the Hem of Happiness: Imogene + Willie on Community Outreach and Curation

Denim brand, Imogene + Willie, started off as a dream, but stitched itself into a tight-knit community in the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Co-founder, Matt Eddmenson, takes pride in going against the grain and remaining authentic to his brand. “If you do everything from your perspective and unique personality…you can come up with something uniquely your own.” Imogene + Willie was founded by Matt and his partner, Carrie Eddemenson in 2009 on 12 South as a space for people to find their perfect pair of jeans. 

The brand emphasizes making all of its clothing in the United States of America and diminishing mass-production waste by producing items in small batches. What makes the creative studio even more impressive is that everything is done in-house from ideating new designs, to producing those designs, and then creating marketing materials for them. If you were to visit Imogene + Willie’s creative studio in Nashville, you’d be greeted with brightly colored inks for designs ready to be screen printed onto t-shirts. You’ll also find team members adding some final touches such as hand-dipping in indigo or hand-distressing patches, carefully crafting a unique final product. 

However, the business isn’t just about making jeans; Imogene + WIllie’s ultimate goal is to bring people together. “I would say the culture that we have here has a family feel to it,” said Jackie Berkley, director of People and Culture.  Matt and Carrie set the tone early on by hosting backyard parties where everyone was welcome, and the community formed was as organic as the cotton. 

Jayla Jackson - Tell us the story of how Imogene + Willie came to be in the Nashville Fashion design scene.

Jackie Berkley- The company saw some early growth by how the founders, Matt and Carrie Eddmenson, embraced the community. In doing so, they’d host music events in the backyard and welcome people to come by the store. 

Matt Eddmenson - When we first opened, we had this amazing backyard in the shop and I was literally trying to think of the most outlandish thing we could do for adults to build community. We should do pinewood derby because those cars are only like $3 dollars and people could carve those things and make them really cool. Back in the day, there were like four of us saying, “okay here we go.” I just sit back here and think of crazy stuff for us to do. 

Jayla - Fashion design is often so focused on current trends, but your pieces are meant to be crafted to last a lifetime, how does this shape your design ideology?

Matt - I’m actually the polar opposite of trends. I usually keep my head down and don’t look. I kind of quit paying attention to what they were doing because they’re just like all of us who brand secure, trying to find out what the next thing is. We know right now the trend in denim is baggy but that trend sort of goes in a cycle. Will it be baggy in two years from now? Probably not. Denim has been out for the last couple of years so now that you see that resurgence everyone is wearing it.

Jackie - There’s a careful balance that we always want to walk because we are very rooted in creating items that are timeless. At the same time, you want to stay relevant with what people want to wear. We find ourselves creating things that are going to stand the test of time while keeping them fresh enough to where it at least feels relevant. 

Jayla - Where do you get your inspiration?

Matt - A lot of my inspiration for the t-shirt graphics are really rooted in what I did in college of relating completely random, different things and marrying them together. 

Jackie - People can also find meaning from what they see for themselves too.

Jayla - Are there themes you’ve seen come and go or stay present?

Matt - Quality. We made really amazing denim up until 2017. Basically, the way you can describe great quality denim is almost like homemade. It’s like on these really old machines that break down all the time. It’s a really narrow width so you can only do so much fabric, while mass production doesn’t have that barrier. As of 2017 we use only Japanese denim on our highest quality product that we’re proud of. We do use other denim, but for the most part, that’s what we look for. [Japan] took what [America] doesn’t want to do anymore and they got super passionate about it. We can’t get any quality fabric made in the United States anymore. 

Jackie - It’s not for a lack of trying. We look for domestic sources anytime we can, they just don’t really exist. 

Jayla - How has the 12 South area changed since you’ve opened your retail store? 

Matt- Nashville was a really different place 15 years ago, and it's sort of ever-changing and evolving. That’s what happens in every city, but Nashville’s been a huge part about where we have been and who we are. 

Jackie - This store has a very fortunate geographical location which sees a lot of foot traffic. We see more and more people as the years go on. We’re really lucky that so much of what we do is in-house. We try to stay welcoming to whoever wants to be a part of our community. We still host backyard parties that are mostly free and open to the public. The other side of that is showcasing some of the incredible talent here in Nashville. We hire bands to perform and support the working artists in this city. We’re really lucky because we get to employ a ton of creative people on our team and hire musicians for our events. We get to work with other brands who are like-minded. 

Jayla - How do you envision the future of Nashville design and how does I+W business align with that vision? 

Jackie - I think we get really excited now that we’re fifteen years old. We’re at a place now where we get to help support other brands and businesses to come up in the same way we did. We wouldn’t have had the success that we had if it weren’t for community support.

Jayla - That’s incredible! Any plans for the 15th anniversary?

Jackie - In the near term, we have a few really exciting things on the horizon. For our 15th anniversary, we just announced our collaboration project to make 15 collaborative products with 15 brands across the country who are all aligned with our values, production practices, and made in the United States of America. Those items will be launching towards the end of July and September. 

It’s clear that Nashville is home to immense talent. From the owners to the staff at Imogene + Willie, you can see the unique perspectives they bring to their designs. Through community engagement, artistry, and their own history they manage to stay grounded in the present as Nashville grows around them.