To the background of the music sung by his sewing machine, Aaron Brown's confident and rapid movements transform, after a few scissor movements, a piece of fabric into a magnificent royal blue bow tie.
This 28-year-old from Macon works without a boss as he shares the story of his bow tie company, BowFRESH Bowties. It all started in 2014 when he opened a GoFundMe account, a crowdfunding platform, and raised $5.000 $ to create his company.
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While he started by opening a physical store in the center of Macon, in 2016 he decided to become a 100% online company. "My clients have really helped me," said. “ They were almost asking me what I needed in order for this to happen.» He acknowledges that the local community has played a huge role in the success of his business.
He remembers making a bow tie for a young boy on his way to the freshman prom. A few years later, he made her a new bow tie for her prom.
“That's the beauty of a small business. You see people grow up, form a family, and somehow they become members of yours.»
The family Brown is talking about, his clients, are of all ages. He makes bow ties for newborns or 90-year-old retirees. He even once made a model for a pig. Aroon Brown's personalized bow ties are often found in wedding ceremonies.
“Sometimes you think thinking about your work, how incredible that these people trusted you with something as sacred as a marriage,” he said. declared.
A bow tie with a deceased little girl's favorite dress
One of the most impactful projects he has worked on is touching. A mother who had just lost her daughter had brought her her favorite dress. His task was to create bow ties for the dad and his brothers for the time of the funeral.
“You really have to trust someone to give them such a task, it was so delicate, I didn't want to miss it.»
A family affair
Aaron Brown learned to sewing from his family. His dad was the tailor for the Seattle Supersonics, an NBA team that is no longer today. From scratch, he created costumes for all the basketball players on the team. Her grandmother and her mother were also seamstresses by profession. He started by making cushion covers.
"I was young, and I wanted to sew, " he said. "So they taught me how to make slipcovers. I had fun cutting up old T-shirts to turn them into covers. »
But it was above all his godmother's sister who influenced him the most. She worked in the fashion industry. Brown learned alongside her, helping her prepare for her shows. He had somehow become his protege. Every time he created something new, he called her to show her with pride. However, it was Aaron's brother who came up with the idea for the name of the company.
At the moment, the bow ties only take up part of his time. He also works for the administration of an Atlanta hospital. He hopes that one fine day he will be able to live from his passion. "I just want to keep doing what I'm doing, and go as far as possible, especially to inspire other vocations," he said.