THAT MADE NASHVILLE AN “IT” CITY

A LOOK BACK How Tennessee

fought for woman suffrage

DEFININGMOMENTS303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030303030

SUPER LAWYERS:OUR ANNUAL LIST

PAGE 101

WINTER TRAVEL:3 SKI DESTINATIONS

PAGE 92

LUXURYGIFT

GUIDE

Holiday

+

December 2015 nash v i l l e l i f e s t y l e s . c om

12.15 NL Cover Final.indd 2 11/18/15 2:38 PM

CO

UR

TESY

OF

BE

IJA

-FLO

R J

EA

NS

DENIM

The Perfect FitA premium denim brand expands its offerings to Nashville.

Like many women who aren’t of supermodel proportions, Emilie Whitaker always had trouble finding pants that fit just right. It wasn’t until the petite South Carolina native’s mother brought her a pair of figure-flattering jeans from Brazil that an idea began to percolate: This is how denim was meant to fit real women, and she was going to introduce that style to the U.S. market. “A lot of times women have to make a choice between something that fits them and looks good. You don’t get to have both—and it often winds up looking matronly,” says Whitaker, CEO and cofounder of Beija-Flor Jeans. “That was the challenge I was finding. I was 25 when we started the company, and I wasn’t ready to make the jump to ‘mom jeans.’ I’m still not ready to make that jump.” Her mom, Kathy Moça, had a background in retail, and Whitaker studied fashion merchandising at the University of South Carolina, so they combined skill sets. Whitaker’s father hails from Brazil, one of the world’s leading producers of denim, and that’s where the duo sources all of their ma-terials. The Brazilians are particularly masterful with blending fibers, she says, bringing both performance and technology to cotton. “As women, [Brazilians] really embrace their curves and their fem-ininity. They’re not about covering themselves up,” Whitaker explains. “We’re really inspired by the creativity of Brazil. They always put a little twist in everything they do, from food to music, and we think that comes out in our jeans.” Beija-Flor, which means “hummingbird” in Portuguese, debuted a decade ago as a wholesaler. In 2014, Whita-

ker and Moça opened their flagship store in Greenville, South Carolina, and this past fall, Bloomingdale’s started carrying the line. The Edgehill Village outpost in Nashville

quickly followed. “I like being in an area like this that’s unique,” Whitaker says. “It took a lot of creativity to outfit this store—and being in a strip mall just wouldn’t fit

our brand.” Beija-Flor designs come in four silhouettes, and patrons can shop by style, fit, or leg opening, then choose from a handful of washes. Eventu-

ally, there may be additional Beija-Flor boutiques, but for now,

Whitaker is excited to dive into her new part-time home.

“For us, being a Southern brand, we often don’t get as much respect in

the fashion world because everyone is always New York or L.A.,” Whitaker says. “But Nashville represents how the South is starting to get respect from a design perspective, and we are eager to be a part of that.” (1201 Villa Pl., 800-540-6241; beijaflorjeans.com) —Kristin Luna

“Being a Southern brand, we often don’t get as much respect in the fashion world because everyone is always New York or L.A.. But

Nashville represents how the South is starting to get respect from

a design perspective, and we are eager to be a part of that.”

Cofounder Kathy Moça Cofounder

Emilie Whitaker

12.15-NL_49-64.indd 57 11/18/15 12:26 PM