Makers of Nashville

It is true what they say. Everyone in Nashville plays an instrument. It might be a thread instead of a guitar, a brush instead of a piano, or a hammer instead of a trumpet. No matter. Nashville's creative community runs deep, from the music to the fashion and everything in between. Take the time to read about a few of the great makers of Nashville and don't forget to pay a visit to their shops.

Make sure you take a look at Entrepreneur's article "Meet the Designers Building Nashville's Fashion Scene."

Jewelry/ Accessories

Carden Avenue Jewelry

Suzanne Crook and Carolyn Greenfield, of Carden Avenue Jewelry, create unique necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. They became tired of paying for over priced, mass produced accessories and found a solution within themselves. With each piece they create you can guarantee they would love and wear it, too.
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Ceri Hoover Bags

What Ceri Hoover creates is handbags. To say she does it well would be an understatement. For her, it's all about style and creating something that will reflect the individual. There's no easier way to tell your story than with Ceri Hoover Bags.
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Emil Erwin

It is all in the details. Emil Erwin understands that fact and aims to create handbags, belts, and accessories with a great attention to detail. They want their customers to be just as proud of owning a piece of their work as they are creating it.
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hatwrks

Gigi Gaskin is the owner, operator, and hatter/milliner of hatWRKS. Her hats are loved by the local community including the many musicians in town. If you are looking for a hat to show your character before you speak, then look no further than Gigi Gaskin.
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Judith Bright Jewelry

Dreams come true. Just ask Judith Bright. Inside her boutique store, Judith Bright Jewelry, are unique pieces of jewelry hand made with love. Her passion for jewelry started from an early age and nowadays you can see her work on celebrities Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lopez, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Carla Gugino, as well as Nashvillians.
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Margaret Ellis Jewelry

Margaret Ellis started her company Margaret Ellis Inc. back in 1983 with one focus: the people who love and collect her pieces. Today, the story continues with owner/designer Mclaine Richardson since Margaret’s retirement January 2013. Each day, they set out to create handcrafted jewelry to be treasured from the highest quality materials by experienced craftsmen.
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Fashion

ABLE

ABLE is a lifestyle brand focused on ending generational poverty by working with women who have often overcome extraordinary circumstances. They manufacture directly in the communities they wish to impact, both locally and globally, creating jobs and ending the cycle of charity dependency.
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Amanda Valentine

The work of Amanda Valentine can be seen on stages, music videos, commercials, and Nashville locals. Over the years she has won major fashion awards and even placed 2nd on PROJECT RUNWAY. If you want to look like a rock star, then visit her shop Amanda Valentine.
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Eric Adler

While living abroad, Eric Adler Bornhop was inspired by the natural beauty and the stylish street culture of Spain which led him to create a unique line of men’s clothing. Truly bespoke and tastefully bold, Eric Adler Clothing specializes in everything menswear. From woven accessories to three-piece suits, he creates pieces with fit, function, and style in mind. Do something different and shop Eric Adler.
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Elizabeth Suzann

For some, the craft comes naturally. That's the case with Elizabeth Suzann. She is a self-taught designer who aims to create a kind of wardrobe which is simple, utilitarian, and beautiful. She began her self-named company in 2013. Each garment by Elizabeth Suzann is cut and sewn locally in Music City from the highest quality, natural fiber cloth to create something you will love to put on each day.
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Han Starnes

Josi Faye brought her contemporary womenswear company, Han Starnes, from New Zealand to Music City. She understands the clothes we wear on a daily basis matter and uses only the finest materials like wool, cotton, and silk to create her collections.
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Jamie + The Jones

Jamie Frazier and Hannah Jones learned early they shared the same vision, but different talents. The collaboration has resulted in a fresh new look with the underlying goal to always create wearable art. Each collection by Jamie + The Jones constantly reverts back to a combination of color, hues, and textures to bring a person's style to life.
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Nisolo

Patrick Woodyard is the CEO and founder of Nisolo, a social impact company whose goal is to provide a quality product to its consumers while improving the lives of its producers. It all started when Patrick Woodyard met a community of shoemakers in Trujillo, Peru who struggled to find work and livable wages. To help, he created the brand Nisolo in order for the shoemakers to be able to consistently sell their goods on a global scale and overall improve the lives of the community. Today, you may purchase timeless, hand crafted, and ethically sourced products at the store in Nashville.
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Ona Rex

Ashley Balding, Nashville native and designer of Ona Rex, has a passion for interesting textiles, hand-dyed fabrics, and unique accessories. Each piece of clothing offers something different to make it unique, bold, classic, and, most importantly, bring out the character of the wearer.
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Peter Nappi

In 1904, Peter Nappi emigrated from southern Italy to the United States and brought his family tradition of shoemaking with him. Today, the legacy continues as his descendants, Phillip and Dana Nappi, offer authentic handmade leather shoes and accessories. Each work of art by the people of Peter Nappi share a blend of the old with the new to produce a quality item found nowhere else.
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Black By Maria Silver

Drummer and founding member of the rock band The Ettes, Poni Silver, owns her own women's contemporary clothing line called Black By Maria Silver which combines urban nonchalance with easy glamour. When you wear something created by Poni Silver, you make a statement that evokes both magnetism and attitude.
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Fine Craft

Colonel Littleton - Leather Goods

Colonel Littleton offers fine leather goods in the Americana tradition. Each piece is handmade and many are created using 20th century methodology and machinery to offer a nostalgic feel. Click play on the video below to hear the story.
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Electra Eggleston - Textiles

Andra Eggleston’s passion for her work came from a collaboration with her father, the famed photographer William Eggleston. As the father and daughter shared stories their passion for the idea of textile collaboration grew. Not long after, the brand was born. With each textile she creates she tells a story to be shared and loved.
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Brenda Stein - wood

Brenda Stein uses trees to tell a story. Her hope is to move the viewer by combining Tennessee woods with an amazing form that reveals the true beauty of the tree. From vases to bowls her craft will have you in awe.
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Ben & Lael - metalwork

The goal for Ben Caldwell, of Ben & Lael, is always to create timeless works of art. He takes old silver, copper, and enamel pieces and transforms them into new amazing sculptural forms.
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Donna Rizzo - pottery

After dancing all of her life Donna Rizzo turned to pottery, which is why most of her pieces feature the dazzling motions of dance. Each and every piece moves or suggests movement from rocking horse tea pots to sculptures of children swinging.
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Shutters & Shuttles - weaving

Allison Volek Shelton has been weaving for nearly 10 years now. In her shop Shutters & Shuttles she creates blankets, towels, scarves, and more through the looming process. Her mastery of the craft continues as she offers new collections multiple times of the year.
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Furniture/Lighting

Doug Regen

Doug Regen constructs furniture from recycled materials. You can see his work in historic homes and modern houses across the South.
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HollerDesign

By using simple and sleek techniques Matt Alexander, of HollerDesign, creates beautiful furniture with the traditions of the American South. Visit many places around Nashville like Rolf and Daughters and you may not only see his work, but sit upon the fine design.
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Littlebranch Farm

Started in 2000 when Kelly Maxwell designed several unique garden benches and wood slab tables for his daughter's wedding, Littlebranch Farm now has a showroom and steady business of making one-of-a-kind pieces. Kelly specializes in wood slab furniture, custom rustic beds, and mixed species of live edge wood furniture.
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Sideshow Sign Co.

Luke Stockdale is the founder and creator of Sideshow Sign Co. The team of Sideshow Sign Co. is lighting up Nashville quite literally. Just look up at Nashville hot spots like Emil Erwin, The Treehouse, Five Points Pizza, and so many others for their amazing custom signs. The style which they have become known for draws great inspiration from the past when a company's sign was the first hello to the customer.
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See their crafts at these events

Nashville loves to celebrate our creative community. We do so through our multiple events hosted each year showcasing these various makers of Nashville. See below for a list and make the plans to attend them in the coming years. And don't forget to check out what Nashville's Art Scene is doing right now.

• Tennessee Craft Fair
• Porter Flea
• Crafts & Drafts
• Fall Fest @ The Hermitage
• Nashville Mini Maker Faire
• Nashville Print Crawl

Collaborative Spaces

Fort Houston

Fort Houston is a creative facility for members of the community. Guests are welcome to take part in their workshops to better harness their skills in design, drawing, printmaking, woodworking, and all areas in between. They also host numerous events throughout the year.
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The Clay Lady's Campus

The Clay Lady's Campus is home to 45 on premise artists, a total of 65 Co-op Members, sees 150 students weekly for on-going pottery classes, hosts 100-200 children and adults weekly for field trips and tours, and provides 10 weekend workshops annually. It's a place to learn, create, and gain inspiration.
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