 2009. “It became its own thing on Tumblr, where one picture of our friend wearing the hat was reblogged a ton,” Will recalls. “� at’s the item we couldn’t keep in stock.” He and Oni are quick to praise the Asian streetwear market for picking up on the label � rst, to the point that many people were surprised to learn they were based in Atlanta. Still, it took another three years for +Fresh.i.Am+ to gain recognition in their hometown, thanks to the always provoca-tive, style-obsessed Atlanta rap world � nally taking notice.

Since then, +Fresh.i.Am+ has continued to re� ne its all-black vi-sion: the FUKK hats were expanded into a capsule line of tops, and 2014’s CYBER TRIBE collection merged cyberpunk sensibilities with street athletic wear. C. Will muses philosophically on the brand’s run thus far: “Our past collections were in� uenced by tribes, street gangs, fraternal orders. � e idea of individuality out of homogeny — every-where you go, the people that are into what you’re into will � nd you.”

Looking forward, the brand plans on opening a store locally in the next few years, while continuing “to move towards a more re-� ned street style,” as Oni says. “Even now there’s still something ‘sloppy’ or ‘slouchy’ about streetwear, and we’re moving away from that.” Ultimately, +Fresh.i.Am+ seeks to prove its haters wrong, to not be de� ned solely by the now-ubiquitous FUKK hats — thanks to an unavoidable market of knocko� s — and push its vision of a new Atlanta underground to the world. “And that’s how you know that you’re doing it well,” Oni declares. “When the mainstream wants to be a part of it, when people want to bootleg it.”

Story by E.J. OGLEPhotography by BRITTANY WAGES

Atlanta, Ga. Clothing available online and at stores across the Unites Stated, Asia and

Europe; Find a location at market.freshiam.net/pages/stokist. freshiam.net$25 - $800

TUNDE, ONI & C. WILL

ENTHUSIASTIC IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT when describing Nashville designer Maria Silver. She’s adorably vivacious when discussing anything that has to do with her work: “I was roaming on some social network, and someone posted a vid-eo of what happens when you pour molten metal into cold water. Have you seen it? It’s fascinating! So that led to an all-night YouTube binge fest on molten metals, lava, whatever, and out went my previous collection.”

Her newest line is proof that she knows exactly what direction she wants to grow, and she’s heading there with great fervor. “If ’70s Studio 54-era had a baby with early ’80s Spanish Harlem, then you would have Black by Maria Silver,” she explains. In fact, it’s this collection that will propel her forward, since before BBMS, everything had to be custom ordered, and now Silver will be able to have size options available for each piece.

She can attribute most of her passion for design to her mother. Living in a small town in the moun-tains of the Dominican Republic, her mom had all of her clothes made for her, but was unhappy with the matching dresses she had to wear alongside her sisters. Silver’s mother was told that if she was un-happy, then she could make her own clothing. And that’s exactly what she did.

Silver channeled her mother’s gung-ho spirit when creating BBMS, especially when designing her favorite piece: the Alloy Parka. With so many fall coats looking the same, she wanted something di� erent. So her parka, in all its soft, warm and gunmetal lamé goodness, was born. � e simplis-tic-chic style of this piece is a representation of Silver’s entire line. She created each piece with the idea that it can be balled up in a suitcase and pulled out without being covered in wrinkles, essential-ly making her clothes what she likes to call “easy glamour.”

And despite putting in nearly 80 hours a week on her new line, Silver has never doubted her career choice. “� e biggest challenge as a designer for me is that I’m doing this whole thing like an American dream in the ’50s,” she explains. “� ere’s no loan, no capital, no investors. I make clothes I think will look fabulous on a woman, I sell said pieces and I make more. It’s a labor of love, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Nashville, Tenn.Clothing available online and at Fond Object

Records and Sisters of Nature, both in Nashville. blackbymariasilver.com

$50 - $500

MARIA SILVER


ENTHUSIASTIC IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT when describing Nashville designer Maria Silver. She’s adorably vivacious when discussing anything that has to do with her work: “I was roaming on some social network, and someone posted a vid-eo of what happens when you pour molten metal into cold water. Have you seen it? It’s fascinating! So that led to an all-night YouTube binge fest on molten metals, lava, whatever, and out went my previous collection.”

Her newest line is proof that she knows exactly what direction she wants to grow, and she’s heading there with great fervor. “If ’70s Studio 54-era had a baby with early ’80s Spanish Harlem, then you would have Black by Maria Silver,” she explains. In fact, it’s this collection that will propel her forward, since before BBMS, everything had to be custom ordered, and now Silver will be able to have size options available for each piece.

She can attribute most of her passion for design to her mother. Living in a small town in the moun-tains of the Dominican Republic, her mom had all of her clothes made for her, but was unhappy with the matching dresses she had to wear alongside her sisters. Silver’s mother was told that if she was un-happy, then she could make her own clothing. And that’s exactly what she did.

Silver channeled her mother’s gung-ho spirit when creating BBMS, especially when designing her favorite piece: the Alloy Parka. With so many fall coats looking the same, she wanted something di� erent. So her parka, in all its soft, warm and gunmetal lamé goodness, was born. � e simplis-tic-chic style of this piece is a representation of Silver’s entire line. She created each piece with the idea that it can be balled up in a suitcase and pulled out without being covered in wrinkles, essential-ly making her clothes what she likes to call “easy glamour.”

And despite putting in nearly 80 hours a week on her new line, Silver has never doubted her career choice. “� e biggest challenge as a designer for me is that I’m doing this whole thing like an American dream in the ’50s,” she explains. “� ere’s no loan, no capital, no investors. I make clothes I think will look fabulous on a woman, I sell said pieces and I make more. It’s a labor of love, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Nashville, Tenn.Clothing available online and at Fond Object

Records and Sisters of Nature, both in Nashville. blackbymariasilver.com

$50 - $500

MARIA SILVER


W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 91

clothing • shoes • accessories

www.custardboutique.com

savannah, ga | greenvi l le, sc

“SHE IS CONFIDENT, outgoing, unique and loves music. She can be found front row at a festival dancing in tie-dye and fringe … She shops American-made whenever possible and genuinely cares about where her clothes come from … She has a fire for life and wants to make every day count.” She’s the “Mamie Ruth” girl — according to the Savannah, Ga.-based designer, Emily Bargeron.

Bargeron is no newbie to the style industry. She started her own website selling jewelry with her sister at the age of 12 and landed the cover of her local newspaper as a young entrepreneur. From there, she attended Georgia Southern University and her studies in fashion merchandising and design were what eventu-ally inspired her to create clothing. � e emerging designer show at Charleston Fashion Week in 2009 helped � nally transform her passion into a means of living.

� e name actually came before the brand. “Mamie Ruth is named after my grandmother who taught me that I could do anything if I believed in myself,” Bargeron says. “She was an en-trepreneur when women primarily stayed at home with the kids. She had her own � ower shop and worked non-stop while being a mother, a wife and an amazing Southern lady.”

And it’s the vision of the woman her grandmother embodied that she sees in her customer today. “� e Mamie Ruth girl is a combination of all the chicks out there who care about making a di� erence, who love music, dancing, having fun, wearing cool clothes and who just get it,” Bargeron explains. “It isn’t a concept … it’s just the way we are. It’s more than a brand or a marketing gimmick. It’s the feeling you get when you put on your favorite dress and you are ready to head-butt the day.”

CURRENTLY IN HIS LAST YEAR OF DESIGN SCHOOL, de-signer Tim Scott took home the “Best in Show” award at the 2014 RAGTRADE Atlanta fashion show. His designs are clean and femi-nine, drawing inspiration from the past, while expressing it with fu-turistic silhouettes. � is promising up-and-comer has already made a name for himself in Atlanta fashion with his custom designs and hand-stitched details, and the timeless quality of his pieces will con-tinue to set him apart as a designer you won’t want to take your eyes o� . And while Scott may not be at a place to mass produce his line yet, his unique vision has us excited to see what the coming years will bring for his brand.

Savannah, Ga. Clothing available online and at

stores nationwide.mamieruth.com

$38 and up

EMILY BARGERONAtlanta, Ga.ttscott.com$75 - $300

TIM SCOTT

Story by CHRISTINA MONTFORD Story by CASSIE KAYE

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 93

OTHER THAN HER DOG GUSTAVO — who she got while liv-ing in Barcelona — the � rst thing to catch one’s eye upon entering Megan Huntz’s Atlanta apartment and studio is her mood board. “It’s some-thing I’m continually working on; it’s ever evolving,” she explains. “� is one is kind of speci� c in that it’s really re-� ective of who my customer is. It has elements that are not fashion related, but kind of inform us of what her daily life might be like, what her taste is like for other things.” And like her mood board, full of photos of classic style and strong women, Huntz’s de-signs are e� ortless, yet sophisticated. It’s obvious she channels her time in Europe and cites the European “don’t-care-too-much” attitude as a driving force behind her clothing.

� e most obvious examples of Huntz’s ability to e� ortlessly stream-line her creative process are the happy accidents she adds to some of her de-signs. Using vintage fabric she bought from Italy, she manipulates her tex-tiles any way she can: dip dye, digital prints, paint and, most interestingly, rust — a technique she discovered after laying a freshly washed, rusty cookie sheet out to dry on a piece of fabric. Because of her

desire to experiment (she even commissions paintings to print onto fabric), Huntz isn’t just selling clothing to her customers; she’s sell-

ing art. “I love that it can never be recreated,” she explains when talking about her experimenta-tion with her designs. “It’s those imperfections that give something its rich texture, and that’s why I do a lot of di� erent manipula-tions with the textiles. I love the idea that there’s something really exclusive in the sense that it has this � aw that can’t be recreated, and that’s what makes it special, but still accessible.”

A fashion industry veteran, Huntz actually began her career working in Italy and Spain and previously launched her own line of hand-dyed silk dresses — a successful collection sold in shops throughout the two countries. But four years ago, she decided to leave her Milan showroom for her hometown and is currently re-building her brand in the States. Her clothing can currently be pur-

chased locally, but she’s looking to expand nationwide, while build-ing a connection with her clientele in the U.S. through her pieces.

Atlanta, Ga. Clothes available online and at

Henry & June in Atlanta.meganhuntz.com

$150 - $945

MEGAN HUNTZ

Story by ANNA MORRISPhotography by CLAUDIA BOST

IT’S NO SECRET THAT NASHVILLE is currently brimming with up-and-coming designers. Brooke Seraphine, creator and owner of Seraphine Designs, is one of them. Her jewelry line is both dis-tinctly modern and timeless, featur-ing raw stones that she uses to create naturally elegant handmade necklac-es, bracelets and rings straight out of her quaint home studio.

Focusing on the regions of the South Paci� c and Central Amer-ica, it was Seraphine’s degree in art education and history that � rst sparked her interest in exotic orna-mentation. � is curiosity stemmed from the encouragement of her geologist father, who also contrib-uted to Seraphine’s rock collection that � lled up small cartons in her childhood room. A distinct eye for beauty ultimately carried her into coveted interior and event design jobs, working as a backstage event and dressing room designer while on tour with musicians like John Mayer. Seraphine even landed a position as Sheryl Crow’s personal assistant before working a production job with MTV Networks. Her tendency to lean toward clean, modern spaces made its way

into her designs for CMA Awards after-parties, Universal Music events and the homes of her Nashville clients.

By early 2012, Seraphine’s decision to stay home with her newborn daughter, plus a hob-by of jewelry making for close friends, led her down an unfore-seen entrepreneurial path. “It was a very organic process in the way that it all came about,” she explains. She began receiving daily phone calls from strangers who saw a friend’s piece and just had to have their own. “I really try to make my jewelry enhance the natural beauty of the stone itself, rather than melding the stone to the jewelry,” she says. And with eye-catching gems like pyrite, her signature piece, less is de� nitely more.

With nine U.S. retailers car-rying her jewelry and a growing clientele that includes Gwyn-eth Paltrow and Kristen Bell, Seraphine looks forward to growing her brand while con-

tinuing to focus on the thoughtful, handmade touch that sets it apart.

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by BROOKE MORGAN

Nashville, Tenn.Jewelry available online and at boutiques in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee,

Texas and Mississippi. seraphinedesigns.com

$225 - $595

BROOKE SERAPHINE

OTHER THAN HER DOG GUSTAVO — who she got while liv-ing in Barcelona — the � rst thing to catch one’s eye upon entering Megan Huntz’s Atlanta apartment and studio is her mood board. “It’s some-thing I’m continually working on; it’s ever evolving,” she explains. “� is one is kind of speci� c in that it’s really re-� ective of who my customer is. It has elements that are not fashion related, but kind of inform us of what her daily life might be like, what her taste is like for other things.” And like her mood board, full of photos of classic style and strong women, Huntz’s de-signs are e� ortless, yet sophisticated. It’s obvious she channels her time in Europe and cites the European “don’t-care-too-much” attitude as a driving force behind her clothing.

� e most obvious examples of Huntz’s ability to e� ortlessly stream-line her creative process are the happy accidents she adds to some of her de-signs. Using vintage fabric she bought from Italy, she manipulates her tex-tiles any way she can: dip dye, digital prints, paint and, most interestingly, rust — a technique she discovered after laying a freshly washed, rusty cookie sheet out to dry on a piece of fabric. Because of her

desire to experiment (she even commissions paintings to print onto fabric), Huntz isn’t just selling clothing to her customers; she’s sell-

ing art. “I love that it can never be recreated,” she explains when talking about her experimenta-tion with her designs. “It’s those imperfections that give something its rich texture, and that’s why I do a lot of di� erent manipula-tions with the textiles. I love the idea that there’s something really exclusive in the sense that it has this � aw that can’t be recreated, and that’s what makes it special, but still accessible.”

A fashion industry veteran, Huntz actually began her career working in Italy and Spain and previously launched her own line of hand-dyed silk dresses — a successful collection sold in shops throughout the two countries. But four years ago, she decided to leave her Milan showroom for her hometown and is currently re-building her brand in the States. Her clothing can currently be pur-

chased locally, but she’s looking to expand nationwide, while build-ing a connection with her clientele in the U.S. through her pieces.

Atlanta, Ga. Clothes available online and at

Henry & June in Atlanta.meganhuntz.com

$150 - $945

MEGAN HUNTZ

Story by ANNA MORRISPhotography by CLAUDIA BOST

IT’S NO SECRET THAT NASHVILLE is currently brimming with up-and-coming designers. Brooke Seraphine, creator and owner of Seraphine Designs, is one of them. Her jewelry line is both dis-tinctly modern and timeless, featur-ing raw stones that she uses to create naturally elegant handmade necklac-es, bracelets and rings straight out of her quaint home studio.

Focusing on the regions of the South Paci� c and Central Amer-ica, it was Seraphine’s degree in art education and history that � rst sparked her interest in exotic orna-mentation. � is curiosity stemmed from the encouragement of her geologist father, who also contrib-uted to Seraphine’s rock collection that � lled up small cartons in her childhood room. A distinct eye for beauty ultimately carried her into coveted interior and event design jobs, working as a backstage event and dressing room designer while on tour with musicians like John Mayer. Seraphine even landed a position as Sheryl Crow’s personal assistant before working a production job with MTV Networks. Her tendency to lean toward clean, modern spaces made its way

into her designs for CMA Awards after-parties, Universal Music events and the homes of her Nashville clients.

By early 2012, Seraphine’s decision to stay home with her newborn daughter, plus a hob-by of jewelry making for close friends, led her down an unfore-seen entrepreneurial path. “It was a very organic process in the way that it all came about,” she explains. She began receiving daily phone calls from strangers who saw a friend’s piece and just had to have their own. “I really try to make my jewelry enhance the natural beauty of the stone itself, rather than melding the stone to the jewelry,” she says. And with eye-catching gems like pyrite, her signature piece, less is de� nitely more.

With nine U.S. retailers car-rying her jewelry and a growing clientele that includes Gwyn-eth Paltrow and Kristen Bell, Seraphine looks forward to growing her brand while con-

tinuing to focus on the thoughtful, handmade touch that sets it apart.

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by BROOKE MORGAN

Nashville, Tenn.Jewelry available online and at boutiques in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee,

Texas and Mississippi. seraphinedesigns.com

$225 - $595

BROOKE SERAPHINE

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 95

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HUNTER BELL, 2013 winner of NBC’s “Fashion Star” competition and esteemed New York City clothing de-signer, has a clear image of the woman she aims to dress. Born and raised in Florence, S.C. before studying fash-ion design at the University of Ala-bama, Bell still holds onto a hint of a Southern accent, despite the 11 years she’s spent in the Big Apple. And her clientele might, too. “She’s a Southern girl with a New York state of mind. She’s feminine and sophisticated, but also has an urban edge. Our girl is not afraid to take risks and pays attention to trends. She selects quality over quan-tity,” Bell says. Although she has always been drawn to fashion, it wasn’t until one particular “aha” moment, watch-ing the sun set over Manhattan on the last day of her internship with Rebecca Taylor, that Bell became certain of her desire to pursue a career as a designer.

“� ere were some struggles for the year leading up to ‘Fashion Star,’ and I was at the point where I felt like I was � nished � ghting for the dream and passion,” Bell admits. � e opportuni-ty to compete on the television show came at the perfect time, igniting that inner competitiveness she needed to regain her con� dence as a designer. While the Hunter Bell line has become more modernized since its inception, a decision to stay close to her roots can also be detected in her designs. � e brand stays loyal to its many Southern customers and the bestselling pieces they continue to buy, while adopting a metropolitan feel that speaks to the larger international markets.

Although she embraces New York City’s vibe and draws inspiration from its culture-rich landscape, for Bell, “It’s about broadening your horizons and not being afraid to explore di� erent cities,” she explains, � ttingly, while waiting to board a � ight to Paris. And as the clothing line continues to gain momentum and cause a buzz in stores across the U.S., Bell’s brand is catch-ing the eye of modern Southerners and non-Southerners alike.

New York, N.Y. by way of Florence, S.C. Stores nationwide; Find a location at blog.

hunterbellnyc.com/fi nd-a-store.hunterbellnyc.com

$170 - $500

HUNTER BELL

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by COLBY BLOUNT

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 97

“I JUST COMPLETELY CHANGED MY PLAN and decid-ed I’m not gonna go work anywhere, I’m gonna start a compa-ny!” Lauren Leonard, founder and designer of LEONA, says of her thought process after graduating college. � ough she had a background in retail, studied design at the University of Alabama and held an intern-ship with Milly in New York, Leonard really had minimal design experience before de-ciding to go out on her own. And with nothing to lose, she moved to Atlanta and put her-self through trial-and-error training, or what she’s deemed “LEONA Boot Camp.” But it was her retail background that she thinks helped get her line o� the ground. “A lot of my experience was in how to sell to buyers and how to create a product that works for the re-tail � oor.”

Leonard now personally designs everything from the fabrics down to each individual garment in her collections, specializing in pieces that are e� ortless to wear, yet polished. She admits that her goals and de� nition of success have changed as she has learned more about the industry,

her career and life itself. She says that these days, it’s less about ap-pealing to everyone and more about becoming a signi� cant part of her current customers’ wardrobes. “I’m more interested in � nding those customers that really truly identify with LEONA and what

we’re about, and that really un-derstand and appreciate [that] all of our fabrics are custom de-signed, and everything is made by family-owned-and-operated manufacturers.”

� ough she’s relocated to New York, her roots are in Tus-caloosa, Ala., and they are con-sistently apparent in her work. “� ere are certain inevitable, innate things that make you Southern. For me, it’s really an inescapable femininity. Even if I tried, I would never be able to get rid of that girl.”

And after six years of be-ing in business, the LEONA brand has made its way into boutiques across the nation and into the closets of some high-pro� le fans, including

Taylor Swift and Giuliana Rancic. If becoming a treasured part of wardrobes nationwide is what Leonard wants, it seems safe to say that she is well on her way.

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by RINA BRINDAMOUR

New York, N.Y. by way of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Store in Nashville, Tenn.; clothing also available online and at stores nationwide; Find a location

at leonany.com/stockists. leonany.com

$59 - $398

LEONA

WITH CLIENTS SUCH AS LADY GAGA and Lea Michele, Steph-anie Waldrip of Waldrip NYC has made a name for herself design-ing beautiful garments for women of all styles. An Atlanta native, Waldrip spent her early childhood in her aunt’s atelier, watching her create custom gowns and wedding dresses. She went on to receive a formal education in design from Savannah College of Art and Design, after which she moved to New York to work for a number of fashion labels.

An entrepreneur at heart with a love of textiles and fabri-cation, Waldrip soon decided to launch her own line. “I want-ed to offer the contemporary market something new, blend-ing my affinity for textiles and texture to offer pieces with long-lasting wearability and novelty.” Indeed, her line is clean and streamlined, with classic silhouettes made from specialty fabrics. Her clothing can easily be described as rich — each piece is comprised of vibrant colors, unique patterns and lux-urious textiles that can withstand the test of time, turning her garments into durable investments that can be passed through generations. Waldrip’s love for the enriching history behind European textile mills results in pieces that are simultaneous-ly strong and romantic, making her the next big designer for the modern woman.

A staunch supporter of the city’s craftsmen, Waldrip has kept production of her line strictly local to Seventh Avenue and some of the last surviving artisans of the historical Garment District. With big hopes for the future, she plans to become an international house and expand her line by o� ering pre-collections. “I want Waldrip to be recognized as a brand for women everywhere who love classic style and luxurious fabrics.”

Story by CASSIE KAYEPhotography courtesy of WALDRIP NYC

New York, N.Y. by way of Atlanta, Ga.Stores nationwide; Find a location at waldripnyc.com/

pages/stocklist. waldripnyc.com$200 - $2,000+

WALDRIP NYC

“I JUST COMPLETELY CHANGED MY PLAN and decid-ed I’m not gonna go work anywhere, I’m gonna start a compa-ny!” Lauren Leonard, founder and designer of LEONA, says of her thought process after graduating college. � ough she had a background in retail, studied design at the University of Alabama and held an intern-ship with Milly in New York, Leonard really had minimal design experience before de-ciding to go out on her own. And with nothing to lose, she moved to Atlanta and put her-self through trial-and-error training, or what she’s deemed “LEONA Boot Camp.” But it was her retail background that she thinks helped get her line o� the ground. “A lot of my experience was in how to sell to buyers and how to create a product that works for the re-tail � oor.”

Leonard now personally designs everything from the fabrics down to each individual garment in her collections, specializing in pieces that are e� ortless to wear, yet polished. She admits that her goals and de� nition of success have changed as she has learned more about the industry,

her career and life itself. She says that these days, it’s less about ap-pealing to everyone and more about becoming a signi� cant part of her current customers’ wardrobes. “I’m more interested in � nding those customers that really truly identify with LEONA and what

we’re about, and that really un-derstand and appreciate [that] all of our fabrics are custom de-signed, and everything is made by family-owned-and-operated manufacturers.”

� ough she’s relocated to New York, her roots are in Tus-caloosa, Ala., and they are con-sistently apparent in her work. “� ere are certain inevitable, innate things that make you Southern. For me, it’s really an inescapable femininity. Even if I tried, I would never be able to get rid of that girl.”

And after six years of be-ing in business, the LEONA brand has made its way into boutiques across the nation and into the closets of some high-pro� le fans, including

Taylor Swift and Giuliana Rancic. If becoming a treasured part of wardrobes nationwide is what Leonard wants, it seems safe to say that she is well on her way.

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by RINA BRINDAMOUR

New York, N.Y. by way of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Store in Nashville, Tenn.; clothing also available online and at stores nationwide; Find a location

at leonany.com/stockists. leonany.com

$59 - $398

LEONA

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 99

AT THE RIPE AGE OF 21, Lilly Pulitzer never dreamed she would one day become a clothing designer. Instead, she found herself escaping the big city of New York to open a modest juice stand in Palm Beach, Fla. Pulitzer and her husband, a citrus grove owner, eloped to the land of endless summer cocktail parties. A desire to hide the juice stains on her dresses and express her sunny sense of style led Pulitzer to start making her own brightly pat-terned frocks, creating quite a stir.

Today, over half a century later, Pulitzer’s contagiously bright and cheery personality lives on through the bold and optimistic prints worn by the “Lilly girl,” who continues the legacy of the Palm Beach lifestyle. “Our print design studio is always creating new prints that nod to the places, critters and moments that Lilly

loved most — even with the tradition of hiding Lilly’s name in every single original design,” reveals Joanna Scholtz, Lilly Pulitzer public relations associate. Although it’s nearly unheard of to have a team of artists that sketch, draw, marker, watercolor and block print every inch of the line, it is this attention to detail through original artwork that sets the brand apart.

As the company continues the legacy of its iconic, resort wear, one thing remains the same: the longstanding tradition of women who are proud to carry the timeless Lilly name. “What we love about the ‘Lilly girl’ is that she’s every age. It’s about her spirit and the twinkle in her eye. She’s the life of the party, the girl who’s not afraid to stand out in a crowd, and she is the chicest of all her friends.”

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography courtesy of LILLY PULITZER

King of Prussia, Pa. by way of Palm Beach, Fla. Stores nationwide; Find a location at lillypulitzer.

com/custserv/locate_store.cmd.lillypulitzer.com

$34 - $348

LILLY PULITZER

IF YOU SCROLL THROUGH INSTAGRAM or comb magazines for the sartorial choices of “It Girls” like Olivia Palermo or Solange Knowles, it’s safe to say you’ll see Tibi. Consequently, Tibi’s striped peplum top, neoprene scuba dress and leather mules are hot commod-ities. � ese utterly wearable, minimalist designs stem from founder Amy Smilovic’s easy Southern roots, polished with years of living in Asia. Growing up in St. Simons Island, Ga., a young Smilovic was always aware of the meticulous sense of care Southerners put into an out� t. “I can tell you my � rst-day-of-school out� ts from third grade onwards,” Smilovic reveals. “I always matched my hair bow to my track pants — but it was an ultimate faux pas to match the lip-stick.” Such observations grew into a lifelong fascination with fashion, and merged with her strong desire to start her own business.

Tibi was created in 1997 while Smilovic was living with her hus-band in Hong Kong. “I was very inspired by the entrepreneurial spir-it of the people, and their ability to get things done. I wanted to leverage what was available in Asia,” she says. “� e factories were accessible and I worked closely with local artisans developing fabrics and prints. Once I saw the response to the pieces I designed, I realized there was a larger market for it.”

Her designs achieved the “e� ortlessly put together” look many women were desperately searching for in the early mil-lennium — at a price point that didn’t cost you your cool. As a result, Tibi’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and Smi-lovic’s Georgian family pitched in to keep up with the incom-

ing orders. And while the brand was born bearing dresses in bold colors and prints, Tibi has grown into a label for the modern wom-an, comfortable and con� dent in her well-curated wardrobe of nec-essary relaxed separates.

Smilovic’s personal travels and keen sense of detail devel-oped the brand DNA without forgoing Tibi’s mission to dress the international woman. “I re-cently fell in love with Stock-holm, and Prague is always a favorite. New York is home base for me and I’m constantly drawing new inspiration from the architecture, people, art and history here,” Smilovic says. But Tibi’s global success cannot keep

Smilovic far from home for long. She and her family try to re-visit the South frequently, absorbing all the allure of a simple life, one she imagines full of “Champion trees with Spanish moss and Cajun vodka lemonades.”

Story by SHEYDA MEHRARAPhotography courtesy of TIBI

New York, N.Y. by way of St. Simons Island, Ga. Stores nationwide; Find a location at tibi.com/

locations.tibi.com

$175 - $1,495

TIBI

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 101

Photography by JIMMY JOHNSTON | Styling by TIAN JUSTMAN | Makeup by ERICA

BOGART | Hair by RACHEL CARTER, TARA KERR, SHANNON POSTA and MARIA RIGNEY

for Dyer & Posta Salon | Models: KATIE LEDBETTER and SAMANTHA MCCOY for Click Models;

CHELSEA LEWIS for Directions U.S.A; and AUDREY ANDERS for Ursula Wiedmann Models |

Shot on location at Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Ga. | gibbsgardens.com.

ECH OING THE WILDLY V IBRANT LANDSCAPES OF G IBBS

GARDENS IN BALL GROUND, GA . , THESE SOUTHERN

DES IGNERS REMIND US THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO LOOK

SO FAR FOR FASHION ’S NEXT WAVE OF TALENT.

Clothing, MAMIE RUTH,

at mamieruth.com.

Jewelry, BILLIE HILLIARD,

at billiehilliard.com.

Brown Crop Top, $64,

White Crochet Crop Top,

$88, Printed Skirt, $96

and Feather Headband,

$64. Chain and Bead

Necklace, $88.

Maxi Dress, $152, Printed

Top, $88 and Fringe Vest,

$240. Necklace, $182.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 103

Clothing, BROOKE

ATWOOD, at

brookeatwood.com.

Leather Tee, $475 and

Pants with Leather

Overlay, $495. Necklace,

$275 and Bracelet,

$175, both SERAPHINE

DESIGN, both at

seraphinedesign.com.

Leather Dress, $810.

Necklace, $98, Crystal

Bracelets, $78 each and

Beaded Bracelet, $68, all

BILLIE HILLIARD, all at

billiehilliard.com.

Western Dress, $655.

Necklace, $1,000,

BILLIE HILLIARD, at

billiehilliard.com.


W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 105

Clothing, RAE FRAN-

CIS, at raefrancis.com

Jewelry, BILLIE

HILLIARD, at

billiehilliard.com.

Crop Top, $237 and

Maxi Skirt, $598.

Choker, $798 and

Cuff, $398.

Maxi Dress, $345.

Necklace, $968.


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Clothing, ABBEY GLASS, at

abbey-glass.com.

Jewelry, SERAPHINE

DESIGN, at


Shirt, $335, Coat, $630 and

Skirt, $500. Bracelet, $220.

Dress, $900. Necklace, $195.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 109

Clothing, MEGAN

HUNTZ, at Henry & June.

Dress, $570.


Clothing, LEONA, at leonany.com. Jewelry, SERAPHINE DESIGN, at seraphinedesign.com.

Dress, $302. Choker, $245. Top, $207 and Pant, $211. Cuff, $255. Coat, $398 and Pant, $211. Necklace, $310.

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Clothing, HUNTER BELL, at

hunterbellnyc.com.

Jewelry, SERAPHINE DESIGN, at


Dress, $253. Necklace, $355.

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A luxury bag reseller is taking over.BELLA BAGStory by JAIME LIN WEINSTEIN

Photography by ALLIE BECKWITH

“THESE ARE PRE-OWNED?” a customer exclaims upon walking into Bella Bag’s new � agship store in the Buckhead Atlanta luxury retail complex. � e walls are lined with rows of designer handbags — Céline, Chanel, Dior, Hermès — in such pristine condition it is hard to believe they’ve ever had a life outside the showroom. Even the rare, vintage ones look like new. (And the Louis Vuitton Shop-ping Bag designed by Christian Louboutin on display practically is — the limited edition purse was only available as of October 2014.)

What began as a way for a broke college girl to sell a designer bag and reap more return than consignment would provide back in 2005 has grown into one of the nation’s premier luxury resale plat-forms — and it’s more than just a store. “Most know the Bella Bag that you see online or in store here in Atlanta. What you don’t see is that we are the largest provider of luxury vintage out there,” Cassan-dra Connors, the founder, CEO and president, explains. “Chances are, if you’ve bought a luxury pre-owned handbag somewhere on the web, it probably originated from someone on the buying team at Bella.” � ink vintage handbag sales on Rue La La or Gilt. What else sets Bella Bag apart from the growing number of resale sites in today’s market? In addition to the largest privately held collection of authentic luxury handbags and accessories in the U.S., a 13-point

inspection process ensures the authenticity of each bag. (Connors has been interviewed everywhere from Lucky Magazine to USA To-day on how to spot a fake.) An upcoming VIP Program will soon allow customers to request literally any bag they want, and Bella will source it in less than 30 days, too. “I’m razor focused on listening to our customers and really trying to give them what they want. � at’s my number one priority,” Connors says.

It’s all an incredible feat for a young woman who is only in her 30s. “� is business has been an evolutionary process, growing up with me throughout my own maturation,” Connors says. And while fashion is certainly in her genes (“My mother was an avid shoe col-lector and my grandmother a huge handbag and jewelry lover.”), she has become one savvy businesswoman: Bella Bag has doubled revenues every year since 2010.

For 2015, Connors has plans to grow the company’s national compass through pop-up shops and trunk shows around the coun-try. But she is happy to be headquartered in Atlanta for a wealth of reasons, from weather and family to cost of living and ease of entrance. “We are growing rapidly and we’re heading into the other cities quickly now,” she says. “But it’s fun to call Atlanta home base and have the city be proud to have raised us.” bellabag.com

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 115

SWISSLUXE

A worldwide timepiece empire grows through Southern charm.

Story by CHRISTINA MONTFORD

Photography by JAMIE HOPPER

FOR MOST PEOPLE, going out to lunch at a local pizza place doesn’t result in a million dollar business. Alim Bolton and Ty-ler Gardner are not most people. “We went out to lunch one day and we were talking and we came to the conclusion,” ex-plains Gardner, one half of their watch-brokering giant. “Alim had the go-getter attitude and I was able to procure some re-sources and the rest is history. We gave our old employers the � nger and we became Global Watch Brokers.” A couple years and a name change later, Global Watch Brokers rebranded to become Swiss Luxe, and Bolton and Gardner had their hands on a thriving business. Swiss Luxe caters to everyone from the naïve � rst-time buyer to the seasoned luxury-watch collector, with watches anywhere from $1,200 to $160,000 and above. Timepieces are sent to them and once veri� ed, they will broker a deal between clients and a buyer or trader. If you don’t have a watch to trade, you can simply buy one through their service.

� e two met when they began working for a watch brokering company that went under. But before that, they were leading very di� erent lives. Bolton was working for Def Jam and had grown tired of the New York tra� c, while Gardner was working at an electrical job and was lured to Georgia by a good deal on a house. � ey each heard about an opening at their former employer and the wheels were set in motion. Even with years of experience dealing with luxu-ry watches together, the duo still look like the odd couple. Gardner sports tennis shoes and a T-shirt while Bolton dons a suit and some very elaborate socks. But, that’s what makes their business work. “If you go hang out with ‘T,’ you have a cold brew and that’s cool. Me, you’ll kick back with me, and we have some Glenn Brothers whiskey and an aged cigar,” Bolton says. “At the end of the day, whoever I can’t reach, he can reach and whoever he can’t reach, I can reach.”

Although the two may have a di� erent approach to busi-ness — Bolton has a more in-your-face charisma while Gard-ner is known for a laid-back, good ol’ boy vibe — they con-nect over what is important. “We do have commonalities, like I do Muay � ai and he hunts,” Bolton says. “It’s that same warrior spirit in both of us … I don’t have to wear camo to know the decisions that he will make because they are the same decisions I would make and vice versa. He doesn’t have to wear crazy socks, but he’s going to make the same decisions I would 9.9 times out of 10. Our code of ethics in business is right on point. � e only thing you can see a di� erence in is how we express ourselves.”

� e business has more than tripled in the few short years it’s been around. But no matter how big Swiss Luxe gets, Bolton and Gardner will never forget their roots and Southern

charm. “Do you know why people like mom and pop busi-nesses?” Gardner asks — then answers. “You have Walmart and Walmart does very well, but mom and pops have very loyal clientele because, maybe the price isn’t the cheapest, but it’s the experience. People [work with them] because the guy knows their name; he knows about their kids, he knows about their families. So we want to take that and put it into the luxury side of watches, even through a digital platform. For everyone local that we sell a watch to we give them a Cuban cigar. It’s nothing big but it’s just something cool we do to make it personal.”

� eir full-service approach has ensured that no client is left unreached. From the farm hand to the busy city boy, whether you � nd a watch of your dreams with them is just a matter of time. swissluxewatches.com

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 117

IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES sitting across from Rosa � urnher and Regina Weir to recognize the strength of their shared passion when it comes to fashion and helping others — two elements that merged to create the Atlanta-based fashion incubator, Factory Girls, in 2013. By providing emerging, high-level apparel designers with studio space and resources like sewing machines, pattern makers and expert mentoring, Weir and � urnher hope to develop a strong community of fashion designers in the South and encourage the local talent to grow their businesses in the place they call home.

Coming from a successful career in New York as a modeling agent, talent scout and editorial stylist, in 2008, Weir traveled back to her hometown of Atlanta to help her parents with their industri-al uniform manufacturing business and take a much-needed break from NYC. Similarly, � urnher spent her career in the corporate fashion world, moving through every position from retail manage-ment to visual merchandising in bustling cities. Determined to use her knowledge of fashion for a greater purpose, � urnher, a native Atlantan, came back to her city as a boutique stylist and the owner of a vintage clothing shop around the same time of Weir’s return.

Although it was inevitable that the two women would meet and start stirring up some great ideas, Weir admits, “I didn’t even realize that such a high caliber of talent was in Atlanta until I met Rosa, and she introduced me to some amazingly talented designers here.” � e light bulb went o� as the two women saw a unique opportuni-ty — not only to ful� ll their passion for helping others, but also to establish a marketplace. Weir had seen � rst-hand how many of the talented designers coming out of the South moved to New York or Los Angeles in order to expand their business. “I think the talent has been here for a while, but it has never had a real viable way to

remain here, because people rise up to a certain point where they have to go elsewhere to make it work,” � urnher a� rms.

With an understanding that growing a business becomes more realistic when designers can delegate some of the physical labor to other seamstresses, Factory Girls started o� ering a de-signer residence. Two of their current designers, Megan Huntz and Abbey Glass, are developing their businesses under the year-long program that provides studio space, access to machines and tools, the extra labor of seamstresses, and expert mentoring. � is opportunity has allowed both designers to branch out creatively and push the boundaries on previously restricting limits. � e goal is not just to provide the physical resources, but also to do some goal setting and evaluation to ensure that their business platforms are set up for growth by the time they leave the in-cubator. Factory Girls hopes to create a larger community and association that is relevant to high-end design in the South — everyone from jewelry and clothing designers, to photographers and marketers. But most of all, the duo would love to see a de-signer be able to stay in Atlanta and sell their products on the level of designers in New York and Los Angeles.

� e idea of the new South, a generation that makes their own terms about what it means to live and work in the region, is something that Factory Girls embraces. “� ere’s a lot of creativ-ity here because Southerners don’t always follow the status quo,” � urnher says. Today’s Southern designers are paying homage to the deep-rooted traditions and craftsmanship of their region, while taking what they’ve learned to create more modern, relevant pieces that still nod to the past. As Weir says, “If we have a means to be a part of that, then why wouldn’t we?” factorygirlsatl.com

Rosa Thurnher and Regina Weir make a place for design talent in the South.Factory Girls

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINS | Photography by JAMIE HOPPER

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN you combine a former clothier with over 20 years experience, his ambitious millennial son, a tech-nology guru, a � nancial advisor and an art director with a back-ground in fashion advertising? Meet Louie, Walter, Nick, Ted and � omas, respectively. Together, they’re the creators and cura-tors behind Morgan CODA, a unique, online platform changing the clothing experience for custom menswear one suit at a time. And each of their particular skills has enabled them to � nd and capitalize on the menswear niche of the fashion world and bring it to an e-commerce space.

It’s no secret that not all men have a sense of, or interest in, style (talking to you, Dads still wearing your 1992 Peachtree Road Race T-shirts). Morgan CODA is ready to be the eyes and voice of reason for men that neither know, nor want to know, the di� erence between a slim � t and a traditional � tting suit.

� ose guys can go online to Morgan CODA for help and trust the process to easily obtain a high quality product. “� at’s ulti-mately the goal of the business,” � omas Bledsoe, art director — also president and chief creative o� cer — con� rms. “Once you’ve bought one time, you know your size, you know it works and you can get whatever you want: shirts, pants, whatever else, online and inde� nitely.”

� e quality is unmistakable and at this point in time, every gar-ment created by Morgan CODA is completely custom. � e team takes 12 measurements from men to align with their patterns, which were created with the help of Louie Morgan’s extensive experience. But, what gets spit out to the factory is the technological side of the business: over 100 measurements created from an algorithm based on the original 12 to create a well-� tting garment ranging in price from $45 to $845. “Taking less measurements re� ects the fact that you know what you’re doing; one thing should relate to another,” Bledsoe explains.

And while Morgan CODA is proving to be a promising business model, they’re committed to working as clothiers who began a start-up, rather than the other way around. “We feel like the competition in our space … most of the businesses that are in the online zone for this are really just that. � ey’re businesses.” Bledsoe makes it clear that the mission of Morgan CODA is not only to provide an easy resource for men’s custom clothing, but to create a superior product. “All we o� er is the best and we have a variety of prices, but we know that all of our garments are great, so somebody should be able to trust that anything they buy is going to be something that they should be proud to wear and should last them for a long time.” morgancoda.com

Men’s suiting is customized and calculated through an emerging brand.

MORGAN CODAStory by MEGHAN JACKSON | Photography by CLAUDIA BOST

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 119

TALKING TO DARCIE ADLER feels almost like talking to a ce-lebrity. Her hair falls perfectly, as if it’s just been blown out, and her petite demeanor gives o� a Leslie Mann-type con� dence: dain-ty, but down to business. Her business. She’s co-founder of � e Spin Style Agency, an organization of stylists, designers and hair and makeup artists that are contracted for their respective work on photo shoots and all things creative, epitomized on location at the Atlanta Daylight Studio.

After getting her start with Atlanta lifestyle photographer Liz Von Hoene 18 years ago, Adler found her way into styling, in all of its forms. Working with noteworthy clients like Neiman Mar-cus, Adler was provided jobs she describes as “a stylist’s dream set,” frequently � ying in incredible talent and creating unique shoots, falling in love with the freedom and endless possibilities of set styling.

And just as Von Hoene was a great in� uence on Adler, Ad-ler later found herself in a similar situation with her assis-

tant-turned-co-founder, Molly Webb. Together, they formed the agency as a sort of incubator for creatives; a place for new talent to learn under their guidance and become the best of the best in Atlanta. � ough it o� cially opened in January of 2014, Adler has been curating her list of contacts for years; it’s the reason the busi-ness is able to exist. “When it comes to sets, I kind of have the name in town for it [as an art director]. So now my goal has been saying, ‘Hey, by the way, I have an incredible hair and makeup artist, and my fashion stylists can do it.’ So we’ve been able to start putting our foot in other areas.”

� e entertainment industry’s increasing presence in Atlanta has meant increasing opportunities to work with big name talent for Spin Style, in addition to their steady clientele of local businesses. “Because of the movie industry that’s here right now, the stars are here. And then if somebody like Dior wants to shoot the next fall bag line with Jennifer Lawrence, she’s here. So guess what? We get to get hired to do the job.” And they did. thespinstyle.com

THE SPIN STYLE AGENCY

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by FAISAL MOHAMMED

A styling collective sets the stage.

NATALIE CHANIN NEVER INTENDED TO START a sus-tainable clothing revolution with her company, Alabama Chanin; it happened naturally. While taking a sabbatical from working as a stylist in Europe, Chanin found herself in New York City making T-shirts other people wanted to buy. After researching how to fab-ricate garments on a larger scale and noticing the connection be-tween her stitching and that of her grandmother’s quilts, Chanin headed back to her hometown of Florence, Ala. to connect with local seamstresses and create a line of hand-sewn clothing made from 100 percent organic cotton. Although she didn’t know it at the time, her commitment to sustainability would launch a “farm-to-garment” movement that’s already gaining steam.

At its core, Alabama Chanin is about making beautiful prod-ucts in an ethical way, while also supporting the manufacturing legacy of the South. � e company’s mission is based on the Slow Design movement — a fashion industry practice that encourages designers and consumers to create and use products in a socially and environmentally responsible manner — but Chanin has taken this practice one step further with her own products.

In 2012, she partnered with long-time friend and fellow Flor-ence resident Billy Reid to grow their own 7-acre plot of organic cotton. Hand-picked twice that year, the cotton was sent to a local cotton gin and then to a 100-year-old North Carolina cotton mill to be spun before returning to � e Factory (Alabama Chanin’s headquarters) for production. “� e more I learn about how our work impacts my community and the planet at large,” Chanin ex-plains, “the more important it becomes to produce in a responsi-ble way.” � e limited edition Cotton Project garments were � nally sold online through Alabama Chanin and Billy Reid in September 2014. (Chanin and Reid also partnered on a hosiery project, and most recently worked together to design a men’s knit top available in both of their online shops.)

Farm-to-table is a commonplace food industry idea, but the art of crafting a garment entirely from start to � nish in the Unit-ed States is a rare � nd. Chanin and Reid’s project, along with Chanin’s commitment to employing local seamstresses, is a hint at the changing tides of the fashion industry. While big fashion houses, mass production and overseas outsourcing won’t disappear anytime soon, the increase in designers committing themselves to local manufacturing and sustainable practices prove we’re headed for change, even if it’s slight.

� e extensive Alabama Chanin brand includes A. Chanin clothing line, Building 14 Design and Manufacturing Services, � e Factory (complete with café, production studio and workshop space) and the new School of Making to oversee workshops and educational programming. Everything Chanin does — from sup-porting local craftsmen and using sustainable materials to encour-aging community involvement through workshops and events — works to evolve the brand naturally. “We don’t want to grow our business for the sake of growth; that would be creating waste — waste of time, energy and materials. We want to be a thoughtful brand that creates thoughtful products.” alabamachanin.com

Story by CASSIE KAYE | Photography by RINNE ALLEN

ALABAMACHANIN A farm-to-garment

movement takes hold.

Founded by Matt Weaver in 2010, Andover Trask uses American-made canvas and leather to craft timelessly

stylish aprons, bags and totes. With solid brass rivets and hand-stitched leather

details, every item, like the Harper Tool Bag, is as durable as it is attractive.

$180

ASHA PATELShanti Silk Red Bracelet

Atlanta, Ga. Born to Indian parents and inspired by the traditional jewelry of her heritage, designer

Asha Patel is known for her symbolic pieces, often crafted to represent aspects of symmetry

like yin and yang with a modern aesthetic. � e Shanti Silk Red Bracelet gracefully wraps around the wrist with a brass ID tag reading

Shanti, which means “peace” in Sanskrit. $50

BLACK SWAMPBlack Walnut Bangle

Eutawville, S.C. In an e� ort to recycle wood shavings from crafting furniture in her and her husband’s

wood shop, designer Katie � ompson created Black Swamp — a line of handcraft-ed jewelry made from � ne hardwoods and other quality materials. Each piece, like the

Black Walnut Bangle, is hand-carved and one-of-a-kind.

$35

NOAH MARION QUALITY GOODS Belts

Austin, TexasNoah Marion Quality Goods’

products are made from natural vegetable tanned leather

meant to change and darken with use, getting better with age.

When you buy a belt from Noah Marion, you’re buying

for life. $70 - $110

M A D ES O U T H E R N

ANDOVER TRASK Harper Tool Bag

Atlanta, Ga.

BRACKISH Feather Bow TiesCharleston, S.C.

A small company hailing from North Carolina, Brackish has added

a touch of � air to men’s suits and everyday wear with their handcraft-

ed bow ties made from genuine feathers. Bill Murray even sported

one at the Oscars in 2014. $149 - $195

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 123

CRESTA BLEDSOE FINE JEWELRY Shark Tooth Fossil Double Drop Earrings

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. A family tradition of hunting for shark teeth during low tide at Ponte Vedra Beach was the inspiration for Cresta Bledsoe’s � ne jewelry line. Enamored

with the history of each fossil, she began repurpos-ing them into unique pieces like the white diamond pave double drop earrings you see here, made with

recycled 18K gold and con� ict-free diamonds. $13,500

EMIL ERWINWallace Backpack

Nashville, Tenn. Known for their expertly crafted leather and waxed canvas bags, belts, wallets and accesso-

ries, all Emil Erwin products are designed with superior quality in mind. � e Wallace Back-pack is both practical and sleek, an updated version of a vintage Swiss Army Backpack.

$800

CORD SHOES AND BOOTS Men’s Mercer Boot

Atlanta, Ga. Cord Shoes and Boots prides themselves on crafting high-quality shoes and leather goods

completely in-house, while inspiring their customers to purchase sustainable products, like the Mercer Boot — a stacked heel boot

made from Horween Chromexcel leather, nat-ural cowhide lining and vibram rubber that is

sure to last a lifetime. $495

NISOLO Women’s Smoking Shoe

Nashville, Tenn.What began as a way to help talented shoemakers in Peru gain access to a global market where they could sell their goods, has become Nisolo, an impressive social impact label. Focused on high-quality, simple designs and respectful conditions for ev-eryone from the producer to the consumer, they use over 100

steps to create shoes like the minimalist designed Smoking Shoe pictured — a sophisticated and seasonless shoe that adds

a timeless sense of style to any ensemble.$148

PETER NAPPI Women’s Fina Jodphur Boot

Nashville, Tenn.Designed in Nashville and handcrafted in Tuscany, Peter Nappi leather footwear and goods exude a unique blend of Italian style

and American character. � eir Fina Jodphur Boot, featuring a full vitello leather lining and washed vero cuoio leather soles, are meant to be loved and lived in, gaining

beauty with time and age. $550

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 125

GUNNER + LUX Riley Necklace

Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta-based jewelry company Gunner + Lux grew out of a simple father-daughter bonding activity at the dining room table.

John Peterson and his young daughter, Riley, hand craft unique necklaces using jewels they collect from thrift shops, antique stores, and family and friends. � e Riley Necklace is the

ultimate statement, mixing feminine and industrial aesthetics to create a piece that is

strikingly ornate and original.$449.99

SHELTON METAL Seahorse NecklaceWilmington, N.C.

A study-abroad opportunity in Tus-cany where he learned from world-re-

nowned metalsmiths served as the initial impetus for designer Colby Byrd’s jewelry line, Shelton Metal. Each piece is inspired by the ocean, like the Seahorse Necklace crafted

from hand-formed bronze.$75

MARGARET ELLIS JEWELRY Fall/Winter 2014 Collection

Nashville, Tenn. A historic studio showroom in Nashville

is home to Margaret Ellis Jewelry, a brand known for using precious metals with individually selected pearls and stones

to make their handcrafted artisan pieces since 1983. � e 2014 Collection, with pieces featuring sterling silver and fresh water pearls, shows the brand’s use of

tradition metalsmith techniques.$215 - $1,190

YOUNG FRANKK Range Cuff

Richmond, Va. Simple but bold, a graphic aesthetic is abundant in Young Frankk’s jewelry collections. By translating line-work

drawings and inspirations into various metals, designer Christine Young

consistently creates unique pieces, like the Range Cu� featured here.

$100


ZKANOSocks

Fort Payne, Ala. Little known fact: Until the late ’90s, the small town of Fort Payne, Ala. was known as the sock capital of the world, manufac-turing a very large percentage of our socks. Today, Zkano seeks to bring back this leg-acy in their Fort Payne factory with unique

socks in a variety of colors and patterns. $14 - $19

UMANO T-Shirts

Athens, Ga. With the motto “wear responsibly,” brothers Jona-than and Alex Torrey of Umano make shirts for a

cause. Children draw the “PocketArt” on the shirts and with every tee purchased, Umano gives a child

a backpack full of school supplies. $42 - $55

OCEAN ROCK DESIGN Bags

Bradenton, Fla.Ocean Rock Design uses upcycled, vintage and recycled fabric to make one-of-a-kind custom

printed bags. Materials like antique Kilim carpets, Japanese Obi belts and vintage horse reins make

each handmade item truly unique. $40 - $300

MARC NELSON DENIMChambray Pant Knoxville, Tenn.

With the vision that it’s just as important for fashion to feel as good as it is to look good, Marc Nelson specializes in creating well-� tting denim

that embodies “Southern comfort with a contem-porary edge.” � e lightweight Chambray Pant is a perfect example of this mantra, but get them before they’re gone — styles are limited. Only

214 pairs are created of each. $175

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STEP ONE FOOT INSIDE the 2,300-square-foot renovated horse stable tucked away in the heart of Atlanta’s trendy West-side, and it’s almost as if the exposed brick walls — adorned with the warm, yet masculine marks of a bison’s head, brown feathered fowl and heirloom trinkets — beckon you to come explore. Maybe sit on the London-imported, quilted leather couches for a spell. The impeccably designed TWEEDS cloth-ing shop, owned by Athens, Ga. native Thomas Wages, is a place where you want to soak up the refreshing mix of South-ern hospitality and sheer passion for menswear. At first glance, you’ll see an array of suits and button-downs in soft, yet sturdy fabrics and rich leather through-out: handmade bags, belts, wallets and shoes. The shop took off in the summer of 2013 with the goal of embracing the ta-gline, “Be Well-Woven,” which are words that continue to drive Wages in his pursuit of getting back to the beauty of living and dressing well. Recalling his grandfather’s custom of putting on a suit before each business exchange — despite having lived most of his life on a farm — Wages asserts, “I think it skipped a lot of our father’s genera-tion, the idea that it meant something to leave the house and dress well. It was a level of respect for yourself, and more so for

those around you. Dressing well isn’t out of vanity; it is actually out of respect.”

With customers like renowned Atlanta chefs Kevin Gillespie and Hugh Acheson, many men who frequent the shop work in creative and entrepreneurial � elds. “Most don’t have to wear a traditional suit � ve days a week, so when they do wear one, they want it to look unique and incredible,” Wages explains. It goes back to the name TWEEDS: a fabric that, to Wages, represents a true gentleman with its appropriateness at both dinner parties and hunting � elds.

Since shopping has become so digital and manufactured to-day, Wages feels that his customers crave a more tactile, authentic experi-ence with their purchases. And it all starts with the shop’s vendors, proud-ly serving as some of the oldest manufacturers still crafting handmade goods in America today. Care-fully handsewn and craft-ed over months or even a year, it is not uncommon

for vendors to only make one or two of an exclusive product for the shop. � ere is value in something worthy of passing down, because it was lived in and aged well with daily use. “No one wants their grandfather’s brand new leather jacket,” Wages jests. And for this entrepreneur, it all comes back to quality: the true test of a thriving business and a life well-woven.

TWEEDS1009-A Marietta St.

Atlanta, Ga.tweedsshop.com

$35 - $1,195Story by BROOKE HUTCHINS


STEP ONE FOOT INSIDE the 2,300-square-foot renovated horse stable tucked away in the heart of Atlanta’s trendy West-side, and it’s almost as if the exposed brick walls — adorned with the warm, yet masculine marks of a bison’s head, brown feathered fowl and heirloom trinkets — beckon you to come explore. Maybe sit on the London-imported, quilted leather couches for a spell. The impeccably designed TWEEDS cloth-ing shop, owned by Athens, Ga. native Thomas Wages, is a place where you want to soak up the refreshing mix of South-ern hospitality and sheer passion for menswear. At first glance, you’ll see an array of suits and button-downs in soft, yet sturdy fabrics and rich leather through-out: handmade bags, belts, wallets and shoes. The shop took off in the summer of 2013 with the goal of embracing the ta-gline, “Be Well-Woven,” which are words that continue to drive Wages in his pursuit of getting back to the beauty of living and dressing well. Recalling his grandfather’s custom of putting on a suit before each business exchange — despite having lived most of his life on a farm — Wages asserts, “I think it skipped a lot of our father’s genera-tion, the idea that it meant something to leave the house and dress well. It was a level of respect for yourself, and more so for

those around you. Dressing well isn’t out of vanity; it is actually out of respect.”

With customers like renowned Atlanta chefs Kevin Gillespie and Hugh Acheson, many men who frequent the shop work in creative and entrepreneurial � elds. “Most don’t have to wear a traditional suit � ve days a week, so when they do wear one, they want it to look unique and incredible,” Wages explains. It goes back to the name TWEEDS: a fabric that, to Wages, represents a true gentleman with its appropriateness at both dinner parties and hunting � elds.

Since shopping has become so digital and manufactured to-day, Wages feels that his customers crave a more tactile, authentic experi-ence with their purchases. And it all starts with the shop’s vendors, proud-ly serving as some of the oldest manufacturers still crafting handmade goods in America today. Care-fully handsewn and craft-ed over months or even a year, it is not uncommon

for vendors to only make one or two of an exclusive product for the shop. � ere is value in something worthy of passing down, because it was lived in and aged well with daily use. “No one wants their grandfather’s brand new leather jacket,” Wages jests. And for this entrepreneur, it all comes back to quality: the true test of a thriving business and a life well-woven.

TWEEDS1009-A Marietta St.

Atlanta, Ga.tweedsshop.com

$35 - $1,195Story by BROOKE HUTCHINS


A FEW DOORS DOWN from the oldest licensed bar in Atlanta, a dual-purpose emporium exists to facilitate a lifestyle enhancement for shopping tourists and local denizens alike. � e freshly paint-ed overhead sign by regaled artist Peter Ferrari boldly proclaims in all capital letters: COFFEESHOP & BOUTIQUE, and the crisp window logo design by Malcolm Montgomery seals the deal aes-thetically. Inside, proprietary couple Jim Chambers and Camryn Park o� er highbrow fashion from Scandinavia, Nashville, Atlan-ta and New York, while resident “Bean Curator” Daniel Mueller heads up a top-� ight co� ee program featuring varietals from around the world. “� e same types of people who are fashion forward are thinking about a well-sourced, well-roasted, well-executed cup of co� ee,” Chambers explains.

It started as a love story. Back in December of 2012, barista Dan-iel Mueller was working at local co� ee house, Octane. His regular customer, Chambers, was holed up daily in that café writing a novel when he met Atlanta native, Park. � e striking redhead fashionista had been busy selling vintage cameras and other � ne goods and was thinking of opening a vintage boutique. Chambers, who hails from Brooklyn, fancied the idea of owning a gourmet co� eehouse. � ey visited superb boutiques and cafés across the country on this quest, eventually deciding to combine talents and bring their re� ned tastes to a convergence back in Atlanta.

Since the grand opening of Henry & June in July 2014, the co� ee and clothing gallery has consistently o� ered CREMA Cof-fee from the acclaimed Nashville roasters, while rotating in widely sourced beans from other quality purveyors. Shoppers � ock in for hard-to-� nd in the South fashion lines such as Objects Without Meaning, Han KjØbenhavn and Won Hundred.

WE’VE ALL HEARD THE PROVERB that those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but what about a glass box on the � fth � oor of a car park (their term for what looks like a � ashy park-ing garage)? Well, if you’re Roma and Erika Cohen, husband and wife masterminds behind Alchemist, the famed store in the sky, then you can probably do just about anything. � ey opened the 800-square-foot store with transparent walls and 22-foot ceilings in Miami at the tail end of a recession in 2007.

Alchemist was founded “to capture the spirit of the avant-gar-de customer, focusing on one-of-a-kind creations,” explains

public relations point person, Lindsey Sol-omon. Currently, the boutique houses de-signers such as Haider Ackermann, Givenchy, Dior and dozens of other designers from Paris, Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles.” Alchemist aims to give shoppers something new and fresh within

the shopping mecca designed by Herzog & de Meuron. “Alche-mist is di� erent in that it isn’t trend-driven, but rather guided by designers who are original and have their own unwavering aesthetic,” Solomon says. And in true Miami form of glitz and glam, the “glass store in the sky” makes any house on a hill look like child’s play.

784 N Highland Ave. NEAtlanta, Ga.

henryandjuneatl.com$50 - $655Story by CHRISTINA MONTFORD

Photography by MICHAEL STAVARIDIS

1111 Lincoln Rd.Miami, Fla.

shopalchemist.com$85 - $20,000

ALCHEMIST

HENRY & JUNE

Story by HAN VANCEPhotography by ELLIOT LISS

A HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM with Texas roots, Matt and Katy Culmo of By George are dedicated to providing clothing as diverse and world-renowned as their Austin, Texas clients. At just 26 years old with no fashion retail experience, Katy was driven by a love for classic and timeless style. But it wasn’t until the original store owner, George Humphrey, decided to sell his store to a wide-eyed, ambitious girl that Katy’s vision for By George really started to take o� .

O� ering a unique blend of sought-after international brands like Givenchy, and New York-based designers like Tibi, the bou-

tique is known for their time-honored pieces with a sense of lasting value. “We look for designers that have a sto-ry and a personal connection,” Katy shares. But mainly, the couple buys for their cherished Austin clientele. Ap-preciation for their market and local clients keeps the Culmos connected to their Southern roots, all while real-izing that, as Matt asserts, “Fashion is ultimately global, but it all goes back to how we edit our collection in terms of who we are and where we are.”

� ere are currently three By George store o� erings: the � ag-ship men’s and women’s shop; a contemporary, casual women’s boutique; and a separate menswear location. It is a rarity when established designer collections, cutting-edge labels and warm, savvy styling advice come together in the form of a boutique, but By George, I think they’ve got it.

“ANY OLD IRON? Any old iron? You look neat. Talk about a treat! You look so dapper from your napper to your feet.” For most Englishmen, these are popular lines from an old music hall tune referring to an English dandy. But for Andrew Clancey, the lyrics to “Any Old Iron” are an homage to his family’s scrap metal business started in 1872 and the namesake of his boutique.

Co-founded by Clancey and entrepreneur Christopher Melon, Any Old Iron brings music-inspired collections from the U.K. to the South via Nashville, after having relocated from New York City. “New York for six years was enough. Nashville is a music city; we dress a lot of musicians, and we felt the city was be-coming the next big thing and wanted to be one of the fashion pioneers.” So far, the city has been treat-ing the British company well. “It’s cool,” Clancey says of the move. “We are the new kids on the block and hope to be a ground-breaker in forward-think-ing fashion here.”

Clancey, from York in England, came to the United States to continue his styling and “saw a gap on the market for a music-in-spired clothing store.” He ended up creating the � rst ever U.K.-on-ly, multi-brand boutique in the U.S. Whether it’s a Vivienne West-wood bag you seek or a $1,250 Sons of Heroes jacket, you can � nd it all in this dandy shop of fashion and tradition.

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by CASEY DUNN

Story by CHRISTINA MONTFORDPhotography by BROOKE MORGAN

1629 Shelby Ave. Nashville, Tenn. anyoldiron.net

$70 - $1,000

Three locations in Austin, Texas.bygeorgeaustin.com

$150 - $5,000

ANY OLD IRON

BY GEORGE

A FEW DOORS DOWN from the oldest licensed bar in Atlanta, a dual-purpose emporium exists to facilitate a lifestyle enhancement for shopping tourists and local denizens alike. � e freshly paint-ed overhead sign by regaled artist Peter Ferrari boldly proclaims in all capital letters: COFFEESHOP & BOUTIQUE, and the crisp window logo design by Malcolm Montgomery seals the deal aes-thetically. Inside, proprietary couple Jim Chambers and Camryn Park o� er highbrow fashion from Scandinavia, Nashville, Atlan-ta and New York, while resident “Bean Curator” Daniel Mueller heads up a top-� ight co� ee program featuring varietals from around the world. “� e same types of people who are fashion forward are thinking about a well-sourced, well-roasted, well-executed cup of co� ee,” Chambers explains.

It started as a love story. Back in December of 2012, barista Dan-iel Mueller was working at local co� ee house, Octane. His regular customer, Chambers, was holed up daily in that café writing a novel when he met Atlanta native, Park. � e striking redhead fashionista had been busy selling vintage cameras and other � ne goods and was thinking of opening a vintage boutique. Chambers, who hails from Brooklyn, fancied the idea of owning a gourmet co� eehouse. � ey visited superb boutiques and cafés across the country on this quest, eventually deciding to combine talents and bring their re� ned tastes to a convergence back in Atlanta.

Since the grand opening of Henry & June in July 2014, the co� ee and clothing gallery has consistently o� ered CREMA Cof-fee from the acclaimed Nashville roasters, while rotating in widely sourced beans from other quality purveyors. Shoppers � ock in for hard-to-� nd in the South fashion lines such as Objects Without Meaning, Han KjØbenhavn and Won Hundred.

WE’VE ALL HEARD THE PROVERB that those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but what about a glass box on the � fth � oor of a car park (their term for what looks like a � ashy park-ing garage)? Well, if you’re Roma and Erika Cohen, husband and wife masterminds behind Alchemist, the famed store in the sky, then you can probably do just about anything. � ey opened the 800-square-foot store with transparent walls and 22-foot ceilings in Miami at the tail end of a recession in 2007.

Alchemist was founded “to capture the spirit of the avant-gar-de customer, focusing on one-of-a-kind creations,” explains

public relations point person, Lindsey Sol-omon. Currently, the boutique houses de-signers such as Haider Ackermann, Givenchy, Dior and dozens of other designers from Paris, Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles.” Alchemist aims to give shoppers something new and fresh within

the shopping mecca designed by Herzog & de Meuron. “Alche-mist is di� erent in that it isn’t trend-driven, but rather guided by designers who are original and have their own unwavering aesthetic,” Solomon says. And in true Miami form of glitz and glam, the “glass store in the sky” makes any house on a hill look like child’s play.

784 N Highland Ave. NEAtlanta, Ga.

henryandjuneatl.com$50 - $655Story by CHRISTINA MONTFORD

Photography by MICHAEL STAVARIDIS

1111 Lincoln Rd.Miami, Fla.

shopalchemist.com$85 - $20,000

ALCHEMIST

HENRY & JUNE

Story by HAN VANCEPhotography by ELLIOT LISS

IT’S NOT VERY OFTEN THAT YOU’LL FIND a store where Blair Waldorf and Dan Humphrey types can shop together in sheer bliss. But 310 Rosemont is just that. Winter Hodges’* most prominent chain of fashion stores, 310, o� ers brands like Elizabeth and James, Al-ice + Olivia and Rebecca Taylor for women; Billy Reid, Southern Prop-er and Vince for men, amongst antique crystal chandeliers and Turkish rugs. Hodges’ boutiques o� er these sought-after, high-end designers sans the intimidating sales atmosphere. It’s the ultimate shopping desti-nation whether you’re in dire need of a new pair of jeans or just want to relax with drink in hand over a game of pool — there’s even a “Denim Bar” that serves the � xings for cocktails and co� ee while showcasing the latest premium denim lines.

After graduating from the Univer-sity of Mississippi with an impressive resumé that included becoming the � rst student body president not to be from the state, Hodges � rst tried work-ing for Al Gore in Washington, D.C., then decided to move to Charlotte, N.C. to begin a career in real estate during the 1980s. Despite the � our-ishing accumulation of properties and investments, Hodges still felt something was missing. “No matter how successful I was in Charlotte, I wasn’t on 310 Rosemont (his childhood address) with my family. � us, the eventual name of the store,” Hodg-es explains regarding his return to his hometown of Trenton, Tenn. in 1989. “And even though I kept my properties and investments in Char-lotte, I opened my � rst retail store in Trenton. Population of 4,500.”

His � rst store, Westwin, became the go-to destination for the small town that carried brands that you couldn’t get for miles, like Ralph Lauren and Nike. But there’s a welcoming feeling that Hodges manages to instill in each of his businesses that keeps the clientele coming back and the business venture looking bright, even in the face of his � rst diagnosis of cancer in the form of man-tle cell lymphoma in 2005. Just a year later, Hodges put cancer behind him and looked to Roanoke, Va., the location that would become the � rst 310 Rosemont.

� ese new stores were little snippets of how Hodges chose to celebrate his life and share that happiness with others. Not long af-ter he set his eyes on Atlanta, Ga. as a new location in 2011, howev-er, he was diagnosed with myelo-dysplastic syndrome, which later progressed into acute myeloid leu-kemia. Regardless, he continued to � nd strength in his family and the work he was bringing to fruition, and is happy to say he has been in remission since 2012.

Hodges continues to open stores, adding to his Southern retail reign. In fact, this past Au-gust marked the grand opening of his shoe and accessory bou-tique, William Wren, in Atlanta — his third store in the Virgin-ia-Highland neighborhood. “It doesn’t matter who you interview after this, I don’t think you’ll � nd anyone any happier to be alive than I am without a doubt.”

*At the time of print, Winter Hodges passed away, but his spirit, courage and integrity lives on. We are honored to share his legacy.

Story by SHEYDA MEHRARAPhotography by BRITAIN BAKER

Locations in Georgia, Ten-nessee and Virginia.

310rosemont.com$50 - $1,400

310 ROSEMONT

VENTURE TO WEST MIDTOWN ATLANTA and amidst the saturated blocks of Georgia’s best restaurants, art galleries and for-merly industrial buildings, you’ll � nd a quaint maker-community full of incredible talent. As a maker herself, Shanna Kenyon was more than familiar with the struggles of owning a business that produces handmade pieces. “� ere’s that balance there because you want to be successful, but then you also want to be able to maintain that quality of that handcrafted [product],” she explains.

With the needs of artists creating handmade goods in mind, she created a niche platform for their work in Crafted Westside, an eclectic boutique � lled with high-quality handmade goods from local artists and designers. It’s essentially a win-win: Artists get retail space for their work, and consumers have access to superior-quality, handcrafted items that aren’t saturating the market. But be warned: one step into the store and you’ll fall down a rabbit hole and into a wonderland of Southern furniture, jewelry, stationery, clothing, décor and so much more.

But Kenyon is adamant about not labeling Crafted as a gift shop. It’s a collective, rather, of amazing talent via a range of art-ists and designers coming out of the South. In fact, out of around 80 artists displayed in the store, only two are not from the region. And after only opening in April of 2014, she has already completed an expansion. She also opened a holiday pop-up shop, complete with upside-down hanging Christmas trees and appearances from Santa himself. Aside from a holiday project, the pop-up is also an opportunity to feature additional artists — just as Kenyon plans on doing with more locations in the future — to continue providing customers with unique products of the highest caliber. “� at’s our goal; support these small companies that aren’t quite scaleable, but need that support, and need a retail outlet to sell their goods.”

KATHERINE ROBERTS, creator and owner of K Boutique in Chattanooga, Tenn., has been fascinated with fashion for as long as she can remember. Years of following designers and trends soon de-veloped beyond her childhood dreams as she traveled both stateside and internationally to pursue a career as a model, and later a stylist. But after leaving the South for a small stint, Roberts soon found herself drawn back to Tennessee.

Joining the ranks as a buyer and employee at a local boutique, she spent the next nine years discovering her passion for dressing the women of Chattanooga. But it wasn’t until a 2011 buying trip to NYC that Roberts decided it was time to create her own shop-ping experience for others. With the help of her husband, Ric, the store was built from the ground up in the heart of downtown Chattanooga, and the concept of K Boutique was put into mo-tion. “� e store has a mix of � nds from markets and showrooms around the South, as well as unique pieces from our world trav-els,” Roberts shares.

With a variety of smaller, unique brands and popular labels like Sanctuary Clothing and MiH Jeans, K Boutique carries everything from apparel and handbags to candles and jewelry. For Roberts, “It’s about making our clientele feel like they’re shopping in the living room of a close friend and helping women feel con� dent in carving out their own personal sense of style.” Whether it’s by emailing and texting photos of inventory that they have in mind for a speci� c customer, or going on buying trips with a list of 40 shoppers in mind to order special pieces for, K Boutique has a special one-on-one relationship with its customers. A warm shopping experience and great design come together to ensure that K Boutique will con-tinue to be a Chattanooga favorite for years to come.

Story by MEGHAN JACKSONPhotography by BRITTANY WAGES

1000 Marietta St. NW, Suite 102Atlanta, Ga.

craftedwestside.com$5 - $1,500

200 Manufacturers Rd.Chattanooga, Tenn. boutiquebykr.com

$24 - $700

CRAFTED WESTSIDE K BOUTIQUE

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by EDWARD GEORGE

IT’S NOT VERY OFTEN THAT YOU’LL FIND a store where Blair Waldorf and Dan Humphrey types can shop together in sheer bliss. But 310 Rosemont is just that. Winter Hodges’* most prominent chain of fashion stores, 310, o� ers brands like Elizabeth and James, Al-ice + Olivia and Rebecca Taylor for women; Billy Reid, Southern Prop-er and Vince for men, amongst antique crystal chandeliers and Turkish rugs. Hodges’ boutiques o� er these sought-after, high-end designers sans the intimidating sales atmosphere. It’s the ultimate shopping desti-nation whether you’re in dire need of a new pair of jeans or just want to relax with drink in hand over a game of pool — there’s even a “Denim Bar” that serves the � xings for cocktails and co� ee while showcasing the latest premium denim lines.

After graduating from the Univer-sity of Mississippi with an impressive resumé that included becoming the � rst student body president not to be from the state, Hodges � rst tried work-ing for Al Gore in Washington, D.C., then decided to move to Charlotte, N.C. to begin a career in real estate during the 1980s. Despite the � our-ishing accumulation of properties and investments, Hodges still felt something was missing. “No matter how successful I was in Charlotte, I wasn’t on 310 Rosemont (his childhood address) with my family. � us, the eventual name of the store,” Hodg-es explains regarding his return to his hometown of Trenton, Tenn. in 1989. “And even though I kept my properties and investments in Char-lotte, I opened my � rst retail store in Trenton. Population of 4,500.”

His � rst store, Westwin, became the go-to destination for the small town that carried brands that you couldn’t get for miles, like Ralph Lauren and Nike. But there’s a welcoming feeling that Hodges manages to instill in each of his businesses that keeps the clientele coming back and the business venture looking bright, even in the face of his � rst diagnosis of cancer in the form of man-tle cell lymphoma in 2005. Just a year later, Hodges put cancer behind him and looked to Roanoke, Va., the location that would become the � rst 310 Rosemont.

� ese new stores were little snippets of how Hodges chose to celebrate his life and share that happiness with others. Not long af-ter he set his eyes on Atlanta, Ga. as a new location in 2011, howev-er, he was diagnosed with myelo-dysplastic syndrome, which later progressed into acute myeloid leu-kemia. Regardless, he continued to � nd strength in his family and the work he was bringing to fruition, and is happy to say he has been in remission since 2012.

Hodges continues to open stores, adding to his Southern retail reign. In fact, this past Au-gust marked the grand opening of his shoe and accessory bou-tique, William Wren, in Atlanta — his third store in the Virgin-ia-Highland neighborhood. “It doesn’t matter who you interview after this, I don’t think you’ll � nd anyone any happier to be alive than I am without a doubt.”

*At the time of print, Winter Hodges passed away, but his spirit, courage and integrity lives on. We are honored to share his legacy.

Story by SHEYDA MEHRARAPhotography by BRITAIN BAKER

Locations in Georgia, Ten-nessee and Virginia.

310rosemont.com$50 - $1,400

310 ROSEMONT

TARA KIRKLAND, the creator and owner of Custard Bou-tique in Savannah, Ga and Greenville, S.C., began her career as a buyer for an independently owned toy store and learned the art of being selective early on. Today, she is proud of Custard’s ability to appeal to all different tastes, shapes, ages and budgets — a place where there really is something for everyone. It’s a locale that listens to and celebrates the different sides of its cus-tomers: women who come in needing an outfit to go to a punk rock concert one night and a cocktail party the next. “I’m genuinely in-terested in what’s going on with my customers. I love talking to them and experiencing their lives vicariously,” Kirkland explains.

While she has always loved helping to dress others, Kirkland’s favor-ite part of the store is her collection of one-of-a-kind accessories. “I work really hard to find things that are unique and not mass-produced,” she as-serts. “You’ll find pieces like handmade cast bee earrings and necklaces from Asheville, N.C., and reclaimed silver necklac-es made out of 18th and 19th century wax seals — each one

unique and with a different meaning.” Kirkland’s secret is find-ing small tradeshows that are farther away, often giving her the chance to develop relationships with original artists and de-signers. And when she’s not at shows, it’s all about being aware of the local talent — like when she strolled past what is now one of her favorite jewelry lines one afternoon at an apple fes-tival in Hendersonville, N.C. “I’m so fascinated by people and their stories that I think it translates to what you experience

when you walk in the store,” Kirkland says. “It’s what sets us apart from other chain stores and franchises.”

Nowadays, Kirkland looks forward to ex-panding the Custard line with an accessory-based store that remains tied to her original vision of hand-forged designs, but introduces unique pieces for special moments like engagements and anni-versaries. She’s beaming from ear to ear as she re-calls the proud moment

of seeing someone around town in a piece bought from the store when it opened back in 2008 — “It’s vintage Custard! How awesome is that?”

Locations in Savannah, Ga. and Greenville, S.C.

custardboutique.com$12 - $400

CUSTARD BOUTIQUE

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by CHELSEY ASHFORD

“SORRY,” A PERKY VOICE CHIMES OVER THE PHONE. “� ings are crazy right now! But isn’t this app cool?” Stacy Small-wood, owner and buyer of Charleston’s Hampden and James, re-spected clothing and accessory boutiques, has asked me to dial her via an iPhone application called Viber. Why? Free internation-al calls, of course. Smallwood is in the U.K. for London Fashion Week. “I’m exhausted!” she says cheerfully. “We’re headed to Paris after this. But, I’m � nding some incredible stu� .”

Smallwood’s eternal hunt for emerging design talent is vital to the DNA of her notable King Street shops. After cutting her teeth for � ve years as a buyer at Neiman Marcus in New York, she moved home to the South to be near family and soon recognized a gaping hole in the Southeastern fashion market. “When I opened, the popular designers in Charleston were contem-porary: Milly, DVF, Trina Turk,” Smallwood recalls. “People wanted to look beautiful, but only bought what they knew. I decided I wanted to bring the designers I wore in New York and couldn’t yet � nd down South.”

At Neiman Marcus, Smallwood discovered that emerging de-signers at the time — including Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang

and Rag & Bone — were best suited for a boutique. “When I made my � rst buy from Rag & Bone, [founders] Marcus [Wain-wright] and Nathan [Bogle] were helping me � ll out the FedEx form,” she recalls, laughing.

She opened the doors of Hampden Clothing in February of 2007, hoping customers would fall in love with the same brands she had, get behind her direction and connect. “Hampden is a place to discover. It is intimate. When you shop here, you are only two degrees away from the designer,” she exacts. “At a de-

partment store, you are six de-grees.”

Now that the designers she initially carried are household names of their own, the hunt for new talent is a large part of Small-wood’s job. By following the fash-ion � ock through the New York, London and Paris shows, she travels the world talent-hunting, buying all the while and bringing her selections home for custom-ers to peruse. “We want to be the shopping destination of the South. Even if people don’t at � rst know the designers we carry,

we want them to trust the things we buy as standalone pieces and trust us to help them style them together. We want to suggest things you may have never chosen for yourself and discover fash-ion in a new way.”

314 King St.Charleston, S.C.

hampdenclothing.com$65 - $1,488

HAMPDEN CLOTHING

Story by JESS GRAVESPhotography by SARA TIBERIO

TARA KIRKLAND, the creator and owner of Custard Bou-tique in Savannah, Ga and Greenville, S.C., began her career as a buyer for an independently owned toy store and learned the art of being selective early on. Today, she is proud of Custard’s ability to appeal to all different tastes, shapes, ages and budgets — a place where there really is something for everyone. It’s a locale that listens to and celebrates the different sides of its cus-tomers: women who come in needing an outfit to go to a punk rock concert one night and a cocktail party the next. “I’m genuinely in-terested in what’s going on with my customers. I love talking to them and experiencing their lives vicariously,” Kirkland explains.

While she has always loved helping to dress others, Kirkland’s favor-ite part of the store is her collection of one-of-a-kind accessories. “I work really hard to find things that are unique and not mass-produced,” she as-serts. “You’ll find pieces like handmade cast bee earrings and necklaces from Asheville, N.C., and reclaimed silver necklac-es made out of 18th and 19th century wax seals — each one

unique and with a different meaning.” Kirkland’s secret is find-ing small tradeshows that are farther away, often giving her the chance to develop relationships with original artists and de-signers. And when she’s not at shows, it’s all about being aware of the local talent — like when she strolled past what is now one of her favorite jewelry lines one afternoon at an apple fes-tival in Hendersonville, N.C. “I’m so fascinated by people and their stories that I think it translates to what you experience

when you walk in the store,” Kirkland says. “It’s what sets us apart from other chain stores and franchises.”

Nowadays, Kirkland looks forward to ex-panding the Custard line with an accessory-based store that remains tied to her original vision of hand-forged designs, but introduces unique pieces for special moments like engagements and anni-versaries. She’s beaming from ear to ear as she re-calls the proud moment

of seeing someone around town in a piece bought from the store when it opened back in 2008 — “It’s vintage Custard! How awesome is that?”

Locations in Savannah, Ga. and Greenville, S.C.

custardboutique.com$12 - $400

CUSTARD BOUTIQUE

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINSPhotography by CHELSEY ASHFORD

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 135

“SID TAUGHT GUYS to take pleasure and delight in dressing themselves,” Ann Mashburn reveals. “It was kind of a bummer to see men not taking an e� ort. He came to the market with a kind, gentle way to solve that problem.” And with this ambitious mission at the heart of the venture, fashion veteran duo Sid and Ann Mash-burn opened shop in the Westside Provisions District of Atlanta in 2007. Despite the inhospitable economy, the men’s shop, aptly named Sid Mashburn, managed not only to survive, but also pros-per due to a message that transcends regional bounds. Sid Mashburn was and re-mains a retreat for any man’s sartorial desires by amassing only the best — o� erings include his own line of ap-parel, alongside brands like Barbour, Edward Green and Allyn Scura.

“We take a lot of joy in delighting people,” Sid says. You might be greeted by a dapper gentleman and then be o� ered a choice of bever-age (Would you like a Pellegri-no?) or challenged to a round of ping-pong while the record player’s spinning vinyl (you bet they have Weezer’s Blue Album); it all creates a sanctuary, and the ser-mon of style isn’t forced onto anyone. Sid has become more than just a designer or retailer; he is a fashion educator trying to share

lessons learned while designing for J.Crew, Ralph Lauren, Lands End and Tommy Hil� ger.

Having been a fashion assistant to Polly Mellen at Vogue and an editor at Glamour, Ann Mashburn shares the same a� nity as Sid, but directs it toward guiding women to � nd their own style iden-tity. � e retail shop Ann Mashburn opened in 2010. “We started the women’s brand because we have these � ve girls and they looked around and said, ‘Mom, we have this family business, and you do all

this awesome work, we want a women’s part in this too,’” Ann says. “We feel like you can get beautiful things any-where, but I came to market as the fashion editor. I like to teach women about what they need, and what they don’t need.”

You don’t have to travel far from Sid’s shop to take part in what Ann’s curat-ing. In fact, after browsing the silk pocket squares and wool jackets on Sid’s side, you can walk through to Ann’s, only to � nd yourself

in the middle of a closet that would please Grace Kelly or Gwyn-eth Paltrow alike. You could reach for the navy cashmere mock turtleneck or a necklace of yellow African beads; it’s all there for your styling pleasure.

Locations in Atlanta and Houston. sidmashburn.com / annmashburn.com

$10 - $4,000

SID MASHBURN / ANN MASHBURN

Story by SHEYDA MEHRARAPhotography by ALI HARPER

Atlanta 2015MARCH 13–15W

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TTibi Fall 2014 Ready-to-Wear

FA S H I O N


urtlepowerThe turtleneck makes a statement beyond style.

Despite the general tendency toward apparel of a skin-bar-ing nature, the turtleneck maintains a certain, lasting allure. Blame it on an associ-

ation with the sense of comfort only a knit sweater brings to mind, especially when the temperature calls for covering up; or Steve Jobs, the tenacious tech mogul who is re-membered for both his contributions to the consumer electronics � eld and for his ward-robe. High-end knitwear retailer St. Croix claimed that sales of its $175 “Style 1990” turtleneck doubled in just one day after Jobs’ death in October 2011.

� e now-iconic black turtleneck was actually crafted by Japanese designer Issey Miyake, and you’d be hard-pressed to � nd an image of Jobs in anything else since he created this personal uniform in the 1980s. If you’ve read Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Apple co-founder you already know how he developed his distinguished daily attire af-ter seeing Sony’s factory workers in uniform. While his own employees didn’t take to the idea of coordinated dress (Jobs had Miyake create a nylon jacket for his team that was vehemently rejected), he decided he would instead create a uniform for himself. “So I

asked Issey to make me some of his black turtlenecks that I liked, and he made me like a hundred of them,” Jobs told Issacson. As for the reason behind always pairing them with Levi’s? � e world may never know.

But the term “uniform” evokes thoughts of uniformity and sameness, and Jobs was known for change and innovation. Apple’s slogan “� ink di� erent” comes to mind. He has cited convenience and e� ciency as the reasons behind the consistent look, but the choice of the turtleneck as his signature style may have deeper signi� cance.

� e turtleneck originally evolved from a need for warmth in peasant clothing during the Middle Ages. It was “a functional work-ing men’s garment,” explains Beth Dincu� , assistant professor at Parsons � e New School for Design, and it was long associ-ated with the laboring class. It wasn’t until the 20th century that we saw those more economically advantaged donning the tur-tleneck — � rst by college football and rugby players, and eventually by the likes of Pablo Picasso and artists of the existentialist move-ment. “It was kind of a rejection of the idea of wearing a shirt and tie,” Dincu� says of the existentialist adoption of the work-ing-man dress.

T Story by JAIME LIN WEINSTEINPhotography courtesy of TIBI

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 139

Like all good fashion trends, counter-culture crusades have propelled the popularity of the turtleneck through the past half-century or so. And it has graced the torsos of the icons that drove change. Following the existentialists, it was the go-to garment of the anti-conformist youth of the Beat Generation, representing an inclination to-ward intellect over appearance (and memorialized on � lm by a turtleneck-clad Audrey Hepburn as Greenwich Village bohemia Jo Stockton in 1957’s Funny Face). � e Beatles, for another example, are credited with changing the cultural landscape of the ’60s beyond their musical tastes — from pro-moting long hair to hallucinogens — and they wore black turtlenecks on the cover of their sec-ond studio album, “With the Beatles,” released in 1963. � en in the ’70s, American journalist and political activist Gloria Steinem was often seen in a turtleneck, adopting the androgynous look as a feminist statement of equality.

� ough it may have lost some of its appeal sometime during the last decade due to an asso-ciation with one too many sartorially challenged individuals highlighted on Awkward Family Pho-tos, the high-collared pullover proved its staying power as a bona � de fashion trend on 2014’s Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear runways. Turtlenecks dominated Ralph Lauren’s collection where they made a re� ned pairing with pants and blazers, overcoats and furs; and even appeared as an eve-ning look, in a snugger silhouette worn with a � oor-length jersey skirt featuring a daring, thigh-high slit. Tibi’s turtlenecks — in solid black, baby blue and bright red — looked sleek with every-thing from a pinstripe suit to a pleated skirt over pants. Chunky, funnel-neck versions in mohair and what looked like a textured � eece stood out during the Helmut Lang show, and 3.1 Phillip Lim featured ribbed, cropped versions layered over silk button-downs.

� ese are examples of only the latest reincar-nation of the trend; the turtleneck seems to be recycled in runway collections every few years. So why the high-fashion appeal? “It de� nitely frames the face beautifully,” Dincu� suggests. “It’s a very � attering look on a lot of people.” And who doesn’t want to look like Audrey Hep-burn in a slim black turtleneck, dancing around a dimly lit downtown Parisian nightclub?

“IT WAS THE GO-TO GARMENT OF THE ANTI-CONFORMIST

YOUTH OF THE BEAT GENERATION”


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Photography by PAUL THATCHER

Styling by HANNAH JOHNSON

Makeup by ERICA BOGART

Hair by SAMANTHA GUNN

Models: JEFFERSON BELL for Click Models and LINDSEY FOULKES for FactorWomen

Jacket, $158, MICHAEL STARS,

at 310 Rosemont. Hat, $225, SAKS

FIFTH AVENUE COLLECTION and Gloves, $95,

PORTOLANO, both at Saks Fifth Avenue. Scarf, ECHO SOFT,

Stylist’s Own.

Jacket, $895, VINCE, at 310 Rosemont. Fur

Snood, STARING AT STARS,

Stylist’s Own. Gloves, $150,

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

COLLECTION, at Saks Fifth

Avenue.


Sweater, $195, POLO RALPH LAUREN, Coat,

$695 and Scarf, $175, both BILLY REID,

all at 310 Rosemont. Hat, $54.95,

SCREAMER, at Peter Glenn. Mittens,

$34.95, EVEREST DESIGNS, at REI.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 145

Sweater, $395 and Fur Vest,

$965, both ELIZABETH AND JAMES,

both at 310 Rosemont.

Mittens, $110, SAKS FIFTH

AVENUE COLLECTION

and Hat, $195, PORTOLANO,

both at Saks Fifth Avenue.


Sweater, $395 and Fur Vest,

$965, both ELIZABETH AND JAMES,

both at 310 Rosemont.

Mittens, $110, SAKS FIFTH

AVENUE COLLECTION

and Hat, $195, PORTOLANO,

both at Saks Fifth Avenue.

On her: Turtleneck, $258, JOIE and Cape, $678, KATE SPADE NEW YORK, both at 310 Rosemont. Scarf, Stylist’s Own. Gloves, $110 and Earwarmer, $105, both SAKS FIFTH AVENUE COLLECTION, both at Saks Fifth Avenue.

On him: Shirt, $195, VINCE and Vest, $125, SOUTHERN PROPER, both at 310 Rosemont. Scarf, $55, SMARTWOOL, at REI. Gloves, $50, THE NORTH FACE, at Peter Glenn.

Jacket, $695, ELIZABETH

AND JAMES, at 310 Rosemont.

Scarf, BURBERRY, Stylist’s Own.

Hat, $198, ANNABELLE

NEW YORK, at Saks Fifth Avenue.


Shirt, $145, TRUE GRIT, at 310 Rosemont. Scarf, $55, SMARTWOOL, at REI. Hat, $24, TURTLE FUR, at Peter Glenn.

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 149

Fur Jacket, $1,295, HAUTE HIPPIE, at 310 Rosemont. Scarf,

Stylist’s Own.

Shirt, $145, TRUE GRIT and Coat, $745, CANADA GOOSE, both at 310 Rosemont. Gloves, $35, SPYDER and Hat, $19.93, ROSSIGNOL, both at Peter Glenn.

Shirt, $145, TRUE GRIT and Coat, $745, CANADA GOOSE, both at 310 Rosemont. Gloves, $35, SPYDER and Hat, $19.93, ROSSIGNOL, both at Peter Glenn.

GettingAccessories highlight how technology

is dominating the fashion industry.

Story by VICTORIA K NIGHT BORGES Technical Knowing how the newest iPhone

app fares or the latest digital gadget performs is just as important as

knowing who was named the “Sexiest Man of the Year.” From digital connectivity

and physical mobility to healthy living and even safety, iconic brands are working with leading technologists to develop personal, fashionable products that are unique, practical and, of course, chic.

As smartphone addicts, today’s generation is obsessed with staying abreast of received calls, texts and message noti� cations. Combine that with a fear of missing out, and the result is a so-ciety of individuals, heads down, checking their phones at every given moment. Behold Ringly, a New York-based jewelry company focused on designing accessories that sync with smart-phones. Ringly’s intricately designed ring col-lection noti� es users of a text, call or meeting — even Uber arrivals — through a color-coded vibrating signal. You’d expect nothing less from creators who are eBay and Etsy alums. $195 - $260, at ringly.com.

It happens to everyone — out and about and unprepared, your phone goes dead and you’ve regressed back to the pre-phone Stone Age era. � ankfully, Rebecca Minko� has teamed up with Case-Mate to create a lightning cable black leather bracelet, adorned in gold studs, with a USB connector that syncs or charges your mobile device. $60, at rebeccaminko� .com.

Rebecca Minkoff x Case-Mate

On average, Americans spend more than 55 hours a week sitting. In fashionable protest, Tory Burch

has teamed up with Fitbit to create a line of trendy jewelry that

encourages

mobility. With the Tory Burch Fitbit bracelet and necklace, users can track their steps, distance and calories, as well as monitor sleeping patterns. � e Fitbit comes in di� erent styles and colors. $195 for bracelet; $175 for necklace, at toryburch.com.

Tory Burch for Fitbit

Ringly

FA S H I O N


When Lund University, Swe-den design students Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin pre-sented an exam project on airbags for cyclists to their professor a few years back, the result proved to be more than an impressive grade. � e Hövding helmet is a gi-ant leap into the future of cy-cle safety. � e helmet, worn around the neck like an in-� nity scarf, is technologically fashioned to anticipate your body’s rapid movements. Upon sensing a wreck or fall, it will in� ate like an airbag around your head, ensur-ing instant protection. €299 (US$381), at hovding.com.

� e world waited with bated breath to see how Tim Cook’s reveal would hold up against the iconic Steve Jobs moments. And although Jobs still reigns supreme, fans “oohed and aahed” over the new Apple Watch, releasing this winter. With features that include pho-tos, email, calendars, messages, maps, health monitor-ing and even Apple Pay, you can now have a stylish timepiece that rivals the functionality of a 007 gadget. $349, at apple.com.

Hövding Helmet

Apple Watch

W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 2 0 1 5 | 153

Art’s Sake

Fashion Illustration: Art’s Comeback Kid

Story by DENISE K. JAMESIllustration by SUNFLOWERMAN

for

Fashion illustration was once the only way for admirers of couture to envision clothing in print. Whether commis-sioned for editorial or adver-

tising, these depictions of dresses, suits, handbags, scarves and other articles of one’s wardrobe were drawn with col-or, whimsy and the indisputable air of imagination that, frankly, is not often found in a photograph. Before leading an artistic movement, Andy Warhol � rst gained fame as a commercial artist and advertising illustrator, drawing shoes for the likes of Barneys New York, Neiman

Marcus and Harper’s Bazaar throughout the 1950s. But with the rise of photog-raphy, fashion illustration slowly began to decline. (Vogue put the � rst photo-graph on its cover in place of a drawing back in 1932 — what many consider to be a turning point for the popularity of the art form.)

For years, fashion illustration seemed in danger of becoming extinct (thanks to computers and cameras); it found itself on the fringes of the art and fash-ion worlds, nearly eroded from peo-ple’s minds. But it has enjoyed a recent comeback, beyond a presence in fashion

magazines, o� ering viewers the delight of looking at something not camera-made, but rather penned by the hand of the art-ist. Art works featuring vibrant forms of color and silhouette add life and imagi-nation to the interpretation of fabric and texture. � is and the complex variety of stylings have whet the appetites of new collectors, thus giving rise to a fresh gen-eration of sketch design masters. South-ern artists such as Matthew Miller, known as Sun� owerman, have already garnered a devout following for the rich drama and perspective the Southern fashion voice creates on paper.


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