Meet Your Makers: Loyal Stricklin

WORDS  Katie Vega

I love to go antiquing.  I love antiquing because everything old I lust over is so well made.  These treasures I find (and fall in love with) were made with real-life human hands, years and years and years ago, and they remain intact, although patinaed.  Certain people are bringing the craftsmen “let’s make things that last” lifestyle back to the forefront with their magical hands.  One of those craftsmen is Michael Stricklin.

Michael Stricklin is founder of the American-made leather goods company Loyal Stricklin, and he lives and breathes the handmade lifestyle.  A Homewood, Alabama native, Michael and Loyal Stricklin now call historic Opelika their home.  In the words of Michael himself, Loyal Stricklin’s story is “one built on hard work, late nights, and too many cups of coffee”.  We talked to him to get a little insight on his talented self…

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MP: Tell us how this all got started and how it has evolved.

LS: “I started working with leather out of my bedroom in early 2012.  I had a little money in my pocket and I really wanted to make a purchase that I could value.  At the time, I was in architecture school at Auburn—a program that I loved, but even then, I wasn’t satisfied.  We would spend months designing a project only to make final drawings and models, without ever actually having the chance to build our designs.  I craved to see a design go from drawing board to real life use.  I had some experience in woodworking and welding, but I couldn’t do either of those from an apartment, so I bought some leather and got to work.  I worked slowly and only make 2 or 3 items a week, but I didn’t give up.  A year and a half later I had graduated from undergrad and had the summer off from school before going to grad school for a Master of Integrated Design and Construction, so I spent the entire summer working on leather for 8 hours a day, honing my skills, and challenging myself.  That fall I really got down to work, making as much as I could.  I spent hours drawing new wallets and bags while in class.  I was obsessed, and the aesthetic that is Loyal Stricklin was born.  I was fortunate enough to have some great press from FOLK Magazine and collaborations with 1924us and a few others that really got my name out there.  I then moved my workspace into an old southern house in Opelika, and worked out of there until I moved into the Opelika Train Depot with Cottonseed Studios. Growth has been pretty rapid, but at a level that I have been comfortable with. I couldn’t be more thankful.  I now have three part-time employees.”

MP: Why do you think buying handmade, local goods is important?  Why is it especially important in the South?

LS: “So many products are made overseas, and are made to fall apart.  I started this venture because I wanted to use items that wore in, not out.  I’d rather pay $100 for a wallet that will last me 20 years and be even more beautiful beaten up, than spend $40 on a wallet that will fall apart and go to the garbage after a year or less of use.  American made is usually a bit higher in price, but you can see the quality difference, because when a craftsman is making something, he cares about the final outcome and the quality of their item they have made themselves.  I’ve found that plenty of Americans are fine spending a bit more for higher quality items, but it feels like many of them don’t even know that American-made is an option.  “Made in China” has become the norm and our generation has become a throwaway culture. I generally think of buying local as buying American-made, whether it’s  made in Alabama or Alaska, it’s important to support other Americans’ craft.”

MP: What are some of your favorite things about Alabama, or the South in general?

LS: “I love the seasons here. We get everything.  Beautiful, glowing falls; cozy, gray winters; fresh, breezy springs; and lush, overgrown summers, and even a little bit of snow here and there.  I could do without the humidity and mosquitoes, but after a number of years, I’ve embraced the sticky, wet air!

The south has been on fire lately.  Maybe I didn’t notice it as much as when I was younger, but there is just something so special about the South.  It just radiates a culture all its own, and it should be celebrated.  I’m proud to be a Southerner and call Alabama home.  I love to travel and see how other people live, but the more I grow, the more I feel my roots taking hold here.  The South has something honest and genuine to offer the world; maybe it’s the sweet tea and porch swings, maybe it’s the kind, smiling strangers, but either way, I’m just happy to be here.”

MP: Run us through the process of making your goods.

LS: “It all starts with a drawing.  I usually come up with an idea, draw it a dozen times, and then figure out dimensions on poster board templates.  From the templates I make a few samples and then a production process is born.”

MP: What is something most people don’t know about you? 

LS: “I’m a pretty goofy guy when it comes down to it.  I have a serious look a good bit of the time, but all I really want to do is share a good laugh with a friend and play with my pup.”

To learn more about Michael and Loyal Stricklin and to see his beautiful work, visit their website at loyalstricklin.com, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram (@loyalstricklin).  You won’t be able to resist getting your hands on some of his goods (the Leather Tote Bag and Ruck Sack in Russet are a couple of my favorites).

Meet Your Makers: Zkano Socks

 WORDS Katie Vega

When you think of socks, you think of Fort Payne, Alabama, right?  No? Yeah, me neither.  

That was the case until I talked with Gina Locklear of Zkano, a down-home business with a serious passion for making socks.  Believe it or not, around 15 years ago, a very large percentage of socks purchased in the country were made in the quaint little town of Fort Payne. Here’s what Gina had to say about life, making in Alabama, and socks.

Tell us more about your family’s history in the sock making industry?

GL: This one is going to be a bit lengthy, but it’s the only way I know how to explain how it all came to be.  My hometown has a rich textile history and we were known for making socks.  We were even once referred to as ‘The Sock Capital of the World.’   I was around 12 years old when my family started the mill, and after seeing them start this business on their own from nothing and watching it develop into a success over the years, I naturally wanted to be part of it in some way.  Things drastically changed when NAFTA was signed.  A small town that was once booming in the hosiery business began to shut down, seemingly overnight.  I saw family and friends lose their sock mills, all because they couldn’t compete with the low prices of manufacturing overseas.  In the last 10 years, my family’s business has changed and at times, the future has been uncertain.  We are fortunate to have stayed open, but it has been a struggle.  All of this just made me want to jump in and do something to help in some way.  I realized I could do this by creating a brand of our own. I thought, if we can produce and market our own socks, rather than producing them for other companies like we always had, it could possibly save this family business. Zkano was born. 
 We love when makers like you decide to keep it in Alabama.  

Why did you decide to produce here?

GL: Our business’ roots are here, as well as Fort Payne’s textile history. There is nowhere else we’d consider making socks.  I love that we are helping to keep this small town’s hosiery tradition alive, even if it is in a small way.  

Why did you decide to use organic cotton?

GL: Other than my concerns of the harsh environmental and social impact of growing conventional cotton, I wanted to use organic cotton for the same reasons I’ve been living an organic lifestyle for the past nine years. Like organic food, organic cotton is free of chemicals and synthetic pesticides.  Another benefit: organic cotton makes an amazing product. The difference between an organic cotton sock and a sock made with conventionally grown cotton is incredible. The organic cotton makes a much softer and much more durable sock. 

Do you ever wear any socks besides Zkano?

GL: Nope, I only wear Zkano.  I have so many.  I need a new sock drawer.  I love our socks. They are kind of part of me and wearing them makes me happy.  

Do new ideas about socks float around in your head all the time?

GL: Yes…all day and all night.  I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about new sock designs and color combos we can use.  I even dream about them on a regular basis.

Besides socks, tell us some of your other passions.

GL: Other passions…my family + friends.  I also love traveling and I’m a bit of a foodie. 

Tell us about your new collaboration with Billy Reid.

GL: We are pumped about this collab.  This project has been in the works for 6-8 months, and I’ve enjoyed working with his team very much.   We partnered with them to create a limited men’s collection of organic cotton socks for the holidays.  They are sold on Billy Reid’s website and in his retail stores. 

Where can we buy your socks?

GL: Other than our website and Whole Foods, our socks can be purchased at a handful of small boutiques and natural foods stores.  Our Alabama stores include Alabama Goods, Theadora, Molly Green, Manna Grocery, Werner’s Trading Co., and Alabama Chanin. 

Check out zkano socks at www.zkano.com and meet Gina (and her lovely socks) at Southern Makers in Montgomery on 05.03.14.  

Oh, and guys, head on over to www.billyreid.com to get  your hands (and feet) on a pair of these sweet socks.

Meet Your Makers: Explore Southern Makers

WORDS Katie Vega   PHOTOS Michelle Marie Photography

Southern Makers, a celebration that was a mere dream just a couple of years ago, has now turned into a Taste of the South and Garden and Gun publicized event—held right here in Montgomery, Alabama.  The first annual Southern Makers—curated by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Matter, EAT South, and Southern Accents Architectural Antiques—was assembled to bring Alabama’s top chefs, artists, designers, and craftspeople together to one central location.  And they did just that…and so much more.

The second annual Southern Makers is set for May 3, 2014, but you don’t have to wait all those months to get in on the action.  Explore Southern Makers was established to act as a pop-up for the main event—aimed at gearing people up for the main shindig, especially those people who weren’t aware that Southern Makers existed.  To learn more about it, we talked with Andrea Jean, Marketing and Communications Director at Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood and key player in establishing the celebration of Southern Makers.

Why do you think it’s so important to support and show off Alabama’s talent in an event like Southern Markers?  Primarily, Andrea thinks there is a lack of awareness around the amazing talent that lives and works in the South. You always hear about designers, architects, and artists coming out of big cities like New York and Los Angeles; but the South, not so much.  She also finds it interesting to explore why these people choose to live in the South versus the Northeast, West Coast, or overseas—places where they also could thrive. She believes that southern makers are connected to the heritage, the traditions, and the land, and these play important roles in their modern creations.  From chefs to artists, architects to designers—the South is in their souls.  Southern Makers’ curators and creators believe passionately in the potential here in Montgomery and across the Southeast.  Andrea believes this is a way to provide an experience that communicates the core of their brands.

How did the idea of a pop-up for Southern Makers come about?  Andrea, along with others involved, sees Southern Makers as a movement and touring mini-versions of the event throughout the Southeast seemed to make sense.  Their goal?  To spread the word and tap into the realms of other visionaries who may not know about Southern Makers.  

Explain the PechaKucka format and why it partners well with Explore Southern Makers.  PechaKucha is an innovative presentation style that originated in Tokyo.  This format will bring together creative minds from the art, food, and design communities across the Southeast to share their inspiration, talents, and ideas.  Each presenter has twenty slides, each up for twenty seconds, and they will talk about the images along the way.  The hope of these intimate gatherings is to prompt dialogue and conversations between makers and guests.  Explore Southern Makers, powered by PechaKucha, will tap into the creativity and design techniques used by artists that live and work across the Southeast.

Who are the featured makers at Explore Southern Makers Huntsville?  Will they make their way into the lineup at the big event?  
Edwin Marty with EAT South, Garlan Gudger with Southern Accents Architectural Antiques, Wood Studio’s Keith Cochran,  Kellie Guthrie with Re-Invention/G.E.A.R by R-I, Tasia Malakasis with Belle Chevre, Tony Reid with Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, and Downtown Hunstville , Inc.’s CEO Chad Emerson will be featured at Explore Southern Makers Huntsville.   These presenters encompass a wide range of makers—activists, animators, arbiters, architects, artists, chefs, critics, curators, designers, dreamers, entrepreneurs, fabricators, fashionistas, historians, rabble-rousers, scientists, insiders and outsiders—each woven with the common thread of wanting to celebrating the best in creativity and design across the South.  Presenters at Explore Southern Makers have or will be a part of the movement and these gatherings are being used as extensions of the annual Southern Makers celebration.

What should people bring to these pop-up events?  Attendees just need to bring themselves, a few bucks for a drink, and most importantly—an open mind.  Andrea says they hope to prompt discussion and further the Southern Makers movement with these informal gatherings—where imaginative people simply get together and share ideas.

Give us a little teaser for the main event in May.  Think Southern Wonderland…

Explore Southern Makers hits Huntsville on November 7 from 6 pm – 9 pm at Amendment XXI.  To get updates on other pop-up events and the main shindig, visit their website (southernmakers.com), Facebook (Southern Makers), and Instagram (@southernmakers).  

Meet Your Makers: At Design Week Birmingham

WORDS  Tiffany Bell 

The first ever Design Week Birmingham (October 21-28) is being hailed as a weeklong celebration of great design to promote communication, collaboration and lasting relationships among the design community.

From pop-up shops to a letterpress and screen printers fair (and a packed schedule in between), the event first caught our attention when we learned Jared Fulton of Plenty Design Co-op was at the helm. You may remember seeing Plenty’s modern furnishings at Southern Makers or in an earlier issue of MADE.

Naturally, we sat down in one of our favorite handcrafted pieces to get the Design Week Birmingham scoop in a recent interview.

How did the idea for Birmingham Design Week come about?  A group of designers have been talking about it for years. It finally felt like the right time to try it. Birmingham has a wonderful design community and we want to celebrate that.
 
Who is behind it all? Local design professionals in different disciplines. In May we started spreading the word about organizing it. By word of mouth and reaching out to design organizations we formed a team dedicated and passionate about the idea. We are all volunteers, doing this in our free time. It is pretty amazing to have 20 to 30 people from difference design backgrounds working together.

Who are some of the designers featured and where are they coming from?  Featured designers include Charles Spencer Anderson and John Peterson, as well as several other thoughtful and innovative designers. They come from San Francisco, Charleston, Atlanta, across Alabama, and many from right here in Birmingham.

What shouldn’t we leave the house without when we come to DWB? A sketchbook for taking notes? Nope, leave that behind, come ready to have a good time and meet other likeminded people interested in good design.

This is clearly not your average craft fair. What are some of the highlights of your multi-faceted event? Monday night is going to be a blast with a kick-off party at Bottletree Café and the viewing of the documentary Sign Painters. Friday night’s Rapid Fire powered by Pecha Kucha is a must see – 12 presenters have 7 minutes to rapidly show their work and what inspires them. The closing lecture is going to be amazing with two nationally known speakers, graphic designer Charles Spencer Anderson and citizen architect John Peterson, and an after party at Good People Brewing Company. Really, it’s hard to choose – they all are so great in their own way.

The bar seems to be set pretty high for vendors. How have you maintained the level of quality? It comes down to wanting to promote great designers making things regionally and locally. We want to include things that we as designers would find interesting and want to purchase.

What’s the cost for admission to any DWB events? The way it works is Design Week Birmingham curates a few events including The Design and Thinking documentary viewing, Rapid Fire powered by Pecha Kucha, Saturday’s Printer’s Fair and the closing lecture ceremony with two great speakers. These are the events included in the premium pass for $35. Then, other organizations that want to host events around the theme of design awareness and why design matters can get placed on the schedule. These are either free, have their own tickets, or reservations are required due to limited space.

Bring the kids or leave them at home for this one? Definitely bring the kids to the Printer’s Fair on Saturday, highlighting screen printers, letter-press artists, book makers, digital printers and anyone using printed media. The screen printers will be doing live demos which can be a very hands on experience for kids. For the most part though, DWB will include events geared toward an adult crowd. 

Any strange requests from vendors/designers so far?
The agent of someone we considered for our keynote said he would require 25K and a certified personal driver to escort him around town.

Any plans yet to make this an annual fall event?
 Definitely. This year we will see what’s good and what isn’t, and tweak it to be even better next year. We have talked about home tours, open houses, and more interactive design events for next year.
 

For tickets and details, visit dwbhm.com

Make The Trek to Art Trek

WORDS Elliot Knight  ARTWORK Spencer Herr (Autumn)

September is an important month for visual arts in Montgomery. A number of events and exhibitions take place this month and will provide opportunities to view artwork from Alabama artists and learn more about visual arts in the River Region. These opportunities culminate Sunday, September 15 with the annual ArtTREK and Montgomery Art Guild Regions Bank exhibition. ArtTREK is organized by the River Region Art Gallery Association and participating galleries will be open from 1-5pm on Sunday afternoon. Kick off the afternoon at the RSA Tower downtown with the opening reception of the 47th annual Montgomery Art Guild and Regions Bank exhibition. Awards will be presented to winning artists at 1:30pm. The Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery, located at the Alabama State Council on the Arts office on the first floor of the RSA Tower, will also be open and will feature an exhibition of winning artworks from the Bluff Park Art Association from the past 50 years. Beginning at 2pm, a trolley will begin taking people from the RSA Tower to all of the other participating galleries, and will make a loop throughout the afternoon.

Take the ArtTREK to experience a wide variety of artwork from paintings, photography and printmaking, to folk arts and fine crafts and learn more about the artists in the River Region. This event and the addition of the trolley tour offer a great way to support local artists and experience all of the galleries in the area. 

ArtTREK at The Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery
RSA Tower, First Floor, 201 Monroe Street, Suite 110
Montgomery, AL 36104, Phone 334 242 4076, www.arts.alabama.gov, Hours:  Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

The Alabama State Council on the Arts is proud to showcase the work of Alabama artists in our downtown Montgomery gallery.  The gallery exhibits six to eight shows a year showcasing visual art ranging from painting, photography and printmaking to folk art and fine craft.
 
Galleries participating in ArtTREK and exhibitions that will be on display during this event:

Marcia Weber Art Objects, 1050 Woodley Road, Montgomery, AL  36106, Phone 334 262 5349, www.marciaweberartobjects.com
“Just Us Folks”
September 15 - October 30, 2013
Self-Taught art by Anne Buffum, Spencer Herr, Woodie Long, Sarah Rakes and others

Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery, 201 Monroe Street, Suite 110, Montgomery, AL 36104
“50 Years of Bluff Park Art”
October 30, 2013
Selections from Alabama artists who are part of the permanent collection of the Bluff Park Art Association in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Bluff Park Art Festival.

Stonehenge Gallery, 1041 East Fairview, Montgomery, AL 36106, Phone 334 262 82560, stonehengeinc.com
New Works by:  Mary Lynn Levy, Emily Gassenheimer and Melissa B. Tubbs
Thru October 5, 2013
Gallery hours: 10-5 Tuesday - Friday, 10-4 Saturday

Montgomery Visitor Center in the Train Depot
300 Water Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
The 34th Annual Waterfront Show and Competition.Featuring artists throughout the state of Alabama. In honor of the region’s river roots, art in this show has either a water or downtown Montgomery theme.

SAC’s Gallery, 529 S. Perry St., Ste. 14, Montgomery, AL 36104, Phone 334 265 993, www.SACsGallery.org
SAC’s Gallery will be featuring art and fine crafts from throughout the region. SAC’s Gallery is a not-for-profit, cooperative gallery with art in all styles and price ranges.  
Gallery hours: Tuesday-Friday 12 pm - 5 pm

The Gallery at the Prattville Creative Arts Center, 342 Chestnut Street, Prattville, AL 36067, Phone 334 358 0297
Dimensions featuring the works of Ed George, Kellie Newsome and Barbara Simpson will be on display through September 30.  Textural abstracts, vibrant acrylics and exciting watercolors, along with multimedia relief and sculptural pieces will fill the Prattville Gallery with a truly artistically dimensional show with the works of these three very diverse artists.  Also on exhibit will be works by members of the Prattauga Art Guild. 

Gallery hours: 2-5pm September 15 during ARTrek, and normal gallery hours Friday-Saturday 10am-2pm and Sunday 1pm-4pm

Anita P. Folmar Youth Art Gallery, Armory Learning Arts Center, 1018 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104
“Rivers, Trails and Cotton Bales” featuring works in an array of colorful styles and multifaceted media depicting sites and scenes of the River Region.
Thru September 30, 2013
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday 10am-5pm

 

Meet Your Makers: The Overall Company

WORDS Jennifer Kornegay

   “Why do you make what you make?” It’s the obvious first question in an interview with an artist, a designer, a chef, a maker. Ali Maloney and Laura Pritchard’s answers to “Why do y’all make popsicles?” were refreshingly simple: “I love them,” Laura said. “And who doesn’t?” Ali chimed in. The frozen slabs of goodness on a stick made fresh daily by The Overall Company that Ali and Laura own with their husbands Ty and Jay in Opelika are equally simple and refreshing.
Simple because most are made with less than five all-natural ingredients, many of which are locally sourced, like the deep-green sugar baby watermelons Ali had just brought in from a farmers market. Refreshing because they provide a tasty, rapid-cool rescue when faced with one of those Southern summer days that threatens to melt your nail polish off.
    But the Overall Company is about a lot more than popsicles. In a recent chat with Laura, Jay and Ali, the friends explained what inspired them to start the business last August. “We’re building a community here,” Jay said. “The whole vision involves highlighting and celebrating Southern music, food and culture.”
The corner building in Opelika’s downtown was once an actual overall-producing company, so the name pays homage to the structure’s “making” past. The décor is a collection of antique stools; vintage posters and signs; colorful, whimsical murals; comfy couches and chairs; and a funky found-metal sculpture that would be completely chaotic if not so perfectly placed in the large open interior (with aged wood and exposed brick from floor to soaring ceiling) to form unique spaces, spaces Jay hopes will inspire others to get creative.
    “It’s just stuff we love,” he said. “But this place as a whole is a creative hub for the people here, a center for them to gather and swap ideas. We want it to be ‘our place’ for people, where they come all the time to think and talk.”
And they can brainstorm on a full stomach, thanks to the other edibles the Overall Company makes in addition to its pops: goodies like biscuits, bread pudding, their signature pimento cheese, muffins, sandwiches and other treats. Artisanal coffees, wines and a wide selection of craft beers including many from Alabama are on hand for whistle wetting, including drinks named after the regulars Jay is thrilled to welcome back time and time again. “We focus on simple Southern foods and locally made or grown products,” he said.
The Overall Company also features live music and has an upstairs gallery space that hosts rotating exhibits of local art. There’s even a rooftop terrace. It’s a lot to talk about.
    But since it’s the middle of summer’s swelter, the conversation turned back to the pops pretty quickly, and Ali shared why she’s passionate about making them. “We can be so creative with them; the options are endless, and we’ve got these really healthy versions and then some that are more like a rich dessert, a little indulgent,” she said. And customers can be creative too, customizing their pop by giving it a dip in an array of chocolates or peanut butter and then rolling it in sprinkles, nuts or cookie crumbles.
    Varieties like the sweet-tart lemonade-basil, strawberries ‘n cream and raspberry-chocolate are popular with The Overall Company’s customers. Jay opts for the coconut pop dipped in chocolate, and Laura most often craves the chocolate hazelnut pop dipped in peanut butter. Ali’s usual stands in stark contrast to the delicious simplicity of the pops she makes; it’s so complex, she rarely reveals the entire process. “When customers ask me what I like, I don’t actually admit it because it’s just so much,” she said.
    So, when you visit The Overall Company, make Ali smile by ordering her formerly secret, four-step favorite: a chocolate hazelnut pop dipped in white chocolate and peanut butter and rolled in Butter Finger on one side and Heath bar on the other. Then, grab a seat in one of the cozy chairs and while you savor every lick and bite, maybe you can find a muse amid the many layers of flavor and discover what your mind can make.
The Overall Company, 1001 Avenue B, Opelika, AL 36801 T: 334 742 0100  www.overallco.com

Meet Your Makers: Southern Accents

Q&A with Garlan Gudger, Southern Accents Architectural Antiques

WORDS Tiffany Bell

Like many of you, we fell in love with Garlan Gudger’s Train Shed transformation using all repurposed pieces at Southern Makers last month. So much so, we took a trip to his Cullman warehouse, grabbed an old-school cola and stayed for hours hunting through endless rooms of salvaged finds. It’s well worth the (surprisingly short) trip for yourself – until then, take a peek inside with the force behind it all.

MADE: Tell us a little about the Southern Accents story? 

GG: Southern Accents has been family owned and operated for 44 years by the Gudger family in Cullman, Ala. It started with a simple idea that the craftsmanship of antique building supplies - carved fireplace mantels, bronze/crystal chandeliers, embossed doorknobs, intricately trim doors, stained and leaded glass - was just not being produced in the same quality as they were in the previous years. Dr. Garlan Gudger, Sr. decided to start one of the first architectural salvage stores in Southeast out of a garage. Garlan, Jr. says their annual vacation while growing up consisted of a leaving with a van filled with family and ended with a u-haul trailer full of antiques. That’s just what we did every year and I just thought it was normal going on vacation and exploring every antique store and junkyard that you came across.

MADE: I’m picturing a young Garlan Gudger, Jr. ditching the Legos at an early age to get your hands dirty. What was the young Garlan Gudger, Jr. like? 

GG: It was common to get dirty digging through old wooden nail kegs of doorknobs and tool chests filled with amazing items. Every child needs a place to start a clubhouse and build a fort and roller skate – it just happened to be that my play area was my father’s salvage store filled with goodies that allowed my imagination to run wild. My earliest memory as a child was wearing a pair of adjustable plastic Superman roller skates around with a cape, while dad swept up the shop. Now my two boys, Tripp and Pierce, think its normal to throw and catch the baseball next to the 50 claw-foot bathtubs in our alley behind the store. I guess like father like son!

MADE: Have you thought about moving your warehouse out of Cullman or opening locations in other markets? 

GG: Cullman will always be home base – but we are being approached from different investors in different markets that enjoy seeing the work that we do so we will see...

MADE: It’s no secret you love what you do. What do you love most about restoring, creating & repurposing?

GG: Our mission statement at Southern Accents is to rescue, restore, and protect pieces of architecture with historical significance. That’s what we DO, but I believe the question is WHY I do it.

I think it may be best answered by a movie scene that I remember in Shawshank Redemption. The scene is where the mean jailor needs some tax work done because the IRS is after him and he will have to pay a lot money and Andy, the main character, being a CPA before being jailed, told the jailor that he would prepare the jailor’s taxes for a bucket of cold beer for his work crew during a hot summer day. The surprise and enjoyment of the work crew when the jailor told the work crew to take a break for a few minutes and enjoy some cold suds in the hot summer sun. They didn’t expect it and come to find out, Andy didn’t even drink!  He did it because he could, and by his finished work, it allowed other people satisfaction that wasn’t expected. 

I love watching other people unexpectedly enjoy what I am passionate about. Sharing my passion excites me and I am blessed I have family, friends, and YOU to share it with!  That’s why I do what I do.

MADE: Any advice on spotting historic pieces and making them work in modern spaces?

GG: Historic architectural pieces will work just about anywhere – I suggest placing at least one piece per room to give each area a focal point surrounded by the modern setting. By using the salvage item thoughtfully in your design, the texture, color, and character of the piece alone should stand as a work of rescued art.

MADE: I’m sure you love all of your pieces, like children, equally. But if you HAD to choose, what is your favorite piece or project so far? 

GG: Project  - Southern Makers last month in Montgomery because of my friends that were gathered from around the state: Natalie Chanin, Butch Anthony, Billy Reid, Sarah Trapp, Clift Holt with Little Savannah, Audwin Mcgee and Sandy Stevens from Florence – just to name a few. I love to be inspired by other creative people and after the work is done, go out with them and have a good time.

If I was told to leave my store and take one Piece with me and not return it would be  – my Door Knob Collection. It reminds me of my family.

MADE: What was it like working with Billy Reid to design his backdrops for NYC Fashion Week? Any collaboration plans for the future?

GG: It was awesome! To really see the vision of where he wants to go and help gather material to fit that vision Billy has is the most fun because I have to see in my head his final look from just his pencil drawings on paper! It really is fun to have people that know what they want and ask for your help to bring it to life! I have been blessed to be able to work with Billy staging his events for NYC Fashion Week in 2010 and 2013.  I enjoy incorporating Southern Accents Salvage in most of his retail stores, as well as Billy’s own personal house.  He has such a dedicated team and talented staff.

As to future collaborations, I was brought in on his NEW Southeastern location this past week and will start preparing material for it, but I believe that it is not up to me to disclose where it will be located - I will leave that to Billy!

MADE: The Southern Accents sets at Southern Makers, from the entrance all the way to the music stage, transformed the Train Shed like we’ve never seen and has been the talk of Southern Makers since. What made you want to be a part of the making of Southern Makers? 

GG: There has been an artistic renaissance developing in Alabama for the past several years. Creative artisans in the fields of food, fashion, art, architecture, and music, all passionate about their individual industry, have been working independently to promote their wares. Having them all gather in one location for the first time was exciting to me. In recent years, Southern Accents has had the opportunity to incorporate architectural salvage into projects for many of the individual makers. There has never been an event like this designed to bring everyone together. We were thrilled to be able to bring our creative ideas to the table in designing and installing the arena for this momentous event. The chance to join forces and work side-by-side with a collective group of the most talented people from across the state is electrifying. Southern Accents responsibility was to use their architectural salvage to create an atmosphere for the show that inspires not only the makers but attendees as well.

MADE: What did you think of the places and people you came across in Montgomery? 

GG: Everyone was so nice and the downtown is amazing! A lot of my Montgomery friends came out to say hello when I was at Southern Makers – it was like a huge neighborhood party! The city’s growth is evident to me and everyone that flew in to attend the event! Keep it up Montgomery!

MADE: Where in the world (or should we say “the South”) do your vignette ideas come from - like the Dumpster Collage at Southern Makers? 

GG: We are always out searching for new and exciting ideas. I thoroughly enjoy repurposing items to be used for something totally different than its original function. So turning a door or a shutter sideways might sound weird, but that is just our way of producing art. That collage wall was something that I have thought about for a long time, but have never had the freedom to produce! So, I really got some unique items gathered together and with a great team (Brad Bell – Bell and Bragg in Auburn and Lucy Farmer of Southern Accents) it just seemed to free-flow together. The teamwork of my staff in Cullman that prepped the items, like sanding and cleaning the materials, was crucial and we met our timeline of finished product before the show began!  I am still very proud of how great it turned out!

MADE: So what’s next? You always seem to have a project or big event going on. Point us in the right direction...

GG: For the past 5 months I have had 1, if not 2, large events per month. I am currently focusing on preparing my store and my staff for an expansion of our salvaged / recycled wood department. Dealing with barn-wood, colored bead-board, timbers from textile mills, antique flooring and log cabins is where we are devoted right now.  But I am always listening for the next way I can promote the Southern Accents brand.

MADE: Best advice you were given…

GG: Given to me by Mr. X in Hawaii (at the time the largest homebuilder in the world): “Always do what you have passion for. If you do, you will always enjoy what you wake up for… and the money will follow. “

What: Southern Accents Warehouse & Showroom

Open: Tuesdays-Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Downtown Cullman (308 Second Ave SE)

How to Get in Touch: www.sa1969.com

Where Else to Spot Garlan’s Work: Sets & stages across the country - from Southern Makers to NYC Fashion Week

Number of Doorknobs in Garlan’s Collection: 4,586 (but who’s counting?)