Goods & Heroes is more than an adventurous boutique and art space in downtown Three Oaks. It’s creative director Suzanna Bierwirth’s vision, made real. On a brisk fall afternoon, we sat down with Suzanna on one of the shop’s big, tufted couches. We talked about stories that inspire her and how Yarn Haus, Goods & Heroes’ shop-in-a-shop for knitters, can help people find meaning during tough times.

To start, tell us when Southwest Michigan clicked for you—when you fell in love.  

Friends I worked with in advertising had houses out here, and we would come to Southwest Michigan from Chicago to brainstorm. Now, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It’s perfect because I can be who I am, and I can change my mind 50,000 times. This is my creative playground, and it’s a dream.

Also, it feels very much like home. It’s the same climate and the same vegetation as where I’m from in northwest Germany. The small-town living suits me well. I’m from a small town. It makes sense to me.

How so?

Growing up in a small town, a sense of responsibility for your community was drilled into me. My father was on the town council and very politically engaged. It was always, ‘Your community comes first.’

How did Goods & Heroes begin?

I always liked Three Oaks. In 2016, there was a storefront available at 24 Elm Street. In advertising, I had a stationery business on the side, so retail wasn’t foreign to me. I bought the building, we opened, and there was not one fleck of clothing in there. It was all beautiful jewelry, sculptural pieces, interesting objects, and art. It was fun. We were only open weekends, and I did it as a hobby. Then a year and a half in, I brought in a leather jacket line and a couple pairs of shoes, because I’m a shoe addict. And it just exploded.

Wow. So what is this leather jacket? 

It’s Mauritius leather—a German company. Very fun, very reasonably priced. I like a good leather jacket because for me, that’s a practical object. 

Do you have criteria for what you bring into the store? 

There has to be a designer at the helm. I bring in lines where I can speak to the person who makes it and understand why they make it, and their design intent. Also, I want to know the DNA of a line. Why do they exist? What is their purpose? Do they have a story? 

Storytelling has played a big role in your work—in advertising, and now at Goods & Heroes. Why are stories important to you?

I started in journalism. Storytelling—that’s what I crave. I always think, ‘Who made that? Why did they make it? What were they thinking? Where does it come from?’ That’s why I named the store Goods & Heroes. There are the goods, of course, but the heroes are the people who make them. In the end, it’s also the people who buy them. That’s what I tell my team: I don’t care what you sell. It’s about the people.

Sometimes you can tell someone walks in and doesn’t need a sweater. They need somebody to talk to, you know? That immediately turns us into not just retail, but also hospitality. When I go on buying trips, I always go with certain customers in mind.

You do personal shopping?

Yes. But it’s more. We listen, we talk to you, and we’re also blatantly honest. Like, ‘Listen, you bought these shoes last year. Don’t buy another one like that!’ I think my customers appreciate that they’re being treated not like somebody we want something from, but more like partners in their quest of self-expression.

What else does the store offer that someone may not see at first glance?

I do a lot of events where I invite designers in to talk about and show their work. It’s important people understand where their stuff is coming from. Because that’s how you avoid 50,000 delivery trucks on the road. That’s how you avoid fast fashion. That’s how you avoid closets filled with stuff that has been worn once and ends up in landfills. 

Are there items in your closet that have withstood the test of time and feel treasured to you?

CYDWOQ shoes, made in California. I bought my first pair probably 22 years ago, and I still have them. I have a cotton sweater I bought 25 years ago in one of the little boutiques in New Buffalo. The building doesn’t even stand anymore, but I still have that sweater. And I have my old knits.

Let’s talk about knits and your new project, Yarn Haus.

Yarn Haus is not separate from Goods & Heroes. It fits in perfectly. It leads back to that deeper understanding of how something is made, and where things come from—where fibers come from. We only carry natural plant-based and animal-based fibers. 

Also, making something with your own hands is extremely meaningful. Sharing that with people is important. The knitting and crocheting community is as deep as the gardening community. It’s all about togetherness, sharing, and being very conscious about what you touch and what you do. It’s very tactile.

How did you and your Yarn Haus collaborator, Stacy Nelson, start working together?

I can feel when something is right. Stacy was a customer. She grew up on a small farm, and she’s a master knitter. Her stuff is phenomenal. She’s so kind and great with people. And she is as obsessed with yarn as I am. There were just too many things that clicked. I called her and said, ‘Hey, I want to open a yarn shop. Are you in?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’

How do people react when they walk into Yarn Haus? How do they interact with it? 

If you are a knitter, you die. You’re like, ‘Oh my god!’ Other people are more like, ‘What has she done now?!’ Then you have the beginners, the people who always wanted to try it, and the people who crave community.

These are tough times. Everybody wants to belong. Everybody’s looking for meaning. Everybody is looking for a purpose—a way to do better. And making something yourself is more fulfilling than buying something, in many ways.

Goods & Heroes
7 Maple Street
Three Oaks, Michigan

words  Lena Singer
images  Jodi Bodtke, Wesley Moguel
November 2025

Interview edited for length and clarity.