It’s not just musicians who are making their way to Nashville anymore. These days creatives of all types — visual artists, fashion designers, chefs, photographers, entrepreneurs, and more — are leaving traditional artistic hubs like New York and LA and heading south. Today, Nashville is home to a thriving community of diverse artists and makers who are putting their stamp on Music City. Meet a few below. ⬇️
Savannah Yarborough
With a menswear degree from London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins and real-life experience with the acclaimed Florence, Alabama, fashion house Billy Reid, Savannah Yarborough launched Savas in 2015. GQ, Esquire, Robb Report, The New York Times, and Garden & Gun have all hailed her bespoke leather jackets for their bluesy, rock-and-roll style and expert tailoring.
Caroline Randall Williams
Poet. Novelist. Cookbook author. Social Justice Advocate. Teacher. A Nashville native and current Writer-in-Residence in the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University, Caroline Randall Williams is an artist and activist, harnessing her voice as a vehicle for local, regional, and national change.
Sean and Kristine Newsome
A shared love of music and sweets inspired Sean and Kristine Newsome to found East Nashville’s HiFi Cookies, where they dream up nostalgic creative flavors such as Dolly (a red velvet cookie topped with marshmallow buttercream and Fruity Pebbles) and Etta (a peanut butter cookie with Cap’n Crunch peanut brittle and peanut butter chips).
Emil Congdon
A former Dell computer salesman, Emil Congdon quit the corporate hustle to pursue his passion, creating classic, functional, beautifully wrought leather goods. Today, his company Emil Erwin produces bags, belts, jackets, and all manner of home goods.
Ethan Summers
The founder of Oil/Lumber, a Nashville design firm specializing in apparel, furniture, and other home goods, Ethan Summers looks to his Japanese heritage for much of his design inspiration. His contemporary take on the traditional samurai haori coat is one of his bestsellers, and like all Oil/Lumber goods, every stitch of it is made right here in Nashville.
Tennessee Jane
Moving from San Francisco to Nashville in the middle of a pandemic and then starting a brand new business in the midst of the chaos takes guts and vision. In a matter of months, though, Tennessee Jane’s ethereal hand-dried bouquets have found a dedicated following, and while dried flowers are her signature, her company Saint Maide also produces seasonal fresh-cut arrangements, too.
Mignon Francois
Mignon Francois sells joy. Okay, she sells cupcakes, but the same thing, right? The sweet potato cupcake with cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cinnamon is The Cupcake Collection’s signature flavor, but at her two stores in Nashville and New Orleans, they sell more than a dozen other regular and seasonal offerings, including vegan and gluten-free options. And they ship nationwide, so you can share the love.
Kelly Diehl and Elizabeth Williams
Kelly Diehl and Elizabeth Williams founded their art and design studio New Hat Projects in 2016. You’ve likely seen their bold, eye-catching custom wallpapers all over town in hotels, restaurants, and shops such as Germantown Inn, Henrietta Red’s, and Lemon Laine. But you can also order the one-of-a-kind wallcoverings by the roll or sheet for your home.
Holly Williams
Holly Williams seems to do it all...well. A musician first, she’s also the owner of high-end women’s clothing boutique H. Audrey as well as White’s Mercantile (the contemporary take on an old-fashioned general store has five locations in Nashville and beyond). And with an incredible eye for design, she flips historic houses in her spare time — four of which she turned into the chicest AirBnBs around —and is passionate about preservation.
Alyssa Rosenheck
A nationally recognized architecture and interiors photographer — her work has been published in House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, and Domino among other national magazines. Additionally, as the best-selling author of The New Southern Style, Alyssa Rosenheck is on a mission to amplify the voices and stories of the creatives around her and build a community centered around collaboration.
