Meet Emmanuel Legrair | Founder, The Commonwealth

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emmanuel Legrair and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emmanuel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I actually started blogging after I competed graduate school at Vanderbilt University. I achieved great success and was invited to so many amazing events! While I met great people, learned a great deal, I wanted to create experiences with the men’s fashion aficionado at the forefront – so I started planning events and eventually began calling it ‘The Commonwealth.’

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a bit of a hybrid professional that wears MANY hats but I love it. By day, I am the Creative Director at R.H. Boyd – a Nashville-based publishing and printing company. Outside of work, I founded The Commonwealth, an events company that intimately connects the Nashville Menswear community with the local and national brads that share their same values. I also am a professional (live and session) background vocalist and a stylist.

I think that what sets me apart is my multi-faceted nature. It was not easy to get to the point where I was comfortable with that because I felt like it made me different from everyone else – but I now realize that that’s the selling point, or the ‘magic’ as they say.

I want people to know that while I seem ambitious, I really do have a heart for people – in all of my introvertedness. My events themselves are based in community and genuine connection in a diverse and welcoming atmosphere because I did not get that in spheres that I looked to join early in my career and life. I truly hope that that is evident in my work, my service, and relationships.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my friend was visiting Nashville, I would take them to Sunflower Cafe – a great vegan restaurant that I take every visitor to, and Kisser because the food is amazing! I would, of course, bring them to an event of mine so they could experience that. I’d also make sure we went to the Frist Art Museum, Vanderbilt University (Anchor Down), and an HBCU tour because we have 4 of them. If they have not been to Nashville, I would also take them to Broadway to experience it in all of its glory as well as the National Museum of African-American Music. Because I always have work to do, we would work and chill at the Malin and Soho House – because aesthetics – and coffee at 8th and Roast.

There is so much more – but I think that this is a great place to start. I don’t want to overtax them while they’re on vacation!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate this Shoutout to my parents who have been an awesome example of hard work, sacrifice, generosity, and faith. Their prayers and guidance have gotten me through many hardships.

Website: ejlegrair.com / the-commonwealth.co

Instagram: @ejlegrair @thecommonwealth_

Linkedin: ejlegrair

Image Credits
The photos are taken by Ben Lalisan, LeXander Bryant, HARE, Daniel Baraka, Elijah Rodney, and Michael Deppisch