KC Local Textiles

Sartorialists love to boast about the myriad of designer labels they're sporting at any given time. This is something- I'm certain- with which we are all guilty. Whenever we come across a few extra bucks (or a couple of hundred) we are quick to burn a whole in our pockets at name brand stores: J. Crew, H&M, Banana Republic, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with venues such as these- I tend to gravitate towards J. Crew and H&M constantly; but what about the homegrown designers? What about those that create great clothing within the confines of their own homes and studios? Their work is 100% made from scratch, by hand, and with stellar detail. When I lived in Chicago, I sought out local clothing and art, but it was difficult due to the expanse of the city limits. KCMO is on the opposite end of the spectrum. The smaller population and size really makes the local art scene better known throughout the community. High quality, local fashion is at one's fingertips here in the breadbasket of America.

Two brands that I've been following are Owl+Mouse Textile Designs and- the fairly new label- Dandy Andies. Owl+Mouse attained their fame by creating scarves and shawls; but now they create a vast array of womens' clothing. Furthermore, they make some terrific unisex T's that are screen printed with all original design:

[This squirrel design happens to be one of my favorites]

I actually have several shirts crafted by Owl+Mouse; and with this summer fast approaching, you can count on seeing photos of me sporting their stuff around town. One thing's for sure, there is a positive correlation between discovering Owl+Mouse and the frequency with which I wear scarves:


[Me (blue\keys) and Kyle (green\buffalo) sporting Owl+Mouse scarves at one of their West Bottoms studio parties]
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Close friends of Owl+Mouse, Dandy Andies is a label specializing in accessories for men. The focus is on bow ties, neckties, and pocket squares. Now I've never been huge on wearing bow ties, but my girlfriend got me this for our one-year anniversary the other month:


[Owl+Mouse and Dandy Andies bow tie collaboration]
Additionally, I've been given a prototype brown knit tie, which is really great. Check out Kyle with a stylish green pocket square while donning one of the hand-knit ties:


[Kyle donning a brown knit tie by Dandy Andies]
Although I'm not advocating a boycott on larger designer stores, I'm simply making a call to arms to seek out and support local artists and designers. There is too much good stuff out there, but Owl+Mouse and Dandy Andies are damn good start.