With nod to history, ElementsBhm looks toward future
It’s hard for anyone passing through to miss Crestwood’s newest retail tenant, ElementsBhm.
Since co-owners Johnnie Shaneyfelt and Mallory Barnett recently opened their apparel and accessory store on June 25, they said they’ve had a steady stream of curious locals drop in to check it out.
“We’ve been toying with the idea [of opening a shop] for a long time,” Barnett said.
Before the store, they had a booth set up in Urban Suburban and frequented Crestline Coffee Shop. When a space opened up just a few stores down, they couldn’t think of a better location.
Barnett described their retail store as selling “basics that you need, that we all want to wear every day, but with an eclectic flair.”
Previously, Barnett and Shaneyfelt had both worked at several retail stores. After working in a dermatology and skin care office, Barnett decided it was time she went back to retail and do something that they both really wanted to do. Plus, they felt there wasn’t a lot of men’s shopping around town, so they wanted to add to that.
Shaneyfelt and Barnett are both life partners as well as business partners.
“We do a lot of things together,” Shaneyfelt laughed. “But we did this because we do work well together. Mallory is decisive and fast, and I’m thorough and want to research everything. We balance each other out professionally and personally.”
Barnett and Shaneyfelt said they did extensive research and searching through a lot of “internet rabbit holes” to find the clothes that would occupy their store. They chose the kind of cool brands that they’ve seen past retail bosses pass up on, as well as some comfortable favorites they’ve remembered from over the years or that people would recognize. But they also wanted to bring in some new items they hadn’t seen around Birmingham.
“[The name] Elements is a nod to the Magic City, our iron history. Also it is about the elements that make up your style, what you throw into your jeans and shirt that make a difference,” Barnett said. “It’s about some weird socks or wild shirt, about how you make yourself stand out, but to still appreciate and embrace the casualness.”
ElementsBhm also sells from local vendors including TJ Wood Works, Champion Limited, the 1871 project, Counterfeit Rabbit, Katherine Cooper, Small Woods Studio, City Bee Co. and Lindsey Brook.
“That was another big drive in opening the store in general — we could have a place where all these talented and local people we know could sell their goods,” Barnett said.
They hope to continue to talk to more local vendors and get them on board for selling at ElementsBhm. Barnett and Shaneyfelt said they also have some new items coming in for this fall.
“We are excited to carry some new lines, new recognizable lines, and continue building our inventory, both men’s and women’s, bringing in some classic brands, some of our most requested lines,” Shaneyfelt said.
The store is located at 5502B Crestwood Blvd. To learn more, search @ElementsBhm on Facebook.