About » History

Scarlett Begonia, founded in 1981, is the true definition of a family-owned business. After marrying in 1976, owners Jack and Kyle Elias traveled in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Inspired by their love of South America and its native cultures, with fair trade first and foremost, they began to dream of opening a shop.

On October 1, 1981, their dream came true as they opened Scarlett Begonia at 2805 West End Avenue in Nashville, TN. Their original objective remains, to provide an outlet for struggling artisans from around the world and expose native cultures through their folk art and clothing.

Over the next 10 years they experimented with a second shop in Franklin, TN and a franchise shop in Greenville, SC. In 1988, a decision was made to consolidate the business into the original location on West End Ave, and the store was expanded from 500 sq ft. to the 2,300 sq ft. it remains today.

Inspired by Scarlett Begonia’s success, Jack’s sister, Nancy, opened Orchid Lane in Ann Arbor, MI in 1985. She, her husband, and her daughter are direct importers from India, Indonesia, Nepal, Guatemala, and beyond. In 2004, the two families began to work more closely together, allowing both shops to expand the array of merchandise available and further assisting the struggling artisans around the world.

Another dream has come true as Jack and Kyle’s daughter, Gabriela, is now an integral part of the business. She is buying more contemporary lines of clothing, complimenting the ethnic collections and keeping the business young and fresh. Scarlett Begonia has something for everyone, young and old, male and female, stylish or ethnic with an emphasis on environmentally friendly goods and, as always, fair trade.

The family-owned business came full circle in 2010 when another sister store, Sugar Magnolia, opened in Raleigh, NC with Jack and Kyle’s son, John Cooper, overseeing the day-to-day operations. The Scarlett Begonia and Elias family hopes to continue to grow, helping to bring quality fair-trade merchandise to you while supporting communities around the world.