On The Handmade Movement: Annie Williams
“In high school I made a dress out of jeans, and it was so…bad. I couldn’t even walk in it; it was just horrible.” We all have to start somewhere—this was one of Annie’s struggles when embarking on the path to designing, but looking at it from a different perspective, you could call it a small triumph. No matter what it is we do or how we get to our end destination, the majority of our triumphs come from us failing once before. I had the opportunity to sit and chat with Annie Williams at Crema (the same place where I met with Libby) while we sipped lattes and enjoyed the warm and cozy atmosphere on that chilly morning. During out chat, Annie told me about the struggles and triumphs that come with the level of success she has obtained.
Annie Williams is the creator of a unique collection of handmade leather goods that are made so carefully and meticulously, that their quality and worth are far greater than anything you could pick up at the closest Zara or H&M. Her namesake line, Annie Williams, was created in 2010 when she bought a full hide and made her first three sales—this was one of her first successes.
She started sewing in college. As evidenced from her anecdote about a sewing project gone wrong, Annie began experimenting early on. She took her passions for sewing and singing to Wyoming where she attended college but ultimately found herself back in Nashville to record and sing. It was also around this time that Annie learn to sew industrially—which unbeknownst to her at the time was a skill that was widely uncommon (and reversely very useful in that respect). She took up a number of odd jobs to get by and was ultimately forcing herself to design; at each job she learned a new invaluable skill. Annie told me that she loves the “mystery of not knowing until you get there and you can’t see the top” when you’re working on a project. It struck me as an interesting point. Think about your everyday struggles—isn’t it true that often, we don’t know our full potential until we get to the other side? She admitted that this is often one of her greatest struggles when starting anything new. In the design process, there may come a few times where you doubt yourself and this can keep you from reaching your true potential. However, if you’re like Annie, you will always find a way to work through these self-doubts—to overcome this struggle. This amazing quality about Annie made me realize that she is of a kind in her niche. She understood that you have to sometimes work hard, and do the jobs others may not be willing to do, in order to truly succeed.
After a few years of success Annie Williams’ business is thriving. She has collaborated with Han Starnes, and expanded her product line—there’s no sign of her stopping. Annie told me that she loves the Nashville artisan design scene for similar reasons as Han and Brooke pointed out. “There’s both a good and a bad side,” she admitted, “there’s competition, but it’s competition to push yourself…and you can feel like Nashville is the ‘end all,’ but there are always people who want to work together.” This is one of those celebrated successes that Annie has. She has been able to find a way to balance her inner self-doubts while also staying humble to herself and to her brand. In doing so, Annie has become quite the success story, and I admire that so much about her.
At this point in our conversation, we moved away from talking about Nashville to talking a little more about her inspiration and what’s up next for her. Nature is her main inspiration. It’s the thing that surrounds us yet if we get too busy, we have the tendency to forget it’s there. Annie has such a love for nature that it resonated in her voice and the way she told her story. I found myself getting chills on my arms when she told me about her trips that she takes with her husband, hiking for miles and “getting lost” in the elements—in the best way possible. She strives to translate those feelings of feeling a part of something bigger than yourself, just being out in nature, into her designs and her creations. She wants everyone to feel like these things are simple and natural, just as the way being away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life can make you feel.
“I feel really lucky,” she told me. She has so much going for her right now, and even though I just met Annie, I found myself rooting for her success. Talking to her was like talking to an old friend, and it was quite refreshing. Annie is hoping to make her business more practical as she comes up with a staple line and to get more organized. She is going to continue to grow and have the freedom to design on her terms. She left me with this advice: “A sense of self is the strongest thing you can have in this industry.” Have opinions, know what you like (even if that changes), and be in tune with who you are. This is the key to overcoming the struggles and finding success.
All Photos via AnnieWilliams.com
