Western Atelier DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
Volume 1, Issue 3 December 2017
Viva Las Vegas; 2017 National Finals Rodeo Behind the Lens; Pooley Photography
The Call of the Wild; The Coyote Cowgirl
The Western Atelier 10 Days of Giveaways
Editor’s Letter‌.. Dear Readers, What a fun journey this digital magazine has been! This will be the final issue of Western Atelier Magazine due to time constraints, but we are going out with a bang! In this issue you will find a 10 page spread highlighting the schedule and the prize package sponsors for The Western Atelier 10 Days of Giveaways taking place during the 2017 Wrangler National Finals in fabulous Las Vegas! Our cover feature is none other than the beautiful and talented Soni Clifford, Miss Rodeo South Dakota! I will be cheering her on as she competes for the title of Miss Rodeo America 2017! The rules and guidelines for The Western Atelier 10 Days of Giveaways can be found just beyond this page. Good luck to everyone entering!!!
Brandi Michelle of Western Atelier Photo by Pooley Photography
Again, THANK YOU to all involved in making this a reality, and thank you to the readers! XOXO,
On the Cover...
Model: Soni Clifford, Miss Rodeo South Dakota Photo:
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The Call of the Wild;
The Coyote Cowgirl; Staying True to Family Heritage
Part 1 of 2 Brandi Michelle Staying true to her family heritage, Sarah Otto, owner of The Coyote Cowgirl is embracing the vintage western style with her unique clothing line. ____________
When The Coyote Cowgirl first began, owner Sarah Otto’s only goal was to keep her family’s long standing ranch tradition alive. Her family raised buffalo for over twenty years, and Otto has so much pride in not only her roots, but for the family God blessed her with and the traditions running through her veins. Otto’s grandpa has always been her favorite cowboy and best friend, however, he sadly passed away soon before the start of The Coyote Cowgirl. The majority of her inspiration comes from her grandpa and she knows The Coyote Cowgirl is a way to keep his legacy alive. “God blessed me with the most unique family background, and it is an honor to keep it alive,” said Otto.
Coming up with a business name can sometimes be one of the most challenging parts of starting up. Choosing the name, The Coyote Cowgirl was no different and comes with a unique tale. Otto and her mother were on a road trip, something they do often together, trying to think of the perfect name to fit her unique vintage style. She knew she didn’t want a name that merely resembled anyone else.
Otto currently has a team of around 20 people who truly know the in’s and out’s of her business. Otto says, “without my team, there is no way I would be able to keep The Coyote Cowgirl rolling properly.” Leaning on the support of her family, her parents have been such a blessing to her. They have helped Otto keep things under control while she is busy with graduate school. For Otto, a typical day’s events include working with different artists on fresh new designs, working with my contracted printers, creating ideas to pass along to her marketing team, and working with her shipping department to keep everything moving properly and smoothly. Otto’s all time favorite movie has always been “Coyote Ugly,” so she combined her love for the movie, her passion for cowgirls, and the ranch life that she is so deeply rooted in. Otto stated, “ I mentioned coyote and my mother mentioned cowgirl, and we instantly smiled at one another— we knew we created something special.”
A typical day as a fashion designer for Otto, is different for her when compared to others. She is 22 years old and is in her final semester of graduate school. For Otto, finding a balance between school and work can be difficult at times, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She typically attends class in the mornings and then transitions to the constant demands of a business owner the remainder of the day.
Becoming a business owner is an extremely rewarding and proud moment for most, but success does not come without a few bumps in the road.
The biggest challenge Otto has faced since The Coyote Cowgirl came to life, is one she is thankful for. The “punchy” western style The Coyote Cowgirl embodies isn’t one for everyone. When getting her feet wet, Otto was turned down by many boutiques because “vintage western” wasn’t the wanted style type. Knowing she had something special and not wanting to give up, she took every “no” and used it to fuel her drive and determination to find the right target audience, which eventually, she did and everything fell into place. Struggling through and finding success is a proud moment for any new business owner. Otto says her absolute favorite part of being the owner of The Coyote Cowgirl, is making her dream happen day in and day out.
As a little girl, Otto was around all things buffalo— punchy men, a lot of shows, and other events filled her days. The main thing that caught her eye was the distinct fashion. Otto said, “ there was a certain old vintage western style that stole my heart as a kid, and that style still has it to this day.” Otto is most proud of the ranch her family ran, and it overwhelms her heart to know that her designs are keeping that ranch tradition alive that she grew up loving and that helped shape who she is today. For Otto, another favorite part of owning The Coyote Cowgirl is seeing a complete stranger, in a different part of the world, wearing her line of clothing she has worked so hard on. “Dreams do happen and seeing mine come to life is the best thing about being a business owner,” said Otto.
Looking ahead, Otto’s biggest goal for The Coyote Cowgirl is to one day be one of the biggest western fashion designers in the industry. She has visions of being a huge part of some of the NFR fashion shows one day. For the immediate year goals, you can expect The Coyote Cowgirl to take a huge leap in their vendor list, it is a secret, but hopefully that gives you a hint! Otto’s other goal is to continue producing punchy, unique designs that are one of a kind! All of The Coyote Cowgirl’s designs is hand-drawn, then printed right here in the USA. They are proud of their one of a kind designs and love being able to produce everything without outsourcing to another country. You can find The Coyote Cowgirl on Facebook or on Instagram at @the_coyote_cowgirl!
Getting to Know Sarah Otto; The Boss Babe Behind The Coyote Cowgirl….. Written by Sarah Otto
Part 2 of 2
In her own words, owner and designer of The Coyote Cowgirl gives us a peak into her background and why vintage western fashion runs deep in her veins… _______________ I’m Sarah Jo, owner of The Coyote Cowgirl. I grew up in a family that ran cattle and buffalo, and I didn’t think there was any better way of life. My favorite childhood memory was going out to pastures to check the buffalo with my Grandpa. He always had Bit-O-Honey’s in the feed truck, and I can still remember laughing with him over how hard they were sometimes, yet we continued to eat them. The buffalo operation was ran by the whole family, and I am overly thankful God blessed me with a family that did everything together. My mom and dad are my biggest idols, as I watched their hard work and countless hours while growing up. My family didn't only ranch, we had many other businesses as well, and I believe that is where I got the business gene. I loved the days when we worked buffalo because of one thing— the fashion. Buffalo wranglers had the neatest style that always caught my eye, very western and punchy too. I loved the style of cowboy hats, and the slick dusters they wore.
I dreamed of owning some type of clothing line as a kid that would keep my families buffalo style alive. It is unique, and one of a kind, not a fit for everyone, and that is why I like it so much. I always stood out while growing up, I didn’t want to be like everyone else. Being original is everything to me, no one wants a copy. I constantly felt this push to step out and do my own thing. My Grandpa passed away when I was 18, and the push grew stronger and stronger. I knew I could keep his legacy alive by having graphic tees inspired by him.
My family is extremely close and we are all each other’s best friends. I wanted to be able to have my parents work for me, and be a huge part of every step this journey would take me on. My parents instilled hard work ethics in us, and I told myself I would never stop trying, no matter how hard the work got during the journey of being a business owner. The times did get tough, but my Uncle Jimmy always said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” and I constantly let that resound in my head when I feel the pressure too much.
Once I got to college, I knew it was time to start building my empire. My parents have always told me, “God has something special for you,” and I certainly felt my own clothing line was just that. When I was 5 months old, I was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, and the doctors gave me no chance at all. I beat those odds, and the fact that God pulled me through something no one thought I would pull through, I knew I had to chase my dreams because He has something big waiting on me. I am a firm believer in using the talents God gave us, and I didn’t want my vision to only stay a dream, it was time to make it a reality. I promised myself when I started this journey that I would always stay true to myself, and my families values. Being strong in faith is one of the main things my parents taught us while growing up, and I wanted to keep God at the forefront of my business. Anytime something difficult came my way, I knew He would get me through it. I promised myself I would pray about every decision, and be led to the right answer. I also wanted to keep it in the family
I started my business as a one man show, I did the designs and printed the shirts myself, alongside my parents. I can clearly remember one Saturday morning when I reached out to a boutique about carrying my line, and they made an order instantly. I literally jumped on the couch, and my parents were overly ecstatic.
My business is truly my heart and soul, my passion, and what I live for everyday. I am beyond blessed I get to wake up and do my hobby as a job.
Being twenty years old, and having my first wholesale customer, I thought I was on top of the world. Soon the one man show was becoming too tough for myself. My parents and I would make shirts on the weekend until the early hours of the morning, each night. I started to feel the struggle of wanting to be a college kid, but also wanting to be a successful business owner. Sometimes, one has to sacrifice the “fun” for the rewards you will reap later on. I went through this struggle for awhile, but eventually got in the right mind set that eventually the reward would be greater than the sacrifice. I soon had to hire contracted printers, a design team, marketers, a manager, and graphic artists. I am beyond thankful for each of them everyday for striving to make The Coyote Cowgirl a successful business.
I am about to finish graduate school, and I can’t wait to solely focus on The Coyote Cowgirl and see all the big things God has in store for us. I owe a huge thank you to my parents for being there every step of the way, my Grandpa and Grandma for starting the buffalo ranch which instilled my dream of having a clothing line and inspiration for the designs in me, my team that works hard everyday to propel us to success, God for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream and have it as a career, and lastly- but most important, my support team. My support team is made up of my family and my best friend, Franklin. They constantly push me to work harder, push me to step outside of my comfort zones, and keep me on track of my big goals. To say I am blessed is truly an understatement with my support system.
-Sarah J. Otto The Coyote Cowgirl
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Behind the Lens;
Pooley Photography‌.. Clint Pooley of Pooley Photography, and photographer for Western Atelier sat down and answered some of our most asked questions as he gears up for Las Vegas
Brandi Pooley
Q: What is your role with Western Atelier and what do you enjoy most about it? A: I do all of the photography, and pick up al of Brandi’s packages at the front gate every day! I like that Brandi and myself make a good team, for the most part, and end up getting quality photos of the designs that are sent. Q: Do you ever get "Fashioned out?" A: Yes! I try not to, but it usually happens at some point in the day. Why? Because I am typical regular guy that's not interested in clothes or any of that and it's pretty much all I hear about 24/7. But like the old saying goes, happy wife, happy life. Q: What is your favorite part of Western Atelier and Why? A: I like that Brandi found something that she enjoys, and is also really good at. I also like that it has allowed her to work at home, for the most part.
Q: What are you most proud of Brandi for and why? A: That she gets lots of likes.... just kidding. I'm most proud of Brandi because this just started out as an idea that she wanted to start doing for fun. I believe i said "oh yeah, well that might be good," thinking it would just be a fad that she would forget about, but it wasn't....It has gotten bigger, and bigger, and bigger! I think she's done a great job with it.
Q: What are youmost looking forward to at The NFR this year? A: Well for the most part, for my interests, just watching the bronc riding, team roping, and the calf roping. I might kind of be looking forward to a few cocktails here and there, but I'm also really excited to see everything Brandi has going on this year in Vegas. She's put a ton of work into it, so I'm sure she'll do amazing. Q: Tell 10 fun facts about yourself no one really knows A: 1. 2.
Q: Who has been your favorite designer to shoot and why? A: Wild Instincts, because being a hunter, I like that they use a lot of hides from deer, elk buffalo, etc. I never really thought I'd catch myself talking about anything to do with fashion, but I think their designs are awesome. You can tell it's all extremely high quality and hand made, with a lot of thought and care put into it.
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Q: Where do you see Western Atelier in 5 years? A: Hopefully it continues to grow like it has, who knows what will happen, but so far so good. I just hope we don't have to add on to the house to have room for all Brandi's clothes and accessories.
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I like to bow hunt... A lot I've shown cutting horses my whole life, my dad is an NCHA Hall of Fame trainer, so that's pretty much been my life for the most part. I was the last person the show the great cutting horse Gun Smokes Wimpy before his retirement, lifetime earnings of $661,431.35 winning the NCHA Senior Youth Derby Championship. I team rope when I'm not going through one of the phases where I'm burned out on horses and only want to hunt and fish. I raced motocross for 8 years, but now 2 knee surgeries later, i quit! When I met Brandi, my right knee was so messed up I had to crawl up the steps to the house... She really knew she found a keeper! I was once a pool boy.... And somehow I worked all throughout the DFW metroplex without going off the deep end, no pun intended. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really like going into town a whole lot, I'm pretty happy staying right here on the ranch. I'm never shaving my beard... EVER. I 30 didn't even think I could grow a beard,
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I'm never shaving my beard... EVER. I didn't even think I could grow a beard, but one of my really good friends was diagnosed with brain cancer a little over a year ago and had an epic beard. So all of his friends decided to quit shaving to show him some support. Unfortunately he lost the battle, but I decided I wasn't ever going to shave it off.... Until the morning of the American when i had the great idea to just trim it up and shape it a little myself. By the end of my grooming session I was baby faced and about to cry staring in the mirror while Brandi laughed hysterically at me. Haven't shaved since then though! #beardsfortreyhunt I hate cucumbers. I like to cook. Lots of cajun recipes. Gumbo, shrimp creole, etouffee, I like it all, my favorites a big crawfish boil. Fortunately we also have a lot of wild game in the freezer so that's on the menu pretty often. Brandi constantly wants soup, even when it's 100 degrees outside, so I've taught myself to make a pretty mean bowl of homemade ramen with chicken, bok choy and all sorts of other stuff in it.
Q: What has been your proudest moment that Brandi has had and why? A: Just watching what started out as a little hobby she wanted to do for fun develop into what it is now made me proud. I remember at first when she was so excited to see she had a hundred followers and then to see how many she has now and how much it's grown makes me really happy for her. Q: Without giving too much away, what is the most exciting part of the Western Atelier 10 Days of Giveaways? A: That a lot of really good companies were generous enough to donate top notch, awesome prize packages. People will be thrilled to see what they end up winning.