Made South 2015

This weekend our friends Chris and Kimberly—the owners of Made South, a box subscription for Southern-made goods—decided to bring their brand to life and to the natives of their Nashville home by hosting a gathering with some of their favorite makers. Bringing makers from all of the southern states, Made South was a weekend of camaraderie, food, music, and fun. 

From candles to canoes, if there's something handcrafted you're looking for, it could have been found there. Some of our favorite makers were there, including Great Bear Wax Co., Everyday Eclectic, Gents, Kentucky for Kentucky, and Loyal Stricklin. Here's a recap of some of our favorite artists, events, and people from the Made South. Until next time!

Authentic Lives | Dusty St. Amand

Fifty NYC Hotel, NYC.

Meet Dusty, a model and photographer currently living in NYC but who is moving to LA soon. He's been an instagram friend for over a year and this weekend I—Heath (@afieldguy)—was finally able to meet and shoot him while in NYC.

This shoot is a mix of fashion images I shot of Dusty for FOLK, and a few skin portraits for my new series, Brief Explorations, as well as a quick interview with Dusty.

Interview with Dusty:

Question: When/how did you first start modeling?

Dusty: I started modeling so that I could be around artists. I’d spent a long period of time without something to say and without a medium to say it, even if I did. A few years ago, as I was coming out a relationship, I realized that sharing my image was a way of participating in global conversations about sex, queerness, hair, and modern digital expression. 

Q: What is your favorite adventure you've ever been on?

D: My recent trip to Los Angeles is still buzzing in my mind. I went alone, functioned at my own pace, and got to know incredible people.

Q: What is your best fitness tip?

D: Diet. When you cut the amount of effort you put into knowingly toxifying your body, you in turn cut the amount of time spent ridding the body of those effects. This allows the body to rest, restore, and continue thriving into old age.

Q: What is your biggest vice?

D: Social Media can be a tool and vice. There are times when I have to get my phone away from my hand because it’s taking too much of my energy.

Q: What does 'home' mean to you?

D: Home is where I feel I can be vulnerable or flawed, while being supported and loved. That can exist in bonds between lovers, in moments of camaraderie at work, or in physical places that hold my things.

Q: How will your moving to LA change that?

D: Moving to LA is a reminder for me to always remain focused on personal happiness and creative work. I’m placing myself in a new circumstances so that I feel ascendant and, in turn, feel much happier (and “at home” just with myself, my actions, and dreams).

To see more of my work, including an upcoming blog post of this series' images, visit my website at www.afieldguy.com or my Instagram—@afieldguy.

Special thanks to Dusty for being an amazing and inspiring model. You can find more of his work on his Instagram—@dusterz—and order prints of his own amazing photography on his website www.suchdustyphotos.com.