Building a Community with COMMUNITY

There are some places in Athens, GA that feel less like stores and more like chapters in your life. For me, Community is one of those places.

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I was first introduced to Community through my wife, Tabitha Fielteau, back in 2016. She became one of the sewing instructors at Community. Before that, the shop was in a small upper space on North Jackson Street. It felt intimate, personal, like something you discovered rather than something you stumbled into.

Over the years, I’ve watched the relationship between Tabitha and the owner Sanni, grow. What started as classes turned into friendship, collaboration, and mutual support. The kind of creative trust that wasn’t manufactured but built slowly.

Community’s 2016 New Space Grand Opening featuring Tabitha Fielteau designs. 

It has grown from that small upstairs space to the thriving storefront it is today. From redesigned vintage pieces to full collections, from local makers support to partnering with the University of Georgia to repair the team’s jerseys. Growth like that doesn’t happen by accident, it happens because someone believes in sustainability, craft, and the people.

In 2024, I had the privilege of photographing the Community Service Collection. When a brand invites you to shoot their personal collection, that’s more than a collaboration, that’s trust. It means they believe you understand their voice and that’s meaningful.

Sanni has always supported Tabitha and me, not just professionally, but personally. She was even there to celebrate our wedding/vow renewal. She’s shown up for us the same way she showed up for Athens. That’s the part people don’t always see when they walk into Community. They see the clothing, the handmade pieces, the curated goods, but what they don’t see is the years of relationships stitched into the walls.

They don’t see the students who learned to sew in the back of the store, the designers who got their first retail space, and the quiet repairs that extended the life of something meaningful.

Being a part of documenting that growth has been one of my favorite experiences as a photographer in Athens. I firmly believe in supporting local brands in collaboration, and I believe the most powerful stories aren’t the loudest ones, they’re the ones that grow slowly over time. Community isn’t just a boutique in downtown Athens; it’s a creative home and I’m grateful to have watched it grow.

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If you’re creating something meaningful whether it’s a brand, a business or a legacy, I’d be honored to help your story.