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Stefani McMurrey Watters / SMartHats.com
In the Designer's Own Words:
SMartHats.com designs are unique and remarkable because of the unusual combination of "bling," feathers, leather, crystals, tiaras and other materials used to decorate our western hats. SMartHats.com hats have been spotted on the heads of celebrities and fashionistas around the world. Our hats also have been showcased in prestigious publications such as People, Us Weekly, USA Today and others. What sets us apart is the handcrafted touch that we add to each hat. | |  Visit http://www.smarthats.com/ for more information. | |
How did you get your business started?
I was at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, when I bought my first "cowboy" hat. It was a red wool felt western hat with a silver band. I couldn't believe the overwhelming response and compliments I received while wearing this hat. People were literally stopping me on the street and in restaurants offering to buy the hat right off my head. So I started a hat business called HatGirls.com because everyone referred to me as the "Hat Girl." I later changed the company name to SMartHats.com because it's a more unisex name. The "S" stands for Stefani, the "M" for McMurrey, and as an added bonus, "smart" means elegant and stylish!
What inspires you as a Texas designer?
I'm inspired by the fascination people around the world have with Texans. While studying in France, the French people would come up to me every time I wore my Dallas Cowboys shirt and they would say, in English, "Dallas Cowboys!" So I've decided to make my business Web-based rather than bricks and mortar so people all over the world can buy my hat designs and feel connected to Texas. Describe your signature product and explain how you came up with the idea. SMartHats.com's signature product is our "Texas Tiara" hat, which is a one-size-fits-all fashion western hat with a rhinestone tiara. The Texas Tiara hat makes every woman who wears it feel like a princess. People around her treat her like one, too! As a designer, I aim to create products that enlighten the spirit and boost the confidence of my customer. What has been your greatest reward thus far?
My greatest reward thus far has been the tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement I've received from the media and celebrities. Having the SMartHats.com pink "Texas Tiara" hat featured in People magazine was certainly the pinnacle of my career. When Joe Don Rooney from Rascal Flatts wore his SMartHats.com straw western hat on the red carpet at the Country Music Awards, I was ecstatic! Ultimately, I'd like to use all of these resources and connections to benefit a children's charity like "Hats Off for Children," which provides hats for kids going through chemotherapy. What benefits has your GO TEXAN membership provided? How has it helped your business?
I love the GO TEXAN brand and feel so proud to have it on my Web site. Being a GO TEXAN member and utilizing the hang tags, light poles and banners at trade and consumer shows makes me feel like I've got the support of the whole state of Texas behind me! Any additional comments?
I'm eager to source more of my hats, hat bands, and other accessories to GO TEXAN members, and would appreciate the opportunity to participate in the matching funds program for a marketing/PR campaign. Thanks for the opportunity to tell my story and express my enthusiasm about GO TEXAN!
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Michelle Hamilton / Buckaroo Style LLC
 In the Designer's Own Words:
If a movie star lives to see her name in lights, then a cool cowgirl simply must have her name in rope. So says Buckaroo Style owner Michelle Hamilton who creates handcrafted original western-style artwork and décor for her online familybusiness based in Round Rock. Working with her husband Scott and two sons, Hamilton makes rope by hand and forms it into letters to spell any desired  ame. "Each piece is unique and makes a great, personalized gift for all the cowboys and cowgirls in your life," she says. Open since July 2005, Buckaroo Style offers one-stop shopping for Texas-style kids' gear and unique gifts. Visit today and find a piece of Texas for your favorite buckaroo. |
What inspires you as a Texas designer?
Cowboys, cowgirls, rodeos, ranch style and western style. Worldwide, people think of these things when they think about what it means to be a Texan. We consider it a gift to be able to create our rope art products and designs for those who love the very unique culture and style that is Texas. Most of our customers are decorating their child's cowboy-themed baby nursery or kid's bedroom, and it is so wonderful to be a part of this special project and time in a family's life. What inspires you as a Texas designer?
Cowboys, cowgirls, rodeos, ranch style and western style. Worldwide, people think of these things when they think about what it means to be a Texan. We consider it a gift to be able to create our rope art products and designs for those who love the very unique culture and style that is Texas. Most of our customers are decorating their child's cowboy-themed baby nursery or kid's bedroom, and it is so wonderful to be a part of this special project and time in a family's life. How did you get started?
We knew we wanted to start a family business geared specifically for those who adore cowboy babies and cool cowboy style. The elegant simplicity of creating something with our hands that is unique and interesting is a very amazing thing. Our customers love their rope art and are our biggest supporters. We feel very blessed. Describe your signature product and explain how you came up with the idea.
When we were decorating our oldest child's nursery six years ago, it was so difficult to find cute and affordable cowboy décor online. I literally spent months searching on auction sites and could hardly find anything I liked that I also could afford. I finally stumbled across something similar to our rope art and thought it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Our best-selling product is the custom rope art. People love to see their child's name made into rope. It is a very complicated process, but it is so neat to be able to craft a uniquely Texan product. Did the success of your rope art prompt you to expand your inventory?
Yes. Our rope art customers shared with us their desire for more cowboy- and cowgirl-themed baby products, which led us to launch our new Cowboy Baby Gear Boutique. It is loaded with stylish cowboy and cowgirl baby products. What benefits has your GO TEXAN membership provided? How has it helped your business?
Our GO TEXAN membership has provided a great opportunity to gain visibility in the marketplace and share our products with the world. It gives us credibility and there are so many ways to participate in GO TEXAN events and exhibits across Texas. We also benefit from advertising discounts. We look forward to submitting an application for the GOTEPP marketing matching funds program sometime soon. We think Buckaroo Style rope art is a perfect fit for GO TEXAN. A note from Buckaroo Style to their fellow members:
We would love to work with other GO TEXAN members and are happy to consider selling their products with Buckaroo Style. GO TEXAN members who drop-ship and are interested in selling products with Buckaroo Style should send an e-mail to gotexan@buckaroostyle.com to introduce their company. Please include a list of cowboy- and cowgirl-themed product offerings, wholesale/retail pricing, and estimated delivery times. Products of interest would include bedding, clothing, boots, aprons, sleepwear, natural soaps and artwork appropriate for our customer base. GO TEXAN members who may be interested in selling Buckaroo Style Rope Art can contact us at blocked::mailto:GoTexan@BuckarooStyle.com for a copy of our wholesale catalog. We can also be reached at: (512) 600-1608 Austin area
(866) 427-7071 Toll-free
(512) 600-1609 Fax
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Pat Dahnke / Designs by Pat
  | | In the Designer's Own Words: After 22 years of operating her own dress shops, Pat Dahnke has designed an artistic line of ladies' ready-to-wear and accessories. Romantic suede and lace styles are created on her bluebonnet country ranch.
A Texan by choice, Pat has carved out a unique niche. Her line is the choice of entertainers and queen contestants, as well as ladies who value romantic and beautiful clothing.
Pat has a true appreciation for nature and color. Her love of beautiful fabrics makes the pieces timeless and her styles are easy fit. She hopes you enjoy wearing her designs as much as she enjoys creating them. | | Designs by Pat Web site Pat Dahnke Web site |
What do you love about being a Texas designer?
Texas has been the perfect spot for me to design, as we are known for our over-the-top looks. One is sure to get noticed and not afraid to be noticed in Texas. Where can the public find your designs?
Customers can find my designs in 300 upscale boutiques across the nation and in Canada. They may e-mail dahnke@patdahnke.com, and we will provide a list of stores in their area. Tell us about your company, and why you enjoy working with Texas natural fibers:
Working with natural fibers of cotton, leather and suede is a natural. These materials take dye easily and give the garment a more distressed western look. Leather has a rich, soft, worn look after it is washed and distressed. Why would you tell another fiber designer to join GO TEXAN?
I would tell them to definitely take good advantage of the GO TEXAN program. It stretches you to do things you couldn't normally do. You have great people working for you in marketing. A lot of times we as designers can design things, and some of us have even had a few business courses, but we don't know the marketing end. My advice is to take advantage of some of the GO TEXAN programs available, such as GOTEPP. The matching marketing dollars from GOTEPP really helped me move in the right direction. I was able to advertise with Cowboys and Indians magazine, and open up new markets. I advertised in new areas I wouldn't have had the money right off the bat to do. You can't do a little bit of advertising and hope it will pay off. You have to get into it, and that's what GOTEPP allowed me to do.
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