Made in Atlanta: Find local, handmade goods from these 70+ indie makers
For the table
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Pieces of Starr
Designer Starr Miller began her company at a table in the basem*nt of her Atlanta home. Today, she works out of a more presentable studio, but all of her pieces are still crafted individually. “Stone setting and gold-smithing are what makes my blood flow,” says Miller. “My intention is to always be able to make each and every piece with my own hands.” Everything in her line is best worn in layers, especially the rings. Thin gold bands beg to be collected and stacked, worn in delicate tandem with a single signet on the pinkie. “My ideal customer is an individual who curates their closet, bathroom vanity, and life in almost every way. They are in a state of constant collection, holding on to only things they truly love and admire,” she explains. Pieces average around $200, piecesofstarr.com
AKOO
The name is an acronym for A King Of Oneself, which was founded in 2008 by partners behind the Atlanta-based label Grand Hustle Records: Grammy Award–winning rapper T.I. and Jason Geter. Graphic polos, sturdy, distressed denim, and bold prints round out the upscale urban apparel line, which earlier this year released a limited-edition sneaker with Ewing Athletics in honor of the clothing brand’s 10th anniversary. Available at City Gear, Dillard’s Atlantic Station, and online. $5–$545, akooclothingbrand.com
Abbey Glass
Designer Abbey Glass’s eponymous contemporary label is influenced by “clean lines, art, architecture, and retro influences.” Her muses have included Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O., and Grace Kelly. Last year, she opened her flagship ready-to-wear boutique at Ponce City Market. New arrivals from $255, abbey-glass.com
Megan Huntz
Dedicated to “slow fashion,” local designer Megan Huntz uses all-natural fibers and manufactures all of her clothing locally. In September, she opened a brick-and-mortar store at the corner of North and North Highland avenues. Incorporating embellishments like hand-dyeing and digital prints, she blurs the line between art and fashion. “Carrie” romper at left, $420, meganhuntz.com
Ashley Alves
Alves releases only one accessory collection per year, making her pieces as covetable as they are distinct. Flamboyant flora and fauna are heavily referenced in her most recent output, inspired directly by the vibrant colors of equatorial birds and desert reptiles of Cabo Verde. From $400, ashleyalvescollection.com
Elk Head Clothing
Canvas, leather, denim, and other durable, low-maintenance standbys are the foothold of designer Garret Hilgendorf’s rugged-yet-refined menswear line. Tailored cotton popovers and no-fuss leather goods populate the racks of his second-floor Ponce City Market shop, updated seasonally with new collections designed by Hilgendorf himself. $8–$170, elkheadclothing.com
Little Barn Apothecary
What happens when a beauty exec falls in love with a biology student? A transcendent line of modern self-care rooted in the luxury of simplicity. Strictly holistic, cruelty free, and small batch, Little Barn’s ambitious brand of beautifully packaged skincare began as a small experiment in founders Joshua Morgan and Brad Scoggins’s kitchen. Now, they’re the darlings of everyone from Vogue to Goop. With pickups from beauty giants like ULTA, Little Barn shows no sign of slowing down. From $9, littlebarnapothecary.com
Gazal Eyewear
Gazal frames—from design to production—can take up to one full year to make. That obsession with detail leads to an exceedingly high-quality product: one made with Japanese titanium, immaculate German hinges, and sturdy Italian acetate, then road-tested by the designer, a veteran of the eye-care industry, for comfort and durability. Around $495, gazaleyewear.com
KZ Noel
Pronounced stones are the centerpiece of globe-trotting designer Keisha Noel’s designs, many of which she collects herself while traveling. Usually set in distinct oxidized metals, her jewelry is marked by an affinity for the imperfect. Think uncut diamonds and black lava. Available at Huff Harrington Home. Catch her trunk show at Neiman Marcus on November 8. $275–$10,000, kznoel.com
Cubby West
In the 1700s colonial Southeast, indigo was one of Georgia’s most lucrative cash crops. Today, it is the bedrock of designer Cubby West Spain’s work. Scarves are made from Italian linen and hand-dyed using natural indigo in small batches, making each one a unique work suitable for framing on the wall or wrapping around your shoulders. Around $160, westspaindesigns.com
Res Ipsa
Global sensibility permeates Res Ipsa, a line best known for its dexterous use of vintage textiles. While on a trip to Istanbul, attorneys Joshua Moore and Odini Gogo became fascinated with kilim rugs. They fashioned a classic men’s smoking slipper dressed in the global fabric, eventually expanding into women’s shoes, luggage, and travel goods. Available at H. Stockton and online. From $165, resipsausa.com
Kari Fisher Designs
We love how every single item in Kari Fisher’s eponymous fabric line is made by hand. Not only does the Atlanta interior designer hand-carve each of her signature stamps, but she personally block-prints the patterns on 100 percent linen using water-based inks. Retail customers can source them through ALTBOX in NYC. Pricing upon request, karifisherdesigns.com
Rebecca Holt
Structural gold and brass art deco pieces dominate Rebecca Holt’s jewelry offerings, a blend of the geometric and the organic. Consider whimsical pieces like a brambled headpiece inlaid with semiprecious stones, billed as a “faerie crown.” Available at Made Again Gallery in Virginia Highlands, Coco & Mischa, and online. $40–$275, rebeccaholt.co
Marzam
“Marzam” is from the Amharic word merezem, meaning “to grow.” With their line of East African wares, the company’s Ethiopian-born founders aspire to extend the borders of the garments they grew up wearing by combining traditional fabrics with modern applications. That includes show-stopping chokers and cuffs, both made with vibrant handwoven textiles sourced directly from African artisans. From $25, shopmarzam.com
Audrey Allman
Colorful, tribally inspired statement pieces drip with tassels and bones in Audrey Allman’s jewelry designs. Paint-dipped feathers hang out playfully with acetate and chunky florals in her costume pieces, many hovering around an accessible $50 price point. audreyallmandesigns.com
Cobbler Union
The red, quilted calfskin heel cup of a Cobbler Union shoe is inspired by the interior of an Aston Martin. It’s a telling example of the brand’s reverence for detail. Bench-made in Spain, the footwear’s quality is comparable to lines double and triple the price point. Their direct-to-consumer business model (made more accessible by a popular brick and mortar inside Ponce City Market) keeps prices reasonable. Around $400 per pair, cobbler-union.com
Mission Designs
According to the U.S. State department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked every year—half of them children—and Atlanta is near the top of the list of cities known for transport. That statistic startled designer Ashley Miller, and it moved her to action. She founded Mission Designs with the intention of sharing jewelry profits with organizations like UNICEF and City of Refuge, which work to protect vulnerable children from exploitation. The delicate fine jewelry line has donated more than $15,000 to charity in less than two years. From $485, missiondesignsco.com
Admiral Row
Admiral Row has taken the notion of a stuffy necktie and turned it on its head. Theirs are skinnier than more traditional counterparts, notably more suited for a slim jacket, and fabrics run the gamut from patterned chambray to retro-inspired florals. That, paired with an inventory of vintage neckwear, might sound pricey, but Admiral Row is focused on keeping things affordable: Ties are priced firmly under $40, which leaves room in your budget for a pocket square. Available at multiple local locations, including the Hotel Clermont Gift Shop, and online. admiralrow.com
Rabble & Rouse
Rabble & Rouse touts itself as a brand “for people who give a damn.” Rightfully so: Their fabrics might be soft, but the phrasing splashed across their tees is anything but. Shirts emblazoned with messages like “Elect Black Women,” “Be Good and Loud,” and “Believe Women” practice what they preach—20 percent of sales go to progressive community nonprofits who serve the city’s most vulnerable. From $30, rabbleandrouse.com
BECASA
BECASA resortwear was founded by Saints of Old Florida coauthor Emily Raffield, who grew up in the Florida beach town of Port St. Joe and now calls Atlanta home. Accessories from far-flung locales (think fair-trade bangles made in Mali, picked up from a vendor in Paris) are peppered into a capsule collection of easily packable linen basics. From $80, shopbecasa.com
Rinnovo Studio
Mallory Jones turns painters’ work into wearable art as gossamer silk scarves. Her latest coconspirator? Yayoi Kusama, whose sold-out Infinity Mirrors exhibition is currently at the High Museum (available exclusively at the museum gift shop, $200). From $110, rinnovostudio.com
MAMA Bath & Body
Every bit the home-grown brand, each of MAMA Bath and Body’s small-batch beauty products are formulated, poured, and packaged in founder Emilie Sennebogen Bryant’s Avondale Estates kitchen. Soaps, salts, lotions, and scrubs are made with raw ingredients like olive oil, honey, and freshly grown herbs, which are also available for sale as teas by the ounce. Available at MAMA retail stores in Avondale Estates and at Krog Street Market and online. Most under $15, loveyourmama.com
4MLeather
4MLeather Design has been selling an array of leather accessories on Etsy for almost eight years, but of their nearly 1,000 transactions, the hottest sellers are the distinctive timepieces. Leather bands anchor chunky steampunk-inspired watch faces, which click and hum as their gears tell time. Custom bands made-to-width ensure a secure fit. Bracelets (from $22), watches (from $60), 4mleatherdesign.com
Blair’s Belts
While they might be the hero of her line, belts are not all that Blair Beskin makes. If it can be swathed in an exotic skin (Cash covers! Wrist cuffs!), it’s available. Our favorite? Collectible alligator wristlets, which are available in almost two dozen colors and clock in at a gift-able $50. blairsbelts.com
Whitby
A generous 15 percent of Whitby’s handbag sales goes to the brand’s nonprofit partners, all of whom work to prevent the sexual and physical exploitation of girls living in developing countries by providing them with school tuition, uniforms, food, and safety. Styles range from sleek leather clutches to grass basket bags. From $85, whitbyhandbags.com
This article appears in our November 2018 issue.
