LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville couple is making bowties to offer customers a way to own a piece of Louisville history.

"StoryWood Bowties" is run by Ali Muhammad and Maya Williamson, who create a piece of wearable art with a local twist. They ask "what story are you wearing." "I've always been intrigued by stories. I love stories. I love telling stories," said Muhammad.

With every piece of wood he cuts, Muhammad is telling a tale, but it's his own story that led to where he is today. "I grew up in not the best situation. My mama was a hustler. My daddy was a hustler. My whole family was basically hustlers, but by the wrong definition," said Muhammad.

At 18, he says he got into what he describes as some trouble, a brush with the law that changed his life. "I'm not going to get in trouble ever again. Instead, let's go to college," he said.

He enrolled in JCTC and got involved in the Samuel Plato Academy, a trade program that teaches historic restoration and preservation.

That's where he met Williamson and how the two began the company. "How do we bring history to a younger crowd and we don't think there's a better way to do that than bowties," said Muhammad.

The two take discarded wood from historic building restoration projects in Louisville, then craft them into bowties. "We want to tell the story behind each one and how they impact and affect Louisville," said Muhammad.

As historic Whiskey Row burned to the ground, questions remained about the project's future. Muhammad saw potential immediately. "I went through what was some pretty charred up, burned up pieces and I grabbed what I could salvage," he said.

In addition to Whiskey Row, the pair have also made accessories from wood from the Filson Historical Society and the Quinn Chapel. "We saw it was connected to the Underground Railroad. We saw that slaves were connected to it, Martin Luther King Jr. And it made it so proud of our city, it made us proud of this church and it made us proud to know it and share that with other people," said Williamson.

Muhammad planes the historic wood, cuts it and uses a laser cutter to finish the design. Williamson then sews the fabric part of the tie. The pair do hours of research on the featured buildings, which is then passed on to the customer.

"We're losing historic buildings every single day and when they're gone, they're gone. There's nothing you can do to bring them back," said Muhammad.

StoryWood Bowties gives customers a chance to own a piece of Louisville history, while creating their own story. "If you don't know your history, then it'll just keep repeating itself," said Muhammad.

StoryWood Bowties will be on display during a fashion show November 18 at Club Play.

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