Our Story

True South Designs is a small gift company based out of Richmond Hill, GA - just south of Savannah.
The co-founders, Marianne Willams and Stephanie Kisgen, have a deep “love of place” that includes people and elements surrounding them. This deep love inspired the two creators to collaborate and blend their creativity and ideas to form a small business that represented all the things they love in their small coastal town. When they started creating, the two friends quickly came to realize this “love of place” resonated with locals and tourists alike all over the map.
An article written about True South, coined the company as being “Gritty Couture”, Marianne and Stephanie couldn’t agree more with how this represents the beauty they find in oyster shells and interesting finds around the small towns they capture.
True South Designs collaborates with local artisans to capture that warm feeling one experiences visiting a small town on watercolor maps. These maps are then transferred to make their signature oyster shell ornaments, tea towels, art prints, and an entire line of gift items.