ABOUT
About Our Royal Clothiers
Royal Clothiers Mobile is where tradition, creativity, and craftsmanship come together to create something extraordinary. Led by Rickey Thames and Johnny J. Weaver, Jr., the company brings together decades of experience in fashion, costume design, education, theatre, and Mardi Gras artistry. From custom attire and elaborate trains to unforgettable décor and one-of-a-kind creations, their shared passion is rooted in transforming ideas into experiences that celebrate individuality, culture, and timeless craftsmanship.
Johnny J. Weaver, Jr.
Johnny J. Weaver, Jr. is a retired educator, entrepreneur, and creative director from Mobile, Alabama. A product of the FCCLA program, Johnny has founded Royal Clothiers and the Royal Academy, spending his career combining education, theatre, fashion, entrepreneurship, and community service to help students develop practical life and career skills. With more than two decades in education and the performing arts, Johnny is passionate about preserving traditional craftsmanship while preparing learners for modern careers. His innovative programs—including Pennies for the Crown—demonstrate how Family and Consumer Sciences can inspire creativity, leadership, service, and lifelong learning in students of all ages.
Johnny J. Weaver, Jr. is the owner and creative director of Royal Clothiers LLC in Mobile, Alabama, and the founder of the Royal Academy, an innovative educational program that teaches career and life skills through the arts. A product of the FCCLA program, Johnny retired as an educator with more than 25 years of classroom and professional experience in theatre and costume design. Johnny has dedicated his career to helping students discover their creativity, confidence, and purpose.
After earning his degree from the University of Mobile, Johnny served as a Native American Studies educator as well as an elementary classroom theatre educator, costumer, and mentor, blending education with hands-on learning in all aspects of performance art. His work has inspired hundreds of students to pursue excellence while developing practical skills in teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship.
Today, through Royal Clothiers and the Royal Academy, Johnny combines fashion, hospitality, business, history, and consumer sciences into engaging educational experiences. His programs demonstrate that Family and Consumer Science extends far beyond the traditional classroom.
Johnny is also the creator of the Pennies for the Crown initiative, a character education and school fundraising program using service, leadership, and community engagement to help students recognize their own value while supporting their schools.
A lifelong advocate for preserving culture and craftsmanship, Johnny is passionate about mentoring the next generation, supporting homeschool families, partnering with local businesses, and ensuring that traditional skills remain relevant in today's workforce. His vision is to create opportunities where every individual—regardless of age or background—can discover their talents, develop practical skills, and build a meaningful future.
Johnny believes that education is most powerful when students create with their hands, serve with their hearts, and leave believing they are capable of changing the world.
The Story Behind Royal Clothier Mobile
Born on April 20, 1983, in Laurel, Mississippi, Rickey Thames grew up in a community known for its creativity, craftsmanship, and Southern character. Today, Laurel is widely recognized as the home of HGTV’s Hometown—but long before the cameras came to town, Rickey was developing a passion for transforming spaces and creating something extraordinary from what others might overlook.
A graduate of Laurel High School, home of the Tornadoes, Rickey carried that creative spirit into real estate, renovation, and property flipping. He learned to see potential where others saw ordinary houses. Walls became canvases. Properties became projects. And design became a way of telling a story.
That journey eventually brought him to Mobile, Alabama, where one property would completely change the direction of his life.
While flipping a house in Mobile, Rickey got his start with the legendary Johnny Weaver of Mobile Mardi Gras, a connection that introduced him to the world of Mardi Gras design and pageantry. What began as a business opportunity quickly grew into a creative partnership and lifelong personal relationship.
Rickey began taking the skills he had developed through renovating properties and applying them to an entirely different canvas: Mardi Gras.
Houses became floats. Rooms became stages. Interior design became elaborate event décor. And the same eye for color, structure, texture, and detail that Rickey used in real estate became the foundation for creating unforgettable Mardi Gras experiences.
From custom king and queen attire, elaborate trains, floats, stages, centerpieces, specialty pieces, and event décor, Rickey has continued to push the boundaries of what can be imagined and built.
At the heart of it all is a simple philosophy:
-
Don’t just decorate a space. Transform it.
-
Don’t just create an outfit. Create an entrance.
-
Don’t just celebrate an occasion. Create a memory.
Today, Royal Clothier Mobile represents that evolution—a creative house built on fashion, design, craftsmanship, and the tradition of making people feel extraordinary.
Rickey’s story is a reminder that sometimes your greatest calling is hidden inside something you never planned to do.
A house flip in Mobile opened one door.
Behind that door was Mardi Gras.
And from there, a new chapter of design, creativity, partnership, and royalty began.
JOHNNY
RICKEY