just by being in the shop everyday, we all have the privilege of witnessing a lot of beautiful relationships between parents and children coming through our doors. before we opened imogene+willie 4 years ago, we didn’t know any of the mothers or children that are featured in today’s OUR VOICE. now, we are so fortunate that these people make up some of our most treasured friendships.

in tribute to all of our mothers and every woman out there, we asked these very same friends to finish the sentences… “my child is __________” and “my mother is __________”.

as you will read below, there are so many different ways in which to convey the bond between a mother and a child – though there really are no words to explain the deepest connections that we have with our mothers.

happy day to the most beautiful, unexplainable women… our mom’s.

love,
carrie

(share with us what your mother or child is to you… email it to love@imogeneandwillie.com or write us a note and bring it to the shop. you will receive a code for 15% off your next purchase. offer good through Monday, May 13th)

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Home is where our heart is.

Today we are so excited to introduce imogene + willie for the home. For the past several years, we have been scavenging special vintage finds and gathering our favorite new treasures to expand our offering both at the gas station and online. Another thing that we enjoy most about home (and the office) is always having music on – be it spinning classic vinyl records, or taking turns choosing Spotify mixes.

Hoping you will enjoy our latest team mixtape – and that it makes you feel right at home.

Love,
the i+w family

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That was back when a haircut was 8 dollars, and trust me when I say, you were rolling the dice on whether or not you would come out looking good, or come out looking like you had just joined the 88th Division of the Marine Corps.

Now let me say, I was definitely more versatile in the hair arts then some of my friends. In fourth grade I had a permed mullet, which was so fly for the times that I had all the girls on the playground asking to touch it and as I got older, self-discovery had led me into plenty of salons searching for the latest in hair designs—all of which were mistakes I might add!

So when Carrie and I moved Nashville 4 years ago, I once again had to go out on the hunt for a place to get a fade. I tried a few wonderful places, but at the end of the day, an hour haircut was just a little more time than I had to spare, much less make an appointment. This led me to Joe the Barber.

The first time I went to Edgehill Village and saw Joe’s open sign flashing, I knew I had found my spot! I sat down surrounded by real men’s magazines, with real men’s décor on the walls and thought “as long as this guy fades me up right, he will have a customer for life!” And that my friends is exactly what happened. Four and half minutes later… BOOM! DONE SON! I’ve been going there ever since!

So if you’re looking for a fresh fade at a reasonable price (under 20 bucks), look no further then my friend Joe… simply put, he’s the best!

-Matt

Joe’s Barber Shop
Joe Eagles
1200 Villa Place
Nashville / 37212

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It’s that time of year… and Valentine’s Day has come again. We’ve been eating heart-shaped donuts and loads of sugary treats around the office all week, and couldn’t help but get a little mushy on you. Whether you are celebrating with a friend, with a loved one, or not at all – we hope this mixtape serves you well this holiday.

From our hearts (and record players) to yours… happy love day!

xo,
the i+w family

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i was immediately intrigued by everything about this woman, and not to mention, was very taken by her style.

she bought her first pair of our jeans, and came back for another.  and then yet another.  rababa approving of our jean gave me further confidence that we were making a product that was right.

as the years have passed, we have gotten to know and love rababa even more. aside from her impeccable style, her core being encompasses everything that i am drawn to in a woman:  she is strong, she is smart, she is loving, she is thoughtful, she is a hard worker, she is respectful, she is HALARIOUS.and she is incredibly humble.

just when i thought i knew all of her that there was to know…. i discovered another something about rababa that she never shared as a result of her humility:  she is a designer, a maker, a builder, and a damn welder!

about six months ago, i asked rababa if she would commission a kitchen table for us.  tying back to her core quality of thoughtfulness,  she took much more time than most to explain her design inspiration, concept and process, so we fully understood her product… her art.  the table that we now sit around in our home is an art piece, just as much so as any painting on the wall.

and i haven’t even told you about the light fixture that she made for us that now hangs over the table.  after going through the design and manufacturing process of the light, that’s when it dawned on me:  she’s not going to tell the world about her art, so we have to!

we are so thrilled to announce rababa al-hadad, proprietor of her newly born company, “rababaworks”, as our first in a series of curators for imogene+willie’s quantity of one.

to me, rababa’s quantity of one curation reminds me of the feeling i had when living in istanbul…. everything being a beautiful collision of two opposite views: east meets west and old meets new.
rababa’s life is like roaming the isles at the Grand Bazaar.

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Hannah handcrafts each piece, paying close attention to detail and embracing natural imperfections along the way… something that makes our delicate harvested thorn necklace so special.

Inspired by the mountains, her travels, community, natural objects and vintage components, she uses traditional methods and techniques to craft each item, often using recycled metals from sustainable sources.

In fact, Hannah grew up surrounded by Cone Mills – the company that supplies most of our denim. She has memories of riding to the White Oak Mill in Greensboro, North Carolina in her grandfather’s old Jeep Grand Wagoneer, trunk overflowing with bolts of Cone Denim.

We sat down (albeit at a computer many miles away) to ask Hannah about her inspirations, design process, studio space and more:

How does living in Asheville, North Carolina influence your work?

Asheville is such a beautiful place. I’ve been living on and off in the Appalachian mountains for seven years now, and still never tire of these old hills. My work is very much influenced by the culture, and the folks here really put a great deal of importance on beautifully crafted objects.

Where do you find inspiration?

History and travel are my two main sources of inspiration. Whether that means traveling to the Himalayas, the Highlands of Scotland or to the forests surrounding our city, I find the most inspiration outside of my studio and away from my computer. History goes hand-in-hand with my traveling and, to me, there’s nothing more inspiring than an object containing stories from a past life.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your process and gorgeous studio space?

I handcraft each piece of jewelry that I make. Everything in my current collection begins as stock metal in the form of sheet, wire and rod. Using traditional hand tools (hand saw, files, hammers, torch), I turn these materials into wearable objects by sawing, hammering and soldering.

All of my metal, chain, and other components are milled domestically here in the USA and are often made from recycled metal. Natural objects are usually collected in the woods close by or from visits to the coast, but I’ve also been known to carry a few back home with me from trips abroad.

I share a studio space with my husband (Malcolm Smitley, Fleet Co. Goods), so there is a good mix of femininity and masculinity with me on one side making jewelry and him on the other crafting leather goods. We are able to bounce ideas off one another and give constructive criticism, which really helps my studio process. Since my studio is now located right in the center of the city, I have to fill it with all of the things which inspire me — meaning bits of nature, old photographs and objects collected on my travels are all present.

What’s your favorite thing about the i+w x Another Feather harvested thorn necklace? How do you wear it?

I love how versatile this necklace is. It’s refined and classy, yet intricate and interesting enough to get noticed. The simple gold rosary-style chain paired with the rustic element of the thorn is such a nice contrast. It lays around the neck just right.

During the day, I love pairing it with a t-shirt and, at night, with a dark silk blouse and a few brass bangles on my arm. It really looks good with everything!

What’s the story behind that beautiful feather wall and the name Another Feather?

Since I was a girl I have picked up any lost feather I see. While spending time on the coast, I’d gather the feathers of seagulls and herons, in the flatlands and farmlands I’d stuff bluebird & pheasant feathers in my pockets, and now in the mountains, I find plenty of grouse & wild turkey feathers. Needless to say the name Another Feather made sense, embodying my love for collecting and the natural world.

Now I get mail from friends and folks all over who send envelopes stuffed full of found feathers or from the birds they keep. I love that each one is from somewhere different and carries memories of that place or moment. I add to the studio wall all the time.

 

About the photographer: Tim Robison is a photographer and illustrator living in Asheville, North Carolina. He loves to take photos, draw and cook and is happy to travel and work anywhere.

His work can be seen at www.timrobisoncreative.com.

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]]> http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/another-feather/feed 0 http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/family-feast http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/family-feast#comments Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:52:14 +0000 elise http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/?p=2568 We are busting at the seams space-wise at the gas station. So for the past several months, half of the i+w team has been stationed at the shop, and the ...

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]]> We are busting at the seams space-wise at the gas station. So for the past several months, half of the i+w team has been stationed at the shop, and the other half works from morning til night at our house. And then another lone soldier is in Delaware. We all get in the same room often, but for sure not enough. I miss us all being together too much.

Matt and I looked forward to Monday night of this week, as everyone headed to our house for our i+w family Thanksgiving celebration. It was real a joy for us to have everyone all piled in together. Now I understand why my mom and dad and Matt’s parents gleam when they get all of their kids together. The night was filled with a lot of good visiting and plenty of tall tales and b.s’ing, as well. I guess that’s a real family?!

Dinner was a lovely potluck of all of our diverse blood family’s traditions. All so different… but somehow, all the dishes went perfectly together. The smoke alarm went off 9 times getting everything warmed. Elise’s corn pudding was burned to black on top, but there was not a morsel left after everyone went back for seconds and thirds.

Along with the corn pudding, there were 25 other award winning dishes. From the first course of Nestor and Gloria’s homemade egg drop soup, to Jay’s first turkey (wow, tender), to Alex’s first-and-only cooking experience: sweet potato hash (he was a bit late, because he had to start over!)… to Jessica’s famous kale salad,  Ian’s vegan pumpkin bread, Debbie’s biscuits and gravy and then, my mashed potatoes that Matt stood over me critiquing as I made, because he didn’t think my new recipe was right! No doubt, the carbs were plentiful. True to my own personal Thanksgiving tradition, my plate was all white and starchy. But, Patricia brought Hooter’s wings. Why not?!

Tradition is everything. But, in case you want to mix your Thanksgiving menu up a bit, we are happy to share with you our recipes as you prepare for your family feast.

For your Thanksgiving, hoping you find yourself at home with family or at a table with a “family of  friends” if you can’t get home. It’s all the same.

Our warm wishes and Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Love,
Carrie + Matt

 

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]]> http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/family-feast/feed 0 http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/susie-carrie http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/susie-carrie#comments Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:03:31 +0000 admin http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/?p=2541 Without a doubt, there are people in this world who know exactly what they want out of life, love and in this case, clothes. Meet Carrie Eddmenson and Susie Crippen, ...

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]]> Without a doubt, there are people in this world who know exactly what they want out of life, love and in this case, clothes. Meet Carrie Eddmenson and Susie Crippen, two of my best friends, two women I love very much and two women who fit the above description to a T.

Before imogene + willie, Carrie wore J Brand jeans (coincidentally Susie was J Brand’s co-creator), and after her J Brand days, Susie wore imogene + willie jeans. They have always admired each other’s work, and their style and aesthetic are very in tune… it just made sense to create a fit together. So when they set out to design a new jean for i+w, I knew it would derive from what the two of them felt was “missing” from their own closets. Meet Clarke, a sexy new jean that you just might not take off. I sure as hell know Carrie and Susie haven’t!

Love,
Matt

 

How would you describe your relationship?

Susie: Carrie and I are soul sisters. When she talks about her life before we met 5 years ago I think, “wait, where was I?” It seems like there was never a time we didn’t know each other.

We have no walls between us. We can sit in silence for hours or talk a subject to death. We share everything.

I have such great respect for her vision, drive, courage and her ability to be truly kind to people, even when she is juggling 137 plates. To me that is the essence of who she is.

Carrie: Susie is my soul sister. My brother told me that Susie was that to me even before I met her. And on the day we did finally meet about 5 years ago, we stood in front of each other, each speechless for a long time, just looking at each other up and down, like we were looking in a mirror.

Our friendship is fully transparent. We are very honest and vulnerable with each other. We can have talking contests, going hours with no break in conversation. Or we can sit silent for as many hours, almost as if in meditation. We equally laugh our heads off to tears (usually laughing at Matt) and/or cry vulnerably about challenges, as well as joyful stuff. And on a material note, we most usually show up when we see each other wearing the exact same thing.

Susie is the epitome of my definition of a woman. She is, by raising, a strong east coast woman with southern lady accolades (living in southern California?!). She thinks that she is naturally cold and rigid, but her warmth fills a room like a fireplace. Her confidence is bigger than any of her fears. That specific attribute is one that I have really learned from her and work to instill in my life everyday. And… she is a giver. Not a taker.

 

What were your feelings about making something together?

Susie: I was actually nervous to work on a jean with Carrie. I am used to being the final word when I make something and I knew with her experience and taste level, that I respect and copy so much, I would have to be different, gracious, open and humble.

What was I worried about? It was perfect. To work with someone who only wants you to succeed, thinks you are talented and genuinely wants to know what your opinion is, was glorious. Come to think of it, she gave to me exactly what I wanted from her.

Carrie: It was seamless and natural. And at every decision-making juncture, we worked through the issue, until we both agreed on the solution fully… a testament to a healthy friendship or partnership.

 

How would you describe Clarke? Why do women need it?

Susie: Clarke is your new best friend. She is that new silhouette. Skinny, slouchy, sexy and cropped. This is the new skinny jean. This is the jean you need right this minute. Carrie and I were the only ones to wear-test it for the past 6 months. I have worn mine every single day since the day the final proto was sewn.

Carrie: Clarke is everything that we both have wanted out of a jean for some time. In my opinion, it is actually everything that women want out of a jean, but haven’t been able to admit, because it wasn’t previously an acceptable silhouette. We have been trained in past years to think that sexy and feminine = tight. That’s still valid. But we both feel the most feminine and confident and beautiful when we are wearing a hybrid: something similar to a men’s jean from the late 50s on top, but with a very slimmed down, tapered and cropped leg. We couldn’t find the perfect modern interpretation, so we made it. We have both wear-tested Clarke for 6 months. It is everything that we dreamed it to be. And we have a strong inclination it will be that to you, too.

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]]> http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/susie-carrie/feed 0 http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/halloween-movie-playlist http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/halloween-movie-playlist#comments Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:27:38 +0000 admin http://www.imogeneandwillie.com/?p=2484 It’s hard to believe that October has come and gone, but here we are dressing up in costume and celebrating Halloween. We like to get in the spirit of things ...

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]]>

It’s hard to believe that October has come and gone, but here we are dressing up in costume and celebrating Halloween.

We like to get in the spirit of things here at imogene + willie, and what better way to do so than curled up on the couch with some Sour Patch Kids and a scary movie. We asked the team to share their favorite festive films and – as always – get a kick out of seeing how diverse the list inevitably becomes.

So, kick back and enjoy an evening filled with haunted movies and sweet treats.

Love,

the i+w family

 

“Ooh ha ha ha” by Count Drizzle – 2010

Count Drizzle came out with this hit “Ooh Ha Ha Ha” in 2010. He wrote, recorded and filmed the first edition in 48 hours. I have heartstrings attached to the OG, but can’t help but take this opportunity to promote his second release, “Country Crunk,” which just came out last Friday. Let’s help Drizzle go YouTube viral!

- Carrie

The Blair Witch Project – 1999

By far the movie that started the whole scary movie craze is The Blair Witch Project. When that guy in standing in the corner at the end… still get chills! Gregg Hale, the producer on this film, is from our hometown of Henderson, Kentucky and is an old family friend. So good!

- Matt

Silver Bullet – 1985

That movie used to scare the shit out of me when I was little. And also, any 80s movie with Corey Haim was a winner in my eyes.

- Jessica

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – 1966

I am probably the biggest scaredy-cat with movies… so that leaves me with very few Halloween movies I can watch without having nightmares for days! But who can hate on a classic like Charlie Brown? I have grown up loving all of the Peanuts comic books, holiday movies, etc. And I always did have an eye out for the biggest pumpkin I could find.

- Kristen

The Shining – 1980

The Shining, in my opinion, is the epitome of Halloween and horror. I watch every year around this time, and it still causes nightmares.

- Shelby

Beetlejuice – 1988

One of my childhood favorites. 80s aesthetic insanity, Geena Davis being a babe, Michael Keaton being a hysterical lecherous scumbag. To me it means Halloween.

- Kait

The Watcher In The Woods – 1980

That’s right folks, Walt Disney. Their first PG-13 movie and it is freaky.

- Jay

House – 1977

House – not to be confused with the less awesome American House (1986) or the House TV show (which I hear is good) – is easily one of the trippiest horror movies of all time. Before its limited release in American theatres last year, the movie, also known as Hausu, had never been released stateside. The best summation of the film that I’ve read called it “an episode of Scooby-Doo as directed by Dario Argento.“ Yeah, that about sums it up.

- Brian

Rosemary’s Baby – 1968

A psychological thriller that plays the fear humans have that no one will believe us, even when belief in our story – no matter how unlikely – is crucial to our physical, psychological and emotional survival. Relying on great acting, camera work, and what we don’t know as viewers, Rosemary’s Baby manages to still scare us almost 50 years later.

- Ian

House of 1000 Corpses + Devil’s Rejects – 2003 + 2005

Never thought I’d be a Rob Zombie fan, but both these movies are awesome and the soundtracks are equally rad. Definitely not a movie I’d recommend to just anyone. I don’t think there’s much of an in-between: you’ll either love these or you’ll hate ‘em.

- Jonathan

What Lies Beneath – 2000

Little ole me was never really allowed to see scary movies growing up, so there are not too many options on my radar. I remember seeing this in the theatre with my mom and being so embarrassed when she jumped and screamed out loud in the most quiet, climatic part of the film. I was “too cool” of a teenager to be afraid!

- Elise

Hocus Pocus + Casper – 1993 + 1995

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy star as witches brought back to life by some unsuspecting kids. Oh yeah. It’s weird and awful and totally cheesy, but it’s definitely Halloween to me.

And Casper. Christina Ricci and Devon Sawa? They are the ultimate early 90s Halloween dream team. The weird animation is just a bonus.

P.S. I don’t do scary movies. Obvious?

- Debbie

Sleepaway Camp – 1983

Saw this gem on VHS for the first time when I was 14. I had begrudgingly and distrustfully agreed to a slumber party at the meanest girl in my high school’s house. We watched this in the backseat of her mom’s weird camper van on the way to her house (which was a million miles away) and this made it way scarier. The slumber party was the worst but this movie has the BEST SURPRISE ENDING TO ANY FILM EVER.

- Erin

Jaws – 1975

I grew up in California, constantly at the beach, and had a HUGE love of sharks as a kid. Then one evening when I was in third grade, I finally wore down my dad with enough incessant begging and we watched Jaws. I made it about 45 minutes in before I lost it and couldn’t finish the movie until sheltered by the light of day the next morning. I can’t remember what exactly did me in, maybe it was Spielberg’s masterful direction, maybe my 8-year-old mind couldn’t handle not being able to see the shark until the very end, maybe it was the stories of my mom barely being able to take a bath after she had seen the movie when it first came out… who knows, but this movie is freaking amazing.

- Joe

Hocus Pocus – 1993

After 300 years, three sister witches are resurrected in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it us up to two teenagers, a young girl and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches reign of terror once and for all.

- Nestor

Casper – 1995

A paranormal expert and his daughter bunk in an abandoned house populated by 3 mischievous ghosts and one friendly one.

- Gloria

The Exorcist + 28 Days Later – 2002 + 1973

I think as far as pure scary and darkness goes, I’d have to say The Exorcist because it’s so demonic and dark. I think 28 Days Later is my favorite though because I love zombie movies. Simple and terrifying.

- Alex

Child’s Play – 1988

A single mother gives her son a beloved doll for his birthday, later they find out that the doll is possessed with the soul of a serial killer, who tries to put his soul into the boy’s body in order to become human.

- Juan

A Nightmare on Elm Street – 1984

In the dreams of his victims, a spectral child murderer stalks the children of the members of the lynch mob that killed him.

- Mercedes

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With a massive amount of support from the TEDxAtlanta team and our team at imogene + willie, we spent weeks preparing for the talk. Formal outlines were submitted, the story was written, then… we had to put it into speakable words. That’s where the shit hit the fan!

Four days prior to heading to Atlanta for the talk, we locked the doors at our house and had a shut-in with Elise, Jonathan, Jessica and Joe from our team. We tried every which way to “speak” the presentation that TED had approved. And every which way just got worse and worse. I would get on Matt’s case, and then he on mine. Everything sounded so canned and scripted. We got in screaming matches trying to figure it out. Elise, Jonathan and Jess would just coach us through it and love on us, trying any way possible to get us to just let it flow.

But it just wasn’t.

So we flew to Atlanta on that 4^th day. Matt and I sat separately on the plane, and just like studying for an exam the night before the final – we each madly scribbled notes in our own words, hoping that was the final solution to make it all come out right.

We arrived to the venue that night for our rehearsal. All I can say: you all would have crawled under your chair out of embarrassment. We bombed it. It was horrible. We just couldn’t figure it out.

The TED folks had chosen us for a reason. And we were letting them down.

We went back to the hotel at 10pm. Matt asked me to call TED and tell them that he was really sick and that we couldn’t make it the next morning, which was the day of the talk. Whatever! We could not give up.

So, sitting there in that hotel room, I ripped up any documentation either of us had of the presentation and we agreed to just tell another story. The real story, exactly how it is. We didn’t have an ounce left in us to talk it out that night, so we woke up at 6am and starting telling EACH OTHER our story. Suddenly, we got a good back and forth rhythm. Why? Because we were just telling it like it is. We kept talking back and forth to each other, even in the car from the hotel to the venue. When we got out of the car, the driver said, “Kids, I think you got it.”

We walked up on that stage with no definite plan, other than telling it like it is… TOGETHER. We had each other, so there was no way to fail. We started free styling a true story about the demise of production in America. All of a sudden, it came to us easily… it rolled off our tongues, because even in our short lives, we have both lived through and been directly affected by the really amazing boom of apparel manufacturing in this country. And then the painful crash.

If you have 18 minutes to spare, we would be honored for you to watch. It might give you better insight in to why we make clothes the way that we do… and why sometimes, they take longer to be made than both you or us would like. Almost 4 years ago, we made a commitment to each other, our employees and our customers to make things in America. But, there’s not much about that that’s easy. The situation that we share in the TED talk is why our men’s collection is later than we would like this year. It will make more sense when you watch. But at long last, the first of the men’s goods are ready today!

If you are an advocate or consumer of imogene + willie, take note: going forward, we are going to experiment a bit with how and when we offer new pieces to you. It dawned on us in the past months: why in the world do we have to follow the rules and make a “spring” and “fall” collection? What we make really isn’t a collection anyway! And we only sell it in our store! All our “collection” represents is just thoughtfully designed staple pieces that we love, in hopes that you feel the same. And with the manufacturing environment being as it is in the states at this time – why cram too much down the skinny pipeline and be frustrated when it gets “stuck?”

So expect things from us more often, not just twice a year. Don’t be surprised if it’s every month. Or just whenever we are inspired to make you something good!

We talk a lot in the TED talk about how the demise of production in America is killing our dreams. Well, guess what? We aren’t going to let it!

With love and so much thanks to all of you,
Carrie + Matt

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