Brian Hagwood of Headliners Plus (Gulfport, MS)
What does being an upholsterer mean to you?
Being an upholsterer gives me the ability to make something old look new.
How did you get started in upholstery?
I’ve always been infatuated with custom interiors. Nobody would teach me, so I taught myself. I taught myself by making mistakes, asking people, and just figuring it out.
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What types of upholstery do you do?
Street rods, hot rods, antiques and classics, boats, and some restaurants. Anything that can be covered in material we do it.
How long have you been upholstering?
I've been in business for 29 years!
What is your biggest consumer demand?
Cruisin’ The Coast®
America’s Largest Block Party! https://cruisinthecoast.com/
What is your favorite upholstery project you've done?
A 1957 Chevrolet for a man that was handicapped. We converted everything over so that it was handicap accessible for him to be able to get in and out. He cried when he picked it up. He didn’t think that it could be done. We had the interior so he could sit down in the seat and turn to get out. He could lean his seat down far enough so that he could access his wheelchair out.
What is the strangest item you've found in a restoration?
$5000 in a seat in a junk yard. It was around Christmas time, so I split it up between all the guys in the shop.
Have you noticed any up and coming trends?
Starlight headliners -- people are goings crazy over those.
What changes would benefit the upholstery industry?
I wouldn’t change anything. It’s just part of life, things change. You have to just go with the times.
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Have you ever been featured on television, online, or in another publication?
Just advertisements.
Some answers have been edited for clarity.
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