These Companies Are Saving Southern Classics

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These Companies Are Saving Southern Classics

The Outlaw Jacket

Maker: Savannah Yarborough, of Savas
Locale: Nashville, Tennessee

Waylon. Johnny. Merle. They all had one: an outlaw jacket in leather. The attire became synonymous with Nashville mystique, something the native Alabamian, Central Saint Martins design school graduate, and Billy Reid alum Savannah Yarborough understands implicitly. “The leather jacket is a deep-rooted garment made to inspire, protect, and make the wearer feel powerful,” she says. “I’m aiming for each jacket to make you feel like you do when you listen to your favorite song, not just create a ‘look.’” Every made-to-order piece sewn by hand at Savas, Yarborough’s Music City workshop, tells a story. The studded Black Star (shown here), a distressed lambskin design that resembles canvas, projects femininity and grit all at once. She hand sands the full-grain lamb suede used to make the Marlon, inspired by Brando’s iconic The Wild One jacket, to imbue it with layers of color. The Denham, a classic denim jacket shape composed of thin, buttery soft leather, features a singular embroidered lining. Then there are the bespoke jackets and stage pieces Yarborough designs for clients and musicians that are one of a kind, from the silhouette to the buttons—those have stories, too. And they all have swagger. ateliersavas.com

photo: Alice Gao