In addition to tasty fried chicken, sweet tea and SEC football, the South is home to some of the best brands in the country. Talented artisans have turned their passions into businesses, and these businesses have taken off. Whether it be for their sustainable practices, artful designs or tasty creations, today we’re excited to put the spotlight on 15 of our favorite Southern brands and share a little information about why we’re so fond of them. Take a gander at the list, and we bet you’ll fall in love with each and every one!
Southern Brand: Anderson Design Group
Known for: Original prints and graphic art
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: Anderson Design Group has a team of artists who help to produce 4 to 6 new posters each month, constantly adding to their 800+ designs.
Why we love the brand:
The team has an appreciation and knowledge of the Masters of the Golden Age of Poster Art and draw inspiration from the late 1800s to mid-1900s for their graphic designs and illustrations. Anderson Design posters and products make the best gifts! They have also designed the logos for plenty of local brands, including Olive & Sinclair, Willa’s Shortbread and Fat Bottom Brewing.
Southern Brand: Blue Moon Bedding
Known for: Custom bedding and fabrics
Originated in: Memphis, Tennessee
Fun fact: Rhea Crenshaw is an established interior designer and the force behind this Memphis-based brand.
Why we love this brand:
Hand-sewn in Memphis, Blue Moon Bedding’s fabrics are used for everything from nurseries to dorm décor to elegant master bedrooms. Although lovely enough to be put on display, the fabrics are meant to be loved. The bedding comes with a promise that it can endure puppy snuggles, coffee spills and the spin cycle. Dedication to beautiful, wearable and accessible custom linens has allowed Rhea to create a brand that is unbeatable.
Southern Brand: Ceri Hoover
Known for: Luxury leather goods
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: The Shoe Collection is crafted with a solid wood heel made in a factory on the West Coast. The wood heels are made manually with alder, a North American hardwood.
Why we love the brand:
Ceri Hoover’s premium leather accessories are simple in design and color. Crafted with leather from around the world, the pieces are elegant but simplistic enough for everyday wear. Ceri also has clothing crafted through collaborations with local and regional fashion designers, which are exclusively available in her Nashville studio.
Southern Brand: Christie Cookie Co.
Known for: Mouthwatering cookies baked with real butter and gourmet ingredients
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: All ingredients are measured by hand!
Why we love the brand:
After 30 years in the business of baking cookies, Christie Cookie Co. continues to grow their fan base. Customers can’t resist the artisan cookies that come in flavors ranging from chocolate chip to white chocolate macadamia nut. Sign up for the Cookie of the Month to try each month’s featured flavor. They also bake chewy brownies and sell coffee.
Southern Brand: Coopers’ Craft
Known for: Approachable, drinkable bourbon
Originated in: Louisville, Kentucky
Fun fact: Coopers’ Craft is an 82.2-proof Bourbon that is finished with a beech and birch charcoal finishing process, meaning the bourbon passes through three woods before it’s bottled. The extra step removes some of the burn and lets the oak flavor shine.
Why we love the brand:
Coopers’ Craft celebrates the cooperage, the art of barrel making and their hands-on approach makes all the difference. Coopers’ Craft is a bourbon perfect for aficionados and newbies alike. Vanilla and burnt orange flavors can be detected when sipped neat, but the bourbon does not hide when added to cocktails — and is best in those with a ginger base.
Southern Brand: Ex Voto Vintage
Known for: One-of-a-kind and limited-edition jewelry created from antique elements
Originated in: Birmingham, Alabama
Fun fact: A portion of the sales of Ex Voto Vintage goes to The Cure Starts Now Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research.
Why we love the brand:
Designer Elizabeth Adams pairs classic elements with Southern sophistication for a timeless look. She combines pieces like vintage lockets and pendants with semi-precious stones, vintage crystals, freshwater pearls, premium leather and chains.
Southern Brand: Hester & Cook
Known for: Stunning papers in the form of placemats, table runners, serving papers, place cards and stationery, as well as lighting, home décor and gifts
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: Hester & Cook’s first product was a wine stopper called Knobstoppers. Over the course of 10 years, they continued to add products and three brands: CAKE Vintage, Kitchen Papers and The Pencil Factory.
Why we love the brand:
All products are designed by the Hester & Cook team, including collaborations with several talented artists. Everything is produced in the United States (with the majority coming from Nashville). A visit to Hester & Cook’s online shop or Nashville-based retail store always ends with bags full of gifts.
Southern Brand: Holmsted Fines
Known for: Gourmet chutneys
Originated in: Birmingham, Alabama
Fun fact: Holmsted Fines founder Rebecca Williamson created Committed to Give, a movement that works to save and improve the lives of people in need of assistance throughout the world. She donates 10% of Holmsted Fines profits to the cause.
Why we love the brand:
With training from Le Cordon Bleu in London, Rebecca Williamson started Holmsted Fines with an appreciation and knack for making traditional English chutney. The chutney is available in three varieties and can be paired with anything from meat and cheese to vegetable dishes.
Southern Brand: Littlebranch Farm
Known for: Beautiful, handcrafted wood furniture
Originated in: Hamilton, Georgia (now based in Nashville, Tennessee)
Fun fact: Without any formal training and barely any experience with a hammer, Kelly Maxwell (a paramedic at the time) began making furniture for his daughter’s wedding. Now, it’s a full-time job.
Why we love the brand:
Although primarily rustic in design, the pieces can fit in any space. The wood furniture is one of a kind and nothing is produced in volume. The live-edge pieces are full of character and some of the most popular of Kelly’s designs. You can hop online or visit their Nashville studio to see the full selection.
Southern Brand: Lucchese
Known for: Handmade, luxury boots
Originated in: San Antonio, Texas
Fun fact: The human hand touches each boot over 300 times during the course of construction.
Why we love this brand:
Lucchese still employs traditional Italian shoemaking skills that its founder brought with him when he immigrated to the United States. With over a century of commitment to quality leather, unparalleled fit, comfort, durability and style, Lucchese remains a staple in the South. There are six Lucchese stores: four in Texas, one in New Mexico and one in Nashville, TN.
Southern Brand: Nisolo
Known for: Sustainable fashion, in the form of handmade leather goods and jewelry
Originated in: Trujillo, Peru, and Oxford, Mississippi (now headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee)
Fun fact: All Nisolo producers receive, at a minimum, beyond fair trade wages, healthcare and a healthy working environment.
Why we love the brand:
Nisolo is practicing ethical production, starting with their factory in Trujillo, Peru. For a region that has 3,000+ small-scale shoemakers, Peru made sense for the company. It is here that Nisolo stepped in to address the lack of consistent jobs or livelihood in the area. Nisolo also works with a partner factory in León, Mexico, and independent artisans around the world (with the majority from Peru and Kenya). Not only are the products ethically made, they are stunning and affordable.
Southern Brand: Peter Nappi
Known for: Handmade leather goods
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: Peter Nappi’s premium leather footwear and goods are handmade in Tuscany. The brand is named for Peter Nappi himself, a shoemaker who emigrated from Southern Italy in 1904.
Why we love the brand:
Peter Nappi footwear is elegant in design and construction but practical for everyday wear — and it only gets better with age. We love the studio in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood just as much as we love the leather goods, shoes and apparel it houses. If you live outside of Nashville, add this to your must-visit list (and stay tuned for the opening of their second Nashville location).
Southern Brand: Roux Maison
Known for: Eco-friendly laundry products
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: Staying true to their eco-friendly mission, Roux Maison products are tested only on clothes, never on animals.
Why we love the brand:
Prior to Roux Maison, we rarely thought twice about the ingredients in our laundry detergent. After discovering these products, which are made with non-hazardous, vegan ingredients, we were hooked — and shocked to learn that you don’t need harmful chemicals to get out nasty stains. While some love the scents, we were thrilled to find they have a fragrance-free detergent.
Southern Brand: Stoneware & Co.
Known for: Enduring, functional stoneware pottery
Originated in: Louisville, Kentucky
Fun fact: Louisville’s stoneware industry produced the jugs used to package the region’s bourbon in the 1820s (before tin cans and glass containers rose in popularity). The company, known by several different names, has been in business since 1815, was renamed in 1970, redesigned and rebranded in 1997, and did so again in 2007.
Why we love the brand:
In addition to the rich history of the company, we adore the quality pieces of pottery. Stoneware & Co. uses centuries-old ceramic techniques to handcraft the pieces in Louisville. Their selection of goods also includes home accents, glassware, china and personalized gifts and accessories.
Southern Brand: Therapy Systems
Known for: Active and results-oriented skincare products
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: Therapy Systems was the original small-batch skincare line and the oldest Southern line. Therapy Systems has been sold at the likes of Henri Bendels in New York City and Harvey Nichols in London.
Why we love the brand:
Founder and CEO Linda Roberts is in the business of beauty. Her small-batch beauty products (skincare and makeup) were born of her obsession for cosmetics as well as customer input. The products work hard to help your skin look and feel its best.
Southern Brand: Trabeautiful
Known for: Stationery and graphic design
Originated in: Nashville, Tennessee
Fun fact: Trabeautiful Designs offers custom graphic design services for invitations, announcements, stationery and logos.
Why we love the brand:
Trabeautiful Designs stems from a long love of paper held by owner and designer, Elizabeth Trabue. Beautiful typography and unique papers come together to create notecards, calling cards, calendars, notepads, holiday cards, invitations and announcements.
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