At some point over the past six or seven years, it came to seem that the only constant in Nashville is change. With each day, another building rises, another restaurant opens, another fashion brand launches. Thankfully, most of this change is propelling our great city forward — punctuating its destined greatness. The newest members to join the movement of advancing Music City are the owners of the lifestyle store in East Nashville, Two Son, which opened in mid-December.
The owners, all four, are devotees to fashion, community and style. The partners are David Perry, of fashion and apparel product design, sourcing and production consulting company The DSP Group; Leigh Watson of indie-folk duo The Watson Twins; James Kicinski-McCoy of the blog Bleubird and online publication Mother Mag; and Aubrey McCoy, photographer and the other half of the Bleubird brand. Each contributes different skill sets and backgrounds, all of which work in harmony as represented by this unique store on Main Street.
The Two Son Team
The partners behind Two Son hold just as much excitement for their brick-and-mortar shop as they do for Nashville’s positive growth. “We are excited about East Nashville; we are excited about Nashville; we are excited to see it grow; we are excited to see more stores come in here, more restaurants, more bars, more coffee shops. We are excited to see that because that is what is going to make this city grow and constantly build,” Aubrey shares about the shop’s commitment to the community.
Having spent time in places like Houston, Kentucky, L.A. and the Bay Area, to name a few, the two couples are happy to find a home for themselves, their families and their store right here in Nashville. What drew them to Music City? They say it’s the people.
“When you are part of a community, it can be angular — wary of outsiders, exclusive and clique-y. You come here, and you feel included. I have been made to feel part of something way bigger than I am. It reminds me of where I grew up, in a small English fishing village where people actually give a s***,” David says. Aubrey underscores those same sentiments about the camaraderie of Nashville. “It is all about the community here, building this up and giving people more options,” he says, explaining Two Son’s mission. “We want to get people in the stores buying. We want to give people to chance to discover something new.”
A board member at O’More College of Design and Nashville Fashion Alliance (NFA), David is also looking to play a large part in laying the foundation for a sustainable infrastructure for fashion — starting with Two Son’s in-house, American-made denim and clothing line. “You have to start small,” he says of the garment production process. David, alongside dozens of other motivators in the fashion industry, is trying to find and implement the perfect business model. “It is a if-you-build-it-they-will-come mentality. Those ancillary components will attach themselves once you have a core here.” Aubrey also feels honored to be part of a group of people in Nashville who are committed to putting Nashville, and the South, on the map for fashion and sees this foundation of people wanting to make it happen as key to progress.
What all started as a late-night conversation around whiskey, denim and motorcycles, dictated by a bottle of Jameson and Butch Walker’s Tom Petty covers, Two Son grew as a true representation of the people behind it. “We are all here to have a good time. The Smilebooth brand, and Two Son, and Bleubird, and The DSP Group and Mother Mag and us personally, are all represented — clean, minimal, quality stuff, good vibes. We found a way to communicate our aesthetic,” Aubrey says of the space. David agrees, “This whole store is a reflection of us. We have motorcycle magazines, motocentric stuff, but we are not a motorcycle store. We make the denim, but we are not a denim store. Our women love good beauty products, but we are not a beauty store. So it is a lifestyle brand — a lifestyle of the people that we know, musicians and those in the fashion industry, artists — a reflection of what we all aspire to and love and have in our homes.”
The Two Son Experience
With the first steps into the 2,200-square-foot boutique that houses home, fashion and beauty items, you feel a bit of New York, a little L.A. and some Nashville, all of which is enhanced by the minimalistic design, the welcoming space, the expertly curated goods and a sense of style that accurately represents each partner behind the brand. The selection of apparel and goods feels exclusive, but not pretentious. Eighty percent of Two Son’s inventory is not carried by other Nashville retailers; the inclusion of these brands is meant to excite the shopper, to introduce them to something new. So, if you’re looking for a bit of local style, some new-to-Nashville brands and a glimpse of items selected by movers and shakers in the creative industry, stop into Two Son.
Shoppers can expect to pick up a $28 candle, a $34 T-shirt, a $95 pair of jeans and a $500 Lauren Manoogian jacket in one visit. The price point is approachable, but not cheap. We are all too familiar with the feeling of walking into a store and immediately feeling out of place; that is not the experience that Two Son is designed to provide. Emily, the store’s retail manager, is always on hand to greet you as you step inside, and she’s always happy to share her knowledge of the store. And, if you are lucky, Leigh and James will be on hand to share their style expertise. While the space it is not intimidating, you are sure to run across unfamiliar brands. Allow yourself to be introduced to Norse Projects, out of Norway; North Carolina denim brand, Tellason; Moon Juice, which originated in Los Angeles; SachaJaun, a product created in Stockholm; HELM Boots, designed in Austin, TX, and handcrafted in Maine; and local brand, Jamie + The Jones. The shop hopes to achieve innovation through constant curation.
Leigh and James, curators and creative directors, act as the principal force behind the home goods, women’s fashion and beauty wall, while the men dedicate their time to running the business and growing their clothing line, which encompasses American-made clothing for men and women, designed in Nashville and produced in L.A. The design studio is located in-house and is visible to shoppers through glass panels. “Ninety percent of what Americans wore in 1956 was made inside the USA, and now that’s five percent. That is a significant shift,” David explains. “Our product is American-made, and there is no reason for it not to be.”
More than just a store, Two Son has the thirst to become a destination. We anticipate the team putting the space to use for shows, seminars for fashion students held by designers, workshops on social media and brand growth, and other opportunities that create an outlet for those hankering to learn about the industry. “This is not about us, but about helping others because so many have helped us get to where we are,” David shares. “Van Tucker (NFA CEO) said to me, ‘Rising tide floats all boats.’ So we are looking to see how many boats we can float.”
Special thanks to Tausha Dickinson for today’s gorgeous photos! And, for more local shops and restaurants, check out the SB App.
