By Morgan Bryce
Editor

Classic Southern style with a twist will be the focal point of products that Abby Griffin plans to sell at her soon-to-be-opened downtown Opelika business, “Griff Goods.”
“For people who don’t want to wear a suit-and-tie to work, but don’t know the bridge between exercise clothes, suit-and-tie or a polo with khaki pants, which is very traditional here. I want to be able to offer a new way to introduce styling that fits in that classic mold that we’ve forgotten,” Griffin said.
A Mobile native, Griffin is an apparel design graduate from Auburn University. Since childhood, she said her dream had been to own and operate her own business, a dream that will be realized in the coming weeks.
“I’ve always known that I wanted to do my own business, and I always knew that I wanted to do menswear. It’s a little easier to get into the market for menswear … and I decided to stay in the South after school, where there is minimal menswear,” Griffin said. “A lot of people need help dressing and there’s not a big variety of men’s clothing down here.”
With the opening of her store will be the launch of her own clothing line, “Griff,” which will draw inspiration from Griffin’s life experiences in the South, possess tinges of her own “aesthetic design and preferences” and rely on materials which are sustainable and ethically sourced.
“We want to be a trusted place where you can find clothing that is made well and good quality but you know that the people that are behind it are having fair wages and that they’re not living in slums and that they’re being taken care of,” Griffin said.
Housed in the new entertainment district being developed by Opelika businessman Richard Patton, the space that Griff Goods occupies will be divided in half, with the front being designated for a retail space and back for designing, pattern-making, production and a studio space which will be in eyesight of customers.
“Traditionally, the fashion industry is a very closed-off, secretive process, and I want to open that up to people. When people walk in, they’ll be able to see me (in the) back sewing, cutting or working,” Griffin said.
Griff Goods has already been open for a handful of soft openings, but will remain closed until mid-January as Griffin prepares the shop for extended hours and full-fledged opening.
For more information, like and follow the business’s social media pages or visit www.shopgriffgoods.com. The shop’s physical address is 719 First Ave.