Ah, May. Not quite Spring and not quite Summer, where are we? Well, we are in the midst of a fresh batch of outdoor and Kootenay-inspired gear, so there's that!
We had a ton of fun putting this group of designs together! Because we are a small-scale shop we try give our customers as much variety as we can. We also just love designing, so offering up new looks when we launch a set of apparel gives us room to experiment and a chance for you to own something unique.
Our Spring line is now live and we are pumped to once again have our goods stocked at The Doorway in Trail. They are carrying a selection of our hats, toques and our Spring line of shirts and sweaters. The Doorway is a popular and beautiful store in downtown Trail and run by an amazing group of ladies, we are honoured to be working with them.
If you'd like to learn more about the inspiration and creative process behind our new Collective Collection, read on!
As you probably know by now, if you read the blog regularly, we still work full time. Kootz Collective is truly our creative outlet, so we refuse to re-do the same looks over and over again. However, we do have some classic designs that continue to sell out quickly and we've been reprinting these on new colours and shirt styles. The newest example of that is our popular EAST WEST KOOTENAY design. We've re-imagined this one as a crewneck sweatshirt! The bold typography really suits the sweatshirt style and we know you've been asking for a new long sleeve option. The sweater is a great pick for all seasons so we hope you get a ton of wear out of these cozy unisex crews. These are, no joke, the softest sweaters we've ever laid our hands on!
Collective Customs - Did you know that in addition to our clothing line we also offer custom shirt designs for your business or service? We've worked with a handful of great companies to create unique options. Find out more.
The not so glamorous but oh so fun behind the scenes of our chilly photoshoot
Our Kootenay Babe T was a design that we'd had friends asking about for awhile. We often sketch out and draft numerous concepts for a line and we then narrow that down to the smaller selection that we can afford to print, and of course, what we like the most. We definitely get friends opinions and this one was resurrected! We just weren't ready to print this shirt until we found a unique colour that we thought would suit it. Heather mauve came into our lives and we were sold. It's the ideal mix of feminine and modern... perfect for a Kootenay Babe. This relaxed fit T is a super flattering colour on everyone. If you've got a Kootenay wedding on the horizon, these would make amazing Bridesmaid gifts or for a Bachelorette party!
We've been playing around with some sketches and concepts that had bold outlines, bright pops of colour and a retro feel. We played off the classic "Mom heart" tattoo, added some wildflowers and foliage and Wild at Heart was born. With the tattoo-like design we really wanted to print this in full colour and on a black T to amplify the rock and roll vibe. Wild at Heart, to us, is all about taking risks, not doubting yourself, and enjoying a little crazy adventure here and there. Grab this comfy T and hike that damn mountain wild woman! (Oh, and don't forget to send us a pic while you're up there, please!)
Process - We sometimes post time lapse videos or sneak peak photos of our sketching and design process via Instagram stories. Make sure to check them out next time we post! We love sharing our ideas with you.
We grew up on the shores of Kootenay Lake and one of our favourite pastimes is beach combing! We could spend hours collecting rocks and shells, and dragging interesting pieces of driftwood back home. Arrowheads are a rare and extra special find. Over the years we have found numerous chips and a few complete beauties of all sizes and colours. To be be able to hold something in your hands that was crafted centuries ago is pretty powerful -- A respect for those that came before us, and the power of nature. This unisex T was finished with a distressed-vintage printing technique that we are loving. It has the perfect worn-in look.
Hats? Oh, we have hats! Our Pathfinder series features a premium leather patch and our Backwoods series has a raised embroidery of our classic tree icon. Each style has 4 looks to choose from! We still have a few toques left in the shop too... with Summer on the way, these beauties are on sale.
And finally, we have some fun and functional tote bags now up in our goods section of the website. Hand-drawn by Leah, we wanted something that reminded us of some of our favourite outdoor activities. We are always trying to reduce our waste and a tote bag is a great sustainable option for shopping, transporting and gift wrapping.
Love us? We’d love your Facebook Review!
Like many small businesses, we truly value every interaction we have with our customers and appreciate every purchase big or small. Every day we are working towards making creativity and collaboration our full time gig. A Facebook review goes a long way in instilling trust and gaining exposure for our brand. If you are happy with a product, service or interaction you've had with Kootz Collective - we would love a review!
https://www.facebook.com/kootzcollective/
Coming up @ Kootz Collective:
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Photography for Social Media Workshop
When: Friday, June 14th 6-8 PM
Where: Creston, BC
Click here for details and tickets -
Sam Steele Days Market
When: Saturday, June 15th 11-7 PM
Where: Cranbrook, BC
Click here for all events and markets