Brandis Becky Pelletier is a Colorado native and retailer who served on the steering committee for this year’s Western Fantasy, a benefit for Volunteers of America that was expected to raise $1.4 million Saturday night.
Growing up, she split her time between her family’s Denver home and their ranch in Boulder County. In her teens, she shunned Western dress, but her taste shifted after she studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and the American University in London. “In the early 1990s, when I was designing in L.A., there was a resurgence of interest in country with people like Garth Brooks so popular. It became cool again.”
Q: Western wear cycles in and out as a fashion trend. How do you deal with that in your store?
A: When I moved back to Denver, I realized Western is a lifestyle. Denim across the board has been a staple in Brandis B. since we opened five years ago. I’ve got cowboy boots on today. I wear them all winter, and flip-flops in the summer. My take is you can wear straight-leg jeans tucked into your boots with a sweater and belt. You can be trendy without going over the top.
Q: Do friends ask for suggestions on what to wear to events like Western Fantasy?
A: Yes, but since I usually put something together about 20 minutes before I walk out the door, I’m not the best person to ask. I told them it’s black-tie Western and to interpret it anyway they wanted to. You can throw cowboy boots on with a favorite ballgown and jewelry; the more rhinestones and glitter the better. The key is to making it your own style.
Q:What about the guys?
A: I started carrying menswear about two months ago because customers were asking for it. There are still a lot of undiscovered men’s lines out there. I wanted to offer something edgy, but cool and sophisticated, like Indian Rock jeans and Plain Jane polos. In Denver, men tend to wear what everyone else is wearing, but my customer is more interested in trying something new.
– Suzanne S. Brown
