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BUSINESS Retail • Projects • Profiles
Coloring Outside the Lines
Amy Leavell Bransford will expand Aviary Beauty + Wellness to Summerhill this summer
By Collin Kelley
T he daughter of a rock legend and a
pioneering businesswoman, Amy
Leavell Bransford forged her own
path with trailblazing Aviary Beauty
+ Wellness and SparrowHawk
Studio, both located at Studioplex in Old
Fourth Ward. With a second location of
Aviary opening in Summerhill this June, we
talked to Bransford about growing up in a
famous family, meeting David Bowie, and
her mission to create space for artists who
“color outside the lines.” And, of course, we
got her eclectic playlist — filled with new and
classic tunes — for our In the Mix series. Scan
the code under her photo or search Atlanta
Intown on Spotify.
Q. Aviary was a trailblazer on Intown’s spa
scene. Can you reflect on your decision to
open the shop and its growth after more
than a decade in business?
A. When I opened in 2009 it was a response
to the fact that I didn’t fit into the mold of
the typical Atlanta spa. I had experience
working in a local day spa that was very “Zen
with a water feature
and New Age music”
and that wasn’t me.
The other option
was very clinical,
like a doctor’s office.
When I found my 1,100 square foot studio
in Old Fourth Ward, I knew it was home.
The space is very rustic, industrial and the
history of the building really spoke to me.
The courtyard entry with all of the fruit trees
and vines makes Studioplex one of Atlanta’s
most unique buildings that has always been
home to creative residents and businesses.
I opened a boutique tattoo studio there in
2017, SparrowHawk Studio. Again, it was a
response to there not being a place for artists
to work who felt like they didn’t fit into the
mold of the typical shop. I am very proud of
that; we are a collective of Misfit Toys. Now,
I am expanding Aviary Beauty + Wellness
to a second location in Summerhill. I guess
we just keep going to try to provide jobs for
people who want to color outside the lines.
Q. Your mom, Rose Lane Leavell, ran a
successful boutique in Macon, GA for
a quarter of a
century. What
did she teach you
about running
your own
business?
A. I literally grew
up in mom’s shop,
Cornucopia,
which was
Macon’s most
fashion forward
boutique. She
opened it when I
was 2. Mom was
carrying lines like
Betsy Johnson
many years
before it was a
department store
brand. Going on
shopping trips
with Mom to Atlanta and New York taught
me to look for brands that are unique and
not ubiquitous, which I do for my own
business today. Growing up in a woman-
owned business, whose clientele were also
mostly women and trans women, influenced
me a lot. Macon also had an underground
trans and drag scene at the Pegasus Lounge
until it burned in the 1980s, and many of
them shopped for their gowns and apparel at
Cornucopia. So being a child of my parents
exposed me to a lot of experiences that
shaped who I am today.
Q. Your dad, keyboardist Chuck Leavell,
is a familiar name to anyone who loves the
Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones. How
did growing up in a musical household
inspire you?
A. My Dad moved away from his hometown
ofTuscaloosa, AL as a teenager to go to
Muscle Shoals and play on soul records,
which was a shocking
thing to do at the
time. This was all
with the civil rights
movement happening
in the background.
When I stop to think
about that sometimes,
I think how punk that
was for the era. He
later moved to Macon
and met my mom,
who worked for the
record label. So, they
were OG “it” couple in
the early 1970s. I also
worked for Capricorn
Records as a publicist
to bands like Cake
and Widespread Panic when they moved to
Atlanta in the ‘90s. Having the experience of
growing up in a musical family and then later
having the experience of working with the
Walden family really shaped me. Phil Walden
[co-founder of Capricorn] was a legend, and
I got to work outside his office every day.
Q. Okay, you have to dish on at least one
cool celebrity encounter.
A. My favorite one ever is David Bowie. It
was during a Rolling Stones tour in the ‘90s
when backstage of every concert was a who’s
who of celebrity A List. I saw Dad talking
with Bowie across the room and walked over
to inject myself into the conversation for a
forced introduction. He was such a kind man
he asked me a lot of questions about myself
with genuine, even if pretend, interest. I’m
not sure whether Bowie tried to elevate me to
his level or he met me at mine, but it’s a thing
I think about a lot in relationships. Meeting
people where they are is something I strive
for.
Q. What song or album is on constant
repeat these days?
A. The first song on my playlist is
Wildfires from the band Sault. This is
probably my favorite stye of music. Also, I
love Cherry Glazer. My husband [Steve] and
kids went to Pappy & Harriet’s for lunch
on a visit to Joshua Tree in 2018 and they
were performing. I have been pretty obsessed
ever since. My kids, Rocco and Miles, are
12 and 15 and in their own music discovery
right now. They are delving into bands like
Gorillaz, Radiohead and Tame Impala. I
loved Brit pop so it has been fun to rediscover
Damon Albarn music with them. I also
remember doing the same thing with my
parents’ records when I was their age, except
it was REM’s “Murmur” or Jimi Hendrix’s
“Electric Ladyland.” QH
16 May 2021 | Q3
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