One Year of Feral Friends Co.

About a year ago the idea for Feral Friends started to take shape.

At the time it did not really look like a business plan. It looked more like a growing pile of vintage clothing, a sewing machine on the table, and a shared curiosity about what might happen if we started making things instead of simply collecting them.

One of the very first things we did was build a simple website and start putting pieces online. Around that same time we hosted our first pop up at A Bar Above in Crested Butte. It was a small event, but it felt like the moment where the idea started stepping out of the studio and into the real world.

From there things started unfolding in ways we could not have predicted.

There have been long days digging through vintage racks and sourcing trips that have taken us all over the place. California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, West Virginia, Alabama and a handful of other stops in between. Some trips were carefully planned and others were spontaneous detours that ended with the back of the truck full of vintage pieces that somehow made their way home with us.

Those trips have become a big part of the process. Finding garments that already have a history and imagining how they might live a second life.

Along the way the project kept growing.

 

We started building out a mobile shop so the racks could travel with us instead of living in one place. That opened the door to markets and pop ups, which have become some of the most fun and unpredictable parts of running this little business.

Not every event has gone smoothly. Our first experience selling at the Mile High Flea Market was a pretty major learning lesson. Let’s just say we showed up enthusiastic and left much wiser about what it actually takes to run a booth at a flea market. It was chaotic, humbling, and in hindsight pretty funny.

Those kinds of moments are part of the story too.

 

Since then we have had the chance to pop up at all kinds of community events. The Fourth of July parade, Beer and Chili Fest, local markets, and small gatherings where people stop by the rack, try things on, and share stories about their own favorite vintage pieces.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that we also started hosting sewing nights and workshops where people bring jackets, pants, or whatever garment has been sitting in the closet waiting to be repaired. Watching people sit down together and mend something has easily been one of the most rewarding parts of this whole process.

Clothing has always carried stories. A jacket that has seen a dozen winters. A shirt picked up during a road trip through a mountain town. A pair of worn in jeans that somehow become better the longer you keep them.

Vintage garments already hold those histories. Upcycling and repair simply allow those stories to keep unfolding.

One thing this past year has made very clear is that people are not just looking for new clothes. More and more people want pieces that feel connected to something real. They want to know where something came from, how it was made, and how it continues to live beyond its first chapter.

That is really what Feral Friends has become about.

Giving old garments another life. Making pieces by hand. Slowing down enough to repair what already exists and creating space for creativity along the way. Over time it has grown into a small community built around the idea that clothing does not have to be disposable.

Looking ahead the goal is to keep growing this in ways that still feel grounded.

More handmade and reworked pieces leaving the studio. More sourcing trips and unexpected finds. More markets and pop ups. More sewing nights where people can sit down together and learn how to mend and create.

And maybe one day a small shop.

For now the Feral Journal will be a place to share the process. The experiments, the lessons, the adventures, and the moments that make this whole journey what it is.

If you have been following along during this first year, thank you for being here.

Stay feral,

Alex

PS. -- You can explore vintage and handmade pieces in the shop, or join the newsletter to hear about upcoming markets, sewing nights, and new releases.