The Gospel of Walking Pants
In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, hears a voice in his Iowa cornfield telling him, “If you build it, he will come.” And with that inspiration, Ray Kinsella steps out in faith and builds a baseball field with no experience and no real business plan. While there are no cornfields in downtown Memphis, and Daryl Andrews and Ashley Parham didn’t actually hear an audible voice coming from the sky telling them to build a store, they did step out in faith in August of 2016 when they signed the lease on a vacant storefront located at 109 G.E. Patterson. And with that faith and a very unorthodox business plan Walking Pants Curiosities was born. And people have come, from every state and 16 countries, and in Daryl’s own words, “That is the thing that blows our minds. We are still in awe…..it’s all been bigger than us.” They dared to dream a dream that was bigger than them, isn’t that really heart of the renaissance and revitalization of downtown Memphis? But I am getting ahead of myself, let’s go back to the beginning…
In the Beginning…
Daryl and Ashley met online in 2015. “We both swiped right,” Ashley said with a smile. But as the saying goes good things come to those who wait, it took over a year for the two to meet and have an official date. During that time Ashley was taking the course to get her real estate license and deleted all social media from her phone and computer to avoid the distraction. When she got back online, she saw where Daryl had written her several times. “He had sent me pictures of the outside of the store. When we had talked previously, we had discussed how I had always wanted to own a boutique.” The couple finally had the long-awaited date on April 18th, and their shared dream of a storefront in the heart of downtown Memphis began to gain momentum. After looking at the space in April, they were told that another person was looking at the property and was ready to sign on the dotted line. Ashley and Daryl knew the time had come to get real about their dream. After getting the support and blessing of their parents, they signed the lease on August 20th, 2016 and began to work in earnest to make Walking Pants a reality. Daryl sums up the process, “We knew we had something special here..we just knew this was the space we needed to be in for some reason.” Then in addressing the unorthodox business model, he states, “It is not necessarily how most people start their businesses…it’s not a normal business plan. But none of it has been, and I think that is one of the reasons it has been so impactful.” Not knowing how they would be received in the neighborhood, Ashley painted the front window with chalkboard paint and a sign introducing themselves to the community and put out business cards for people to take as they readied the space. They created window displays with things they were bringing in to peak the interest of people as they passed by. After a lot of elbow grease, paint, and creativity, the store opened on September 29th, 2016.
The Inspiration….
Daryl brings over 20 years of experience in the architecture and construction fields to the project and that, along with Ashley’s design and real estate experience combined to create, as stated on the store’s Facebook page, The Most Curious Gift and Art Un-General Store Ever Before Found In Historic Downtown Memphis. And that my friends is the truth. The store is filled with creations from local artist and craftsmen as well as eclectic and unique items from vendors new to this area. Pieces that tell stories, many made from things people have discarded or forgotten about. In sharing her vision for the space, Ashley states, “We wanted to create an atmosphere and an experience that when you walk in here, you are taken away from whatever you are dealing with…for it to be a feel-good place.” And from the upbeat music playing throughout the store to the brightly colored displays tucked in every nook and cranny, and the award-winning front window display (Downtown Memphis Christmas Holiday Window Display Contest winner for the past two years!), that vision is evident.
The Mission…
The couple has a passion for their city, a passion that shows in their faces as they talk about this place they call home. “Downtowns carry a stigma,” Daryl states emphatically, “and it is a false stigma because the truth is this the safest zip code in the city.” The couple lives in the apartment above the store and have had front row seats to the growth the city has been experiencing. And the growth they are watching unfold in front of them is slow and sustainable. When describing the growth, Daryl describes it as “It’s natural and organic. We aren’t becoming Nashville. We are taking what we have, and you feel the authenticity here…a sense of activity and movement.” They see the good things that are going on in their city, the good things that unfortunately get overshadowed by the blaring headlines. They understand that for a long time the naysayers of our city have spoken louder than the dreamers, the creators, and the storytellers. But they see the tide changing, and they see the change coming from within the city. People who are not afraid to dream a little bigger, to be a little bolder, and to invest in something they believe in. But this change requires people rolling up their sleeves, being willing to get a little messy and work together to create something they can be proud of, a city they can pass on to their children. “It’s easy to sit behind a screen and type stuff. It’s much harder to, instead of complaining about the schools, go live in the school district. That takes courage, but that is the only way we will begin to see the kind of change we want…you can’t do that from the fringes where it is safe and comfortable. You have to go where it’s uncomfortable to do the kind of things that need to be done in this city.” Daryl says thoughtfully. And that is precisely the type of change that is happening all around us.
The Ministry….
Located on the sidewalk in front of the store is a large wooden spool that was given to them by Shelby Electric Company. The couple came up with the idea to use this wooden spool as a place for friends and family, both old and new, to gather and fellowship. “That is where the idea of ‘Come to the Table’ was born,” Ashley said with a smile. It is around that table that true authentic friendships have been formed. Many times they share meals together, but every time they share life, the ups, the downs, and the plateaus. They encourage each other and share ideas and dreams together. And the most important rule of the sacred table is that all are welcome here, including those living on the streets of our city. “This is a real place, a place for the eccentric, the artist and the misfits. Everyone who comes to this table needs grace, and this extends to the homeless around us as well. We have to show that love works, and it works for everyone,” states Daryl. The sign over the door says Love is Spoken Here, and these aren’t just words to the couple, they truly represent their hearts. Their heart for their neighbors and the people in the city resulted in a very tangible gift last year. Wanting to reuse the sign that had originally hung in front of the storefront, the couple lacked the funds to make that part of their dream a reality on opening day. So for a year, there was a banner above the door with Walking Pants printed on it, and that was ok by them. They knew when the time was right the sign would be made. In the summer of 2017, the sign maker they had originally spoken to contacted them and asked if he could stop by the next day. It was in that meeting that he shared with the couple that an anonymous donor had paid a deposit on the sign, over half the agreed upon price, and that he was ready to create the sign that had been dreaming of. And on September 29th, 2017, exactly one year from the date of their grand opening, the sign was lit. Oh, and did I mention that Daryl proposed to Ashley that night, right out in front of the store, in front of about 100 of their friends and family (and a Facebook/Instagram live stream) right as the sign was lit? Because that happened. And you can bet on a wedding happening in the same place, on one of the most authentic corners of Memphis shortly. Because when you really and truly believe in a city, in a neighborhood, in a place as deeply and passionately as these two do, no other place will do. “Everything that we have done has started right out here,” Ashely says pointing to the table and chairs we are sitting on. “Which to most folks seems kinda crazy.” We don’t think it’s crazy Ashley; we believe it is authentic Memphis style.