The West Is Dead

Apr 30, 2013

The West is dead!
You may loose a sweetheart,
But you won’t forget her.

-Charles M. Russell

Our friends at Aloha Sunday in San Diego, turned us on to this daring duo of clothing designers, known in the apparel world as The West Is Dead. Will Cheng and Kaelen McCrane’s story begins in Northern Montana and has since then moved them to LA where they hand stitch every seam and make everything in their line right here in America. Their line breathes the history of the West and of the people who came before us; the Blackfeet Indians and the Montana ranchers and settlers (people the likes of Charlie Russell whose letter to a friend is the inspiration for the name of the brand). I refer to Will and Kaelen as daring designers because of their story, and the chance they took together coming south from Montana, spending all of their money and investing all of their time on their first line of clothing and then displaying it in an authentic way, staying true to the story of the west in every way they could.

The clothing is stunning. From the hand-stitched durable salvaged denim, to the chambray cotton chino, every material is used purposefully, and every detail adds a point of difference to the item. The women’s line is classic, feminine, and tasteful carrying everything from 100% custom California knit pocket tees, to left hand twill chinos.

My sister Nissa and I both come from Whitefish, Montana, a small town an hour west of Browning, which is where The West Is Dead established their first partnership with Chief Earl Old Person, the Chief of the Blackfeet Indian Nation and past president of the Intertribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), a cooperative of 57 American Indian nations and over 15,000 head of buffalo. Endorsed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the ITBC is a non-profit organization established in 1990 to coordinate and assist American Indian tribes returning the buffalo to their native lands. We have spent time in Browning and have seen what the first nations people struggle with on a daily basis. They have been pushed from their land into reservations, and their lifeline which was and is the buffalo was taken from them. The fact that The West Is Dead supports the Indians reuniting with the buffalo is a cause we will support until the end of our days.

We are honored to feature TWID today on Witness This and hope that you take the time to watch their videos, and take a look at their look book. Please visit them online or pay them a visit in various stores across LA and San Diego. You can be sure that you will be purchasing American made products that are durable, hand-made, that will last a lifetime, and support a just cause that pays tribute to the proudest people/cultures of this nation.

thewestisdead.com
itbcbuffalo.com

By Dersu In Style

Tags: apparel, Buffalo, california, denim, fashion, first nation, hand-made, indians, Los Angeles, made in america, Montana, style

The Herd by Whit Connolly

Feb 5, 2013

Whit Connolly has been collecting antler mounts for long time. In Montana, where she lives, they are an everyday sighting. She decided that instead of letting the antlers collect dust in people’s sheds and garages, she would bring them to life. “I suppose I am doing the gals a favor by beautifying their man’s trophy and making them all wall-worthy” Whit says playfully. “I also have a vast collection of vintage fabric and random items of junk that I used to accessorize each member of The Herd. Of course I grew fond of each piece as I brought it to life, so naturally I named them.”

The Herd is in the DeWeese Gallery in Bozeman, Montana through March 8th. The show is called ART design, and graphic design professionals in the area were invited to showcase the art they make away from their computers.

By Dersu In Art

Tags: analog, antlers, art, artist, craft, design, Montana, sculpture

Youth Lagoon

Sep 19, 2011

Youth Lagoon aka Trevor Powers is a young man of honest expression. His lo-fi dream pop acts as a melodic journal of insight into the personal haunts and joys of life in Boise, Idaho. Each song is an abstract and intricate introduction to the obscurity of his life and in turn ours. Through the synth, whispered hazy vocals, percussion and amazing composition we’re chasing Powers through his head trying to figure out who he really is. As you get further into the listen you in turn realize that Powers is also challenging you to get in touch with your own inner worries and anxieties. That’s what Youth Lagoon is to me – a musical companion for the introverted exploration and celebration of your personal ups and downs. It’s the introspection of these everyday challenges that helps us foster our own identity and celebrate the present.

Watch the video for Montana and you’ll experience the challenge of reflection that Youth Lagoon is presenting. As soon as the video was over I was overwhelmed with personal questions. Though my father is still alive and I cherish our relationship, I couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like growing up without my dad…the kind of person I’ll eventually be without my dad…what we would both think of the life I’ve created without him.