A Special Kind of G.E.A.R. ... Kellie Guthrie Q&A
WORDS Andrea Jean
An old fire station sits at the intersection of Cottage Hill and Five Points. But the firemen of Station 5 have long since gone, and Kellie Guthrie and her team of talented seamstresses have moved in. Guthrie flipped the station into a veritable showroom and studio for her business, Re-Invention/G.E.A.R. by RI. And her workspace mirrors her products.
A fashion industry veteran, Guthrie left the hustle and bustle of the trade in 2005 and applied her skills toward a more meaningful end. Think TOMS Shoes meets Anthropologie—her elevator chat summation.
G.E.A.R. (Go! Everyone, Everywhere and Re-Invent) is a social design business that creates recycled and re-purposed home accents, furnishings and an array of one-of-a-kind bags. Not only are her pieces aesthetically beautiful, but a majority of revenue from each of her “handmade with love” items benefits charitable organizations.
What led you to design home accents and travel bags?
A desire to find solutions for real, sustainable change for those ravaged and exploited by circumstances or poverty using my gifts and experiences. I have seen the effects of poverty and the many forms of exploitation and made the commitment that this won’t happen on my watch!
How did you start down this path of creating pieces made from re-purposed materials that are socially responsible?
Work, and finding ways to provide work-based solutions, makes sense to me. I stumbled upon “Social Business,” which tackles a social or environmental need with a purpose absolutely central to what it does. The net-profits from these businesses are reinvested to sustain and further positive, lasting change. I believe real change happens when opportunity is created, and social businesses are at the forefront of driving that change.
What are some of the challenges you face?
Along with day-to-day small business challenges, “Social Businesses” face additional obstacles —the business and the product is a means to an end. G.E.A.R. by R-I was created to “Re-Invent” where we live - to create jobs and with the hope of expanding the organizations we serve.
In our partnership with the Friendship Mission, we provided training for the homeless to help them learn skills and regain the confidence needed to join the workforce. Women and men learned to cut, sew and create in a re-purposed yellow school bus! Another partnership with The Nehemiah Center in the Chisholm area expands on the process started at Friendship Mission by providing a full textile manufacturing and upholstery processes program, followed by industry apprenticeships. Building a sustainable business that provides a solution to poverty is a challenge we face every day.
What is the thought process or creative inspiration behind your bags and home designs?
My inspiration and design concept is about rich textures, color, repurposing and human struggle. By taking discarded materials and mixing them with “hope,” we create a product comprised of truth and beauty!
Tell me about the tools you use…
Our hands are our main tools, but we also use needles, thread, rotary cutters, scissors, regular and industrial sewing machines, drills, saws, wrenches, screwdrivers, tweezers, paint…just lots of tools! I love them—especially power tools.
Where can we purchase your products?
Our website, www.re-invention.org, has a list of stores that carry G.E.A.R. goods. We’re also at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts store. And make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and of course, Pinterest!