By Jason Travis
Shannon Johnson, 29 and Nadine Boado, 25, are the brains behind Glean, a local handmade clothing and accessories brand created using vintage and up-cycled fabrics and textiles. Shannon launched the brand in 2011 and paired up with Nadine earlier this year, offering locals fun, retro-inspired head wraps, infinity scarves and more in colorful patterns and bold colors. The part-time nannies sell their goods at events like Borderline Gallery markets, ARTlantis and the Howell Mill Food Truck Park, or you can pick up items around town at Salon Red, Sole Boutique and Wildflag.
Here, the ladies spoke to us about their favorite local artists, how sustainability plays into their designs and what they’ve got in the works.
CommonCreativ: Where did the name “Glean” come from?
Nadine & Shannon: To glean is to gather laboriously, bit by bit, which is a pretty apt description of our acquisition process. Our designs seek to realize the full potential of discarded items and marry the ideas of style and sustainability philosophy.
CC: How did the two of you end up collaborating?
Shannon: We’re best friends and share a mutual sustainability philosophy. How something is made and where it came from is as important to us as how it looks. Nadine created a hair accessories line earlier this year, and it seemed like a logical next step to go forward together.
By Justin Newton
CC: How have your backgrounds influenced Glean?
Shannon: I come from a long line of crafty women and have been sewing since childhood. While neither of us went to school for design, we’ve always maintained an interest for design and the design process. I actually taught Nadine how to sew.
Nadine: We both have fashion and retail backgrounds. I have boutique management experience and an interest in styling and trend forecasting.
By Jason Travis
CC: What makes your products stand out?
N&S: Glean items come in one-of-a-kind or limited supply textiles. Sometimes we can only make one item from a great vintage textile find. We like to watch people pick out their favorite patterns, colors and textures. All of the textiles in our clothing, accessories, and house wares line are vintage or reclaimed. It’s important to us to conserve resources by reusing materials that are already available.
By Justin Newton
CC: What do you think about Atlanta’s current art scene?
N&S: We feel like the art scene in Atlanta is thriving. Places like The Goat Farm Arts Center offer emerging artists, of all mediums, the opportunity to showcase their work in a historic and raw setting. Mint and Borderline Gallery are also great hosts for new and established [local] artists. One of the best things to come out of Atlanta in the last few years is Living Walls. They’ve revolutionized the street art scene and made our city that much more beautiful.
By Jason Travis
CC: Who are some of your favorite local creatives?
N&S: Native Bear, Found & Fixed, Jason Travis for all the projects he has his hands in (when does that guy sleep?), Fossil & Hide, Melting Sun, Brittany Bass, this list could go on and on….
CC: What’s the ultimate goal for Glean?
N&S: To educate and inspire consumers to appreciate and value where their stuff comes from.
CC: What’s next?
N&S: We’re constantly innovating and experimenting with new products. We are expanding our Etsy Shop; we’ll be introducing kid’s and men’s products into our line, as well as building onto the staples of our brand.
For more info, check out their site gleanatl.com.
