Local couple Brandon Berrett and Xim McMillian launched a Kickstarter on Feb. 6th for their new product Fanny Hammy, a hammock stitched into a fanny pack that comes in four different designs.
With the Kickstarter platform, Berrett and McMillian have 28 days from the launch of their website to raise $30,000 in order to meet their goal.
In July 2017, Berrett and McMillian, inspired by their love of nature, conceived their product. “Being outside and being able to get a fresh breath of air is healing. We are constantly reminded of that, and that is what we want to convey with this product,” Berrett said.
After coordinating with a seamstress who could bring the project to life, the team began prototyping the Fanny Hammy, and by November 2017, the design was finalized.
“We’re learning everything business related from marketing, to the pitfalls and everything in between. It has been really fun,” Berrett said.
Fanny Hammy team’s learning curve is marketing and branding strategies.
“What you put out there is a representation of who you are and it is also a way of being. We want this to be a way of being closer to nature,” McMillian said.
To that end, McMillian composed the Fanny Hammy motto: “Let nature hold you.”
The mission of the project, and of the company, is to encourage others to cultivate creativity while on journeys to become the best versions of themselves.
“Creativity is when you can become the best version of yourself, that is unique, that is you,” Barrett said. “No one can take that away from you. The product from that is art. And that is what this company and this product are. It is our little tattoo in the universe.”
In addition to environmental priorities, one of the company’s goals is to ensure that the manufacturing environment is safe for their workers and meets high human rights standards.
To ensure the best standards for workers, Berrett and McMillian plan on visiting factories where their product will be manufactured so that they can become personally acquainted with the workers and show them love in the hope that, in turn, their product can be made with love.
The Fanny Hammy offers four different designs, which Berrett and McMillian believe will fit anyone’s taste: Fashion Forward Floral, Totally Rad 80’s Color Block, Earthy Acid Wash Denim and Sophisticated Dark Denim.
If you would like more information or would like to get involved with the Fanny Hammy project visit their Instagram @thefannyhammy.