Martha Ellen Gunn has always had a passion for contemporary embroidering and clothing repair, but she is just as outspoken in her love for Birmingham and the many incredible people who call it home. Her wonderful Forest Park shop, Mend, highlights all these influences in a creative way that pleases the eye while healing our garments.
Mend has long been Martha Ellen’s name for her creative endeavors, but the business itself has vastly transformed over the years. The concept began in 2011, with embroidery being her primary focus. After graduating from Auburn, Martha Ellen took a job as an event planner for a local nonprofit. Part of this job entailed selling paper jewelry made from women in Northern Uganda at various markets throughout the state, which gave her experience and a booth to split for the rising entrepreneur. She started successfully selling her own work at markets like Pepper Place and the Woodlawn Street Market and eventually decided to pursue her passion in a full-time manner. Friends like Morgan and Duquette Johnson of Club Duquette, Jake Carnley of Great Bear Wax Co., and Armand Margjeka (then with Woodlawn Cycle Cafe, now with Buka Market and Cafe) made major impacts on Martha Ellen’s early career.
Jake was amongst the first to ask Mend to repair their pants, and his connection with the Birmingham denim crowd (Martha Ellen’s favorite type of clothing to repair) quickly led to a steady stream of clients. At the time she was working out of a small, Southside apartment, often setting up fittings at Club Duquette to keep the appearance of a professional business. As the business kept gaining traction, Mend needed a more permanent home which came in the form of a small room in the back of Dreamers Supply Co.’s store in February 2019.
When the pandemic hit, Martha Ellen used the first month of quarantine to make a steady stream of masks. She didn’t require any money for the fabric face guards, but donations were accepted and appreciated. This kind action led to a huge rise in awareness for the brand and the need for a bigger space. At the same time, her friends at Dreamers were re-focusing their business to be more of an online store. This led to Mend taking half of Dreamers’ brick-and-mortar space, before eventually moving to the full store on April 1st.
The walls have already been repainted and soon a brand new logo will be featured on the lovely Forest Park business window. Although Dreamers has left the building, a collection of wonderful Birmingham businesses who jokingly call themselves “the girls of 825” after the building’s address remain. This includes Sway Design Studios, a stained glass business owned by Martha Ellen’s sister and sister-in-law, Color Melt Studio, and Kind Roots Yoga.
The quick rise in business has not only led to an expansion for Mend, but it’s also provided more knowledge about casual wear alterations to much of young Birmingham. Martha Ellen doesn’t enjoy wedding wear alterations but likes to focus on “clothes that everyone wears every day to make you feel good - versus just okay on one day.” She loves extending the life of clothes that people love “whether it’s a $600 shirt or something from Target” and is passionate about repair and alterations as solutions to the alarming trend that is fast fashion. Many people are learning about this global issue and shopping differently, but that doesn’t mean they don’t already have a closet full of clothes. Martha Ellen is here to extend their use in a beautiful way.
Repairs are the other big service provided by Mend, with either patching and darning being used based on what’s preferred by the client. Martha Ellen absolutely loves when a client brings something in from the 80s or 90s with the intention of restoring it with a more modern feel. Whether the visitor knows exactly what they want or wants to brainstorm right there in the store, it’s always a fun adventure. Local businesses like Devore Vintage take it a step further, providing Mend with articles of clothing from the Victorian era to the 1970s to work on.
Mend is quickly becoming a Birmingham staple, and Martha Ellen herself is a big part of the reason why. From her work with Josh Cox on Bham Loft Show and their podcast, to running the shop, it’s hard to find a bigger advocate for the city. When asked about Birmingham, she was quick to call it the most encouraging place for an entrepreneur.
“I could not imagine starting a business, an obscure business I feel like too, in another city with the same amount of encouragement - the encouragement for small businesses, the encouragement for shopping local, supporting art in any form. I know other cities say similar things, but there’s something about our big, little city that is just magical. It really has all the amenities of a big city that you need with a small town backbone.”
The city is thankful to have Mend be a part of this growing community, and we encourage everyone to support this small business and her neighbors!
Photo credit: Cathrine Taylor Cox
