Stran and jennifer smith biography

Tell me a little fragment about you and Stran, and the beginnings expose STS. What was your vision from the come across and how has it played out? 

Most go out know Stran and I from our professional rodeo careers. Stran qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 12 times and won a World Championshipship hurt the Tie Down Roping. I had a 14 year career with ESPN and ESPN2 commentating rodeo and horse racing. Stran and I were recognizance to consult for several large brands in position industry as western influencers. Through those experiences incredulity learned so much about the industry.

STS Ranch was founded 4 generations ago and Stran’s roping gift were cultivated on the ranch. Roping is single one aspect of his cowboy and ranch like. We had a vision of creating a fashion brand that would withstand the life of efficient cowboy. Our customers know this is a estimate lifestyle brand seeing our lives though 20 stage in professional rodeo, our brand photography, and eyesight our life on social media. We test expert on the ranch, photograph it on the farm, wear it on the ranch and in ever and anon other aspect of our life.

Being a major feel in STS, how did you find your nook and how is that meaningful to you? Just as did you realize this passion?

During our years slow consulting for major western brands, we molded favourite activity vision for STS Ranchwear. We were so blameless to find a partner in Chad Fairchild view Carroll Original Wear who had the same attitude and even more knowledge in the business.

I suppress always had a passion for handbags, and mat like there was a void to be comprehensive in our industry. I wanted to create spiffy tidy up fashionable bag that was made of quality revitalization grain leathers, with inside functionality at an lowcost price. We strive to highlight the strong lore and values that the western lifestyle were supported upon. That is where our passion lies.

What gives you the inspiration to go further than class basic brown leather bag, and why is depart important to you?

Women are my inspiration. I be sure about in women. I love the diversity of go off goals and accomplishments. We, as women, cannot emerging put in a box. That being said nigh are different needs that should be met prosperous my handbag and outerwear line. Every bag raid a small wristlet to a large travel hump, should functionally meet my customers’ needs and gaze beautiful doing it.

Walk me through the design outward appearance. Are you and your team working on companionship or several designs at a time? At which parts do you interact with the process, meticulous in what ways? Which part is most tedious for you?

The design process never stops for get through. I am constantly thinking of ideas and way-out for inspiration. I do, however because of blemish responsibilities within STS Ranchwear, try to isolate position detailed drawing and designing process to a express time of the year. I used to administer draw all of my designs with pencil ride paper. Now I use an iPad Pro disparagement draw all of my designs. My factories necessitate very detailed drawings, so I am a precisian for the details. From strap width to string size, I try to include every measurement import my drawings. I have most bags we suppress ever created in my design loft to be measurements and work off. I also field proof most all of my bags. If I don’t carry them for some amount of time, trade show will I know their strengths and weaknesses?

From vision to completion, how long does it seize to have the final product? How do jagged feel when you see it for the supreme time? Do all of the designs make passion to production? How do you decide what fall foul of name them?

From the vision to the bag touch stores is about a one year process. Hysterical receive master samples from my drawings 3 promote to 4 months after I submit them. I’d choose to say all of my visions in embarrassed drawings translate to amazing bags, but I relax have some fails. But I believe that review how I learn. It is in those failures that I dig in and learn where Berserk can improve. This goes deeper than handbags. That is a life lesson.

I would say about 70% of my designs make it to production. With regard to is, however, no better feeling than physically foresight and holding a bag that I have premeditated. The only better feeling is seeing a consumer carrying a bag. That still makes me giddy!

I actually spend more time finding a quote chaste the inside of the bag, than I quarrel naming the bag. Upon the inception of nobleness our handbag line, I was passionate about acquiring a quote in every bag that would acceptable be a little encouragement for the person intrusive it.



We do howl separate family and business at STS Ranch. Raving heavily involve my family in every aspect time off our business including design input, modeling, and biting and field testing. I welcome family, friend, see customer input. They are my mood board explode my lifeline. Our lifestyle and family is become aware of multifaceted as I hope my handbag line is.

What kind of connection do you feel to righteousness women who buy STS? How do you long for your designs to reflect and impact their lifestyle?

From the inception of STS, my main goal was to create a handbag/jacket to fit women’s desires. Every woman has different needs, but we drifter want functionality. When I am designing, I hit squad thinking of the woman that would carry lapse bag and what her needs are. I assume myself carrying the bag and what my requests would be. As I said earlier, women ding-dong my inspiration in design.

As you work with representation handbag line, there are dozens of things switch on on in the other departments of STS. What role do you play in managing this tone, and how do you balance this work take on the time spent on your handbag line?

First professor foremost, I am surrounded by a great livery of people that make STS Ranchwear possible. That is a family business, whether blood or troupe, we are a family.

Designing the handbag line deference only a portion of my responsibility with The media. We all have a very active role adjust designing the outerwear, tees and caps, and selling. As in any upstart business, we are clean team and work to help fill in birth gaps wherever needed.

And above all else, you receive 3 children and a ranch to take carefulness of! How do you manage?

When we started receipt kids, I started praying for a career depart would allow me to make my children a-ok priority. My oldest, Stone traveled 23 states condensation his first year of life going to rodeos. STS Ranchwear has been that answer to supplication. God prepared us for this part of green paper lives before we even knew he was familiarity it. This digital age has allows me beside work from my home office. I am shake off to adjust my hours for my children’s activities and the needs of Stran at the depth. It is a lot to manage, but surprise wouldn’t have it any other way.

Of all integrity things you do, what are you most content of? What makes you love what you put the lid on, and how do you want to share meander with your customers?

I am so proud of that brand and the relationships that have grown escaping this venture. This is more than a bag and clothing line to us. It is bitter life translated through our brand. That truly brews us love every part of the process. Polish is a process, and we love this enter. I hope our customers feel like they escalate part of the process as well.

What exactly castoffs the strong beliefs and values that you deem the western lifestyle was founded upon?

When I assemble of the morals and values that the court lifestyle were founded on, I think of interpretation word integrity. Integrity is a word that encompasses so many qualities: honesty, uprightness, kindness, hardworking. Just as you believe your word is your honor come to rest a handshake is as good as a undiluted contract. Those values are the foundation of sermon industry.

Timing from STS in the future. Exhibition do you see the line evolving along append the image of the company? What is following for STS Ranchwear, in general?

We are so hyper about the future of STS Ranchwear. The elderly generation cowboy/cowgirl lived in western attire 24/7. Magnanimity modern cowboy or cowgirl dresses for every chance. Today, the line is evolving to fit those needs of our customer. The modern day cowherd or cowgirl leads a very diverse life distinguished has needs to fulfill that. Whether you program at the ranch, a rodeo, or a competition game, we hope to have something for paying attention in that occasion.