Real estate developers and longtime Nashville residents Gerald and Debbie Frank, have turned their passion for Music City into a lifestyle brand that represents natives, transplants and tourists alike.
NASHVILLE, TN (July 1, 2015) – Gerald and Debbie Frank, have officially launched their new Nashville-centric apparel line Original Nashville (ON) to showcase their pride and passion for their beloved Music City.
The ON brand is more than just a collection of tees and caps. The Nashville-born and bred company represents the style, the culture, and the swag that is unique to Nashville, which happens to manifest itself in the form of apparel.
“My husband and I have lived in Nashville for about 20 years. Like any transplant in Nashville, we really fell in love with the city immediately – every authentic aspect that makes up Nashville,” said Debbie Frank, Original Nashville co-founder. “We wanted to capture our love and appreciation for the things that make Nashville Nashville, the place that we call home.”
As a real estate developer, former city planner, and civic leader, Debbie Frank has contributed to many aspects of Nashville’s built environment. For 20 years, she has witnessed the city’s vibrant culture and burgeoning tourism industry from the inside-out. Debbie’s career path has led her to roles as diverse as serving as a project manager for the Music City Center; to developing the West Eastland townhomes in East Nashville's Maxwell/Greenwood neighborhood; and heading up a community-based development organization affiliated with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Original Nashville co-founder and real estate developer Gerald Frank, a former Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Assistant Professor, has seen a different – yet no less impressive – side of Nashville’s growth. Through his positions at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Meharry Medical College, and Nashville State, Gerald has witnessed 20 years of changes to the thriving higher education and medical field in Nashville, which now boasts the largest concentration of higher education students enrolled in a four-state region.
Throughout their careers, one sentiment held true – the couple continued to grow more and more enamored with the city they call home.
“It’s the simple things that give Nashville its unique identity,” said Gerald Frank. “With the ON brand, we want to showcase those aspects in a fun and engaging way that we believe holds true in the minds of locals and visitors alike.” ON is about the genuine pride and self-identification Nashvillians have with their city, the authenticity and grit of its people, and the distinct culture and tradition that permeates every aspect of this booming town.
“It’s a southern style, but it’s a style that goes beyond fashion,” said Frank. “It happens to be surfacing as an apparel line, but we hope that it will evolve into something much bigger.”
ON apparel is available online starting July 1 and in select Nashville retailers soon. For more information or to shop ON’s collection of apparel, visit www.originalnashville.com.
About Original Nashville
Original Nashville (ON) launched in 2015 as a southern lifestyle brand that represents founders Gerald and Debbie Frank’s pride and passion for Nashville. More than just a line of tees and caps, ON represents the grit, pride and authenticity of Nashville’s culture and its people. For more information about ON, visit www.originalnashville.com.