The inspiration for the Italian Cowboy Cool Collection came to my mind this past fall when I was living on the Steerhead Ranch, in Buffalo, Wyoming. I spent my time in Wyoming immersing myself in ranch life, learning the craft of artisans in Wyoming, and creating the Spring 2017 Madison McKinley collection.
I lived on the ranch for four months and was able to engage and live the ultimate cowgirl life-style, where one looks at horse-back riding as work not something for leisure. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I was able to learn more about the strength and grit it takes to be a full time rancher. This realization and first hand experience led to my deep admiration and love of cowboy culture. I grew up visiting the family ranch, but never realized what it actually takes to operate and maintain the property.
After seeing the work and craftsmanship that comes with running a ranch, I knew I wanted a Cowboy theme collection. The ranch and ranch life had become my new lifestyle, so I mixed the aesthetic of the rancher with the other life I lead in Dallas as a city girl. This combination of City-Cowgirl makes the collection very versatile and speaks to so many women. Within the collection, I repurposed vintage jewelry, like Italian Micromosaics and cameos, with modern stones or blacksmith methods that give them a vintage meets modern feel. This also contributes to the cowboy meets city lifestyle that I lead.
While the cowboy culture is something that definitely shapes who I am, I also find a lot of inspiration in other cultures and countries. One of my favorite places to visit is Italy. I love the lifestyle, culture, and history the country has. So many of the designers and craftsmen that I admire (who are cowboys in their own industries) come from the coasts of Italy, so when I came across the Italian Micromosaics and vintage cameos that I mentioned earlier, I knew I needed to include them in my collection.
I had so much fun creating this collection for you and I hope you have just as much fun wearing it!
All the love,
Madison