Collective Cowgirl

Whew! It’s been a whirlwind of a month over here, and I can’t believe that we’re just now getting around to talking about this magical shoot from a while back.

I guess let’s start by discussing why we chose Cadillac Ranch as our location. The use of this local legendary site filled our inbox shortly after with questions and a few agitations; here’s what I have to say about it.

I was born and raised here in Amarillo and Stanley Marsh 3’s funded projects have always been a part of my life as is true for a lot of others from around here. Belmar, the neighborhood I grew up in, was dotted with quirky signs that the Dynamite Museum, also funded by Stanley Marsh 3, created and planted in front yards all over town. My friends and I would use the signs on bike routes as markers. I also frequented Cadillac Ranch as a child. It was a fun activity that allowed us kiddos to burn off energy outside of the house when it was too hot for a hike at Palo Duro Canyon. After becoming a business owner on Amarillo’s stretch of Route 66, I had to increase my knowledge of these public artworks due to all the questions tourists would ask. I’ve developed a greater appreciation for each one over time.

The 5 acres we purchased last year sits out west of Amarillo. Not everyone agrees that opening such a large endeavor on the outskirt of town is a good idea. We, on the other hand, think it’s the ideal location for our new business. From 6th Collective will not be a second location for our current shop, The NAT. The Collective will be a retail and informational hub that targets people passing through (and the folks that don’t venture far from their current neighborhood) to see the variety of what Texas small businesses have to offer. Without the visibility of I-40, a lot of unique businesses here fail due to advertising and overhead costs. I guess you could call it a tourism reference center of sorts that showcases & sells actual product from an assortment of small businesses all in one location. And, since our land falls on the same exit as Cadillac Ranch, we figured using it for our launch shoot was the best way to explain where the new shop is going up. Without a reference point, there are only so many ways to describe vacant prairie land to someone. We asked the owners of the land for permission and paid a location fee in order to section off the cars we requested to paint. I only selected three so that we didn’t offend tourists who had made detours to leave their mark just like we were. We met a lot of wonderful people at the Ranch that day which only assures me that the location we’ve selected for The Collective is a good one.

Why pink, why western? Well, as you can see from our website, that’s the underlying color for our brand. We chose a vintage western cowgirl theme because we decided it’s time the Texas cowgirl got some well deserved attention. There’s an abundance of cowboy statues around here if you haven’t noticed, yet most of the historical ranches in our state have a strong matriarchal history.

This was the first time I’ve shot something professionally for my own brand on this scale and that I wasn’t hired for. Being the sole creative director made me realize just how much I’ve missed that side of the work I used to do at NEST. We’re incorporating the final images into everything from promotional items & artworks for our shop interior to grand opening displays & exterior signage at the new property.

We’re incredibly grateful that we were able to collaborate with the most amazing local makers, shop owners, and creatives to bring this vision to life. We’ve listed them all below, so make sure to check them out if you’re diggin’ their product or service!