Rickrageous
was
established by Denise and Rick Strickland in
1989,
when they were living in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
When pressed about the company name,
Denise lets out her
trademark laugh and exclaims,
"Oh honey, Rick is 'Rick' and I'm just plain Outrageous!"
Denise
began designing Western Couture, using items from their Vintage Collection as
inspiration...
She quickly became well-known in Santa Fe, New Mexico
by exhibiting her designs at various Art Shows
on the renowned Plaza and at the famous "La Fonda Hotel" art shows.
Several of Denise's
high profile clients have been with her since those days in Santa Fe.
It is that devoted following that has made it possible for Rickrageous
to sell our designs the way we do...
We've never had to have a boutique or show room. That has given Denise
the freedom to put all her energy
into the creative design process. Denise
still makes annual trips to the
National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo,
as well as Frontier Days in Cheyenne.
Those
events are a great deal of fun...and hard work...
but more importantly, they allow Denise
to connect with people that live a
"Western Lifestyle" on a daily basis, which fuels her
creativity.
Not only that, but over the years clients that travel to those events expect
to see her there!
Recently, Denise
has begun to explore other "themes" in her designs.
Although the designs still have a distinct "retro" feel that will
always be an organic part of the design process,
she is now experimenting beyond the "Vintage" Western look.
Nowhere is that more pronounced than in the introduction of the ChicKicker
line of jeans.
This expansion of design ideas has
given Denise a new freedom to explore
more avenues of creativity and subject matter,
yet still incorporate her trademark style in the use of
Swarovski Crystals and freehand machine embroidery.
The reaction to these bold new designs is creating a tremendous amount of
excitement
in her established clientele, as well as bringing in a whole new Rickrageous
fan base.
...Be on the lookout for even more new design categories!
The
Design Work that Denise
has mastered is demanding and difficult but she enjoys it immensely.
The collaboration between a really artistic and fashion-forward client is a
great feeling
and that satisfaction shows in every garment.
The most gratifying part of Rickrageous
is that it transports
Denise and her clients back to the days when life
was simpler and less complicated...
The Golden Years of the '40's, 50's and '60's.
This part of the Rickrageous story
is important for two reasons:
First and foremost, it is imperative to pay tribute to Rick,
who has supported Denise every step of the way in Rickragrous'
evolution. and
Second, the early years established the path for the ultimate development of Rickrageous.
Both
Denise and Rick
spent their formative years in the cattle ranching industry...
Growing up "riding fence" and moving cattle on horseback.
That upbringing led to early careers working and managing several historic
cattle ranches.
One of the ranches that Rick
managed in Arizona
was used as locations for several B Western Movies in the 1940's.
One of the ranch's pastures even had the remains
of a movie set and sound stage.
In retrospect, this was very influential in Rick
and Denise's future.
Having
lived "the cowboy life" for so many years and enduring the hardships
of that lifestyle
has had a tremendous impact on the motifs (stories) that go into the design of Rickrageous'
fashions.
The design inspiration comes from the time of the Classic Hollywood
Westerns...the 1940's.
It
was a time when cowboys were glorified on the silver screen and the costume
designs for those productions reflected that glamour.
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans... Tom Mix... Rex Allen... Tex Ritter... Gene Autry...
Randolph Scott... Buster Crabbe... Audie Murphy... Joel McCrea...
This influence led Rick and Denise to begin collecting vintage clothing from many of those historic westerns. Their growing collection evolved into a vintage clothing business, with a "retro western" flair in Southern California in the 1970's.
The
main emphasis was collecting very unique clothing from the heyday of the 1940's
through the 1960's...
The collection included Western Shirts, Vests, and Wearable Accessories that
were used in many B Western Movies.
Only the best resources for this collection were used, relying primarily on
costume coordinators in the film industry.
Other valuable resources were estate sales and auctions.
When Denise and Rick finally sold their Western Vintage stores in the 1980's, they kept the finest articles for their personal collection.
We
hope you enjoy your time here in our little corner of the World Wide Web and
look forward to being of service to you in the future. Please don't hesitate to
contact us with any questions you might have regarding Rickrageous'
Retro Western Couture
and how we can customize and tailor a garment made specifically for you.
In
closing, it is important to know that
Denise Strickland was born on Roy Rogers' birthday...
...And
Rick? Well, as you can see from the photo below, "Little" Rick
Strickland was born on the wildest bronc in the West!
Our creativity is only surpassed by your imagination!