Back Down South

Cody, Part IV

CodyPhotographed in Nashville, TN by Jamie Clayton
Mamiya 645, Portra 400 

Raised in:
Knoxville, Tennessee

Lives in:
Knoxville, Tennessee

Most played country album:
This might be a cheap shot, but my most played country album of all time has to be George Strait’s 50 Number Ones. Why mess with a classic, right? Also, a few years ago my Dad passed down his record collection to me, and I am now a proud owner of Willie Nelson’s box set. It has 9 Willie records in it and is frequently played at our house!

Now would ya look at that:
Cody is a familiar face here because we think has he killer style and is an all around great guy. He also happens to be a great photographer, and we’re excited to announce that he’ll now be a contributing photographer for Back Down South!

Rainer

Rainer-01Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Fayetteville, Georgia

Lives in:
San Francisco, California

What you miss most about living in the South:
Definitely the people; in particular their friendliness and approachability. The first time I started a conversation with a random person at the grocery store in San Francisco, I’m pretty sure they thought I was a creep. Back home, it would have been natural. I also really miss boiled peanuts. I’m able to make my own sweet tea and can get a country music fix almost anywhere, but boiled peanuts are nearly impossible to find.

Favorite Chubbies collection (so far):
I have a place in my heart for our Classics (The Legends, The Three Commas, etc.) and the ‘Mericas because that’s what got us started, however so far, I’ve been most proud of our Swim Collection (currently $15 off!). Honestly, you can’t find anything of that quality for under $75-$100 anywhere in the market and we made them, domestically, for $49-$59.50. It’s crazy. The first taste of our Fall Collection is coming out next week and I’m beyond stoked on the wide wale corduroys we’re making. They’re incredible colors, mimic an old blazer with suede patches and leather buttons and we custom designed a paisley print in the interior that gives a nod to an old smoking jacket. They’re really fun and I can’t wait to see what people think of them.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Rainer Castillo, one of the four founders of Chubbies, liberating thighs one man at a time. In 2012, he wore pants for a total of four hours.

Paizlee

Paizlee-04Photographed in Boerne, TX

Raised in:
Emily: Born in New Braunfels, moved to Falls Church, Virginia, settled in Boerne at the age of 5.

Katie: Roswell, New Mexico

Lives in:
Emily: Boerne, Texas
Katie: Ft. Worth, Texas

Favorite southern based brand:
In our husband’s honor we’d have to say that Southern Tide is one of our favorite Southern brands. Their preppy shirts, classic plaids and patterns take us back to the good-ol days of college.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Emily (left) and Katie (right), the girls behind Paizlee. After working together throughout college as part-time baristas, they discovered there wasn’t anything better than spending countless hours with your best friend and calling it “work.” Emily’s intuitive idea to tap into the online clothing industry came to fruition in the form of Paizlee. “We then deemed it the job (and boutique) that we’d always searched for. What started as little more than a hobby, has since turned into a full time job for both of us. With over a year under our belts, we hope to continue – what still feels like a hobby – our pursuit of the American dream for many years to come!”

Andy Rawls

AndyRawlsPhotographed in Boerne, TX

Raised in:
Temple and Forth Worth, Texas

Lives in:
Boerne, Texas

How you got into building furniture:
I started building furniture with my dad as a teenager.  Our first project was a workbench, which I still use in my shop today.  Throughout college I built stuff, furniture for my room or a swing for the front porch. Towards the end of college, my dad and I took a brief furniture making course at Homestead Heritage School of Woodworking in Waco, which was a real eye opener for me.  There was an old Engilsh man named Paul Sellers teaching the class and I can still remember being blown away by his skills.  This experience pushed me in the direction for making traditional heirloom furniture.  I took several more classes at the school and picked up the basics of furniture construction and hand tool use.  Shortly after I graduated college I got accepted to be an apprentice under Brian Boggs in Kentucky.  After I left his shop, I moved back to Texas where I ended up in Boerne after I met my wife.  I worked for Brent Catterton for 3 years, mostly building custom front doors for some of the finer homes in the Hill Country.  Now, I’m closing in on my first year of business in my own shop building mostly commissioned furniture for clients in the Hill Country area.

How Texas inspires your craft:
Brian Boggs encouraged me to find design inspiration from where I grew up, in Texas.  It was several years later after I had left his shop that his advice really hit home.  I ran across a book by Lon Taylor that showcased early Texas furniture.  I never realized how much history there is with Texas furniture.  There’s a strong influence of German craftsman who settled in Texas in the mid 1800’s and their work is very unique to the Texas culture.  My ambitions are to re-create some of these older pieces that can really only be found in Texas Museums or as antiques hidden away somewhere.  Theres’s a chair I’m hoping to bring to market this fall called the hide bottom chair, which was commonly found on Texas ranches in the 1800’s.  The chairs construction comes from the common ladder back style of the east coast but uses cowhide for the seating.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Andy Rawls, Fine Texas Woodcrafter. Andy specilizaes in “simple, functional furnture, crafted to last generations.” I had the pleasure of visiting his shop a few weeks ago and seeing his work first hand. His work blew me away, particularly his recently completed Texas Pecan king sleigh bed. Don’t let his Hill Country location stop you from checking out his work or commissioning him for a piece – he has built for clients throughout Texas and even shipped a peice to Pennsylvania.

Mom

Mom-03Photographed in Boerne, TX

Raised in:
Boerne, Texas

Lives in:
Victor, Montana

Favorite Tex-Mex dishes:
Chili rellenos, cheese enchiladas, chicken mole enchiladas, boracho beans, Huevos a la Mexicana.

Now would ya look at that:
Caroline’s mom being awesome.

Mendoza

LaMatera-06Photographed in Talking Rock, GA

Raised in:
Spring, Texas

Lives in:
Jasper, Georgia

Favorite meal in August:
We visited No. 246 with our friends Allyson and Tig and had not only my favorite meal in August, but one of my favorites in Atlanta. We sat on their back porch for hours, killed two bottles of Italian reds, and shared everything we ordered. Toasts, salads, agnolotti, pizza…each bite we consumed was so delicious. I topped it all off with their Bottle Aged Boulevardier and declared it one of the best nights of our summer!

Now would ya look at that:
I tend to borrow from the boys section, and lust more over menswear than my side of the store. Shirts, bow ties, and now it appears, belts.

When La Matera introduced themselves to us, I quickly fell in love with their brand: incorporating Argentine style with American manufacturing to master the perfect belt. The men behind La Matera were inspired by the country’s “rustic lifestyle, rugged charm, and elegance of their traditional woven fabrics.” Spend some time looking over their products, or a lot of time, like I did, getting lost on their tumblr (packed full of all kinds of beauty).

So am I wearing a mens belt? Yes, yes I am. But sometimes boys can’t have all the fun…or all the awesome belts.

Tweeds

Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Habersham County, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Tell everyone about Tweeds:
At it’s core, Tweeds isn’t really about clothes, or accessories, or kick ass antiques… it’s about people. We wanted to create a place that provided an equal mix of curation and friendly council, and focused on each person’s individual needs – allowing clients to define themselves, learn, and stand apart.

I’m doing some limited edition Mast-McBride stuff during holiday, but we’ll designing new neckwear under “Tweeds” for the store, as well as a belt, shoe, and denim line available in early September.

Now would ya look at that:
Our friend Kirk, who you’ve seen before, sitting in his newest project, Tweeds (co-owner).

The shop officially opened on July 5th in Atlanta (1009 Marietta St. NW). If you live in the city, or ever swing through, you’ve got to stop and see all of it’s greatness.

Aidan

Aidan

Photographed in Athens, GA (Georgia Theatre)

Being raised in:
Atlanta and Savannah, but currently traveling the globe speaking and serving with dates coming up in London, Malaysia, Singapore and more! My heart’s desire is coming true. I want to do a speaking/serving tour of all 50 states. Then again on other continents. My goal is to teach people to live to give and to find ways to give from their passion. When we travel, I love to highlight ways to make a difference in the communities my mom and I visit.

How long have you been playing harmonica:
Since I was 7 in 2008. I found one in my big brother’s room and he told me if I would get out of there I could have it. It was portable and it was free.

Favorite musician from the south:
Muddy Waters from Mississippi. I play with his guitar player Bob Margolin when ever I get the chance. Bob is a great man that supports the legacy of the blues.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Aidan Hornaday, “a boy on a mission teaching a generation how to give.” At 12, Aidan is a self-taught blues harmonica player and the founder of Aidan Cares. His motto for givers of all ages is “Run to need, not away from it.” Read more about Aidan, one of the most impressive (and best dressed) kids I’ve ever been around.

 

Shameeka

ShameekaPhotographed in Athens, GA

Raised in:
Covington, Georgia

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Favorite shop in Atlanta:
Steve McKenzie’s. I do not get by often enough but when I’m there, it feels like home and it’s tough to leave. Can’t say enough about how much I love and admire the shopkeepers, Jill and Steve McKenzie. Such good people!

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Shameeka Ayers, aka, The Broke Socialite. She is the bedrock of Sugar Coma Events, a national tour of roving dessert-centric festivals and Instantly!: How Quickly I Realized I HATE My Job, a snarky novella about transitioning from employee to the pursuit of passions.

  • Earrings are from a random beauty supply store. “There are literally 24 pairs of medium ‘pearl’ earrings on a sheet for $3.99. No shame in my game.”
  • Kayce Hughes necklace.
  • Target top.
  • Bracelet and ring from Arthur’s, a “church lady” outlet on DeFoor in Atlanta. “As I’m not a Baptist deaconess, I pass on the jewel encrusted (and jewel toned) skirt suits but their costume jewelry is sometimes amazing. This was a fall coup.”
  • Custom made skirt by her seamstress, Marian Collier. “One of the signatures of my personal style are full maxi/ball skirts paired with oxfords, t-shirts, etc.”
  • Payless sandals. “My philosophy on shopping conquests at Payless: even a blind hog gets an acorn every now and then.”
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