Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelso Martin.
Hi Kelso, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started sewing when I was young, creating outfits for my teddy bear. As I got older, I became frustrated that I couldn’t find the clothes I wanted to wear in stores. Sewing gave me the freedom to create my own designs and express my personal style, turning a childhood hobby into a lasting passion.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was figuring out my style, my target market, and the aesthetic I wanted for my clothing brand. In the beginning, I leaned toward a sweet boho country-girl look—something shabby chic and feminine. But the more I worked with it, the more I realized it didn’t feel like me.
I finally sat down and created a mood board to make sense of all the ideas swirling around in my head. That’s when I started noticing a pattern. Every image I was drawn to had something in common: horses, motorcycles, dark and eerie imagery, old Western outlaws, and especially the scorned woman who has stopped caring about what anyone thinks.
I rarely saw those influences combined in fashion, and when I did, it never quite captured what I had in mind. So I decided to create it myself.
What emerged was a style that felt unapologetic, rebellious, and uniquely my own—a blend of Western grit, gothic edge, and outlaw spirit. Recently, some younger people introduced me to a term for it: “Y’allternative.” The moment I heard it, I laughed because it perfectly described what I had been building all along
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Pearl snap western shirts are what I’m known for. Each shirt is individually designed using my own distinctive approach to mixing prints, colors, and fabrics. My western yokes are often created freehand, making every design unique. I also incorporate negative-space imagery—horses, cattle, and other iconic western symbols—into my work in ways that transform a traditional western shirt into a wearable piece of art. I have yet to find anything else on the market that resembles the way I construct and design my shirts, and that originality is something I take great pride in.
How do you think about luck?
I’ve never believed in luck when it comes to my work. The unique style I’m known for wasn’t stumbled upon—it was developed through years of experimentation, mistakes, persistence, and growth. Every pearl snap shirt, every freehand yoke, and every design choice represents time invested in mastering my craft. Success isn’t luck; it’s the result of staying committed long enough to see the vision take shape.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://01d32d-b0.myshopify.com/
- Instagram: Irontogs
- Facebook: Irontogs
