It's easy to stereotype what people in the Upper Peninsula wear: plaid, Carhartt, or perpetual long johns. But the truth is, fashion in the U.P. reflects the values of the people who live here.
"We're honest people, (and) we're not real flashy." says Gina Thorsen,
Stormy Kromer division manager. "We want things that are classic and durable and high quality, and I think that those are more values of the U.P."
Stormy Kromer is known for its wool hat, which Thorsen says is the "unofficial official hat of the U.P." But the Kromer brand also sells other products like outerwear, shirts, pants and accessories, which Thorsen helps create. She says that in creating product designs, she and the contracted designers try to imagine products that will remind urbanites of places like the U.P., northern Wisconsin, or the proverbial "Up North."
"We're trying to come up with things that are reminiscent of being outdoors and being in places like the Upper Peninsula but also work in places like Chicago," Thorsen says. "We want to combine the history and the heritage and the outdoorsiness of Stormy Kromer and some of our past with some more modern fit and styles."
Thorsen says Stormy Kromer falls in line with modern fashions that tend toward "heritage" looks.
"In the fashion world, nationally, there's this movement to heritage brands and heritage styles and these things that my grandpa wore but made modern for today," she says. "So part of what is drawing people to us is that overall movement, with brands like Woolrich and Red Wing boots. People are wanting American-made things of high quality. (They think,) 'I don't mind spending $250 on a coat because it's going to last me.'"
Having quality clothes that work for the customer might be important no matter where you live, but Lanni Lantto, a designer in the U.P., says it drives much of what she creates.
Lantto lives in Marquette, and is in the business of upcycling, which is taking old clothes and making them more functional or fashionable. Lantto says living in the U.P. doesn't stop people from being fashionable.
"Fashion is personal, we all like different styles," Lantto says. "When I design I usually let the material speak to me and add in my own vintage hipster flare. When I'm working with a client, I always ask for their personal style to influence the final outcome of what we create."
Lantto sells clothes on her
Etsy shop and in select stores in the area, but she also works one-on-one with customers, which is how she ends up interacting with people in the U.P. the most. Rather than working in New York City or other fashion capitals, she wants to make her home here in the U.P.
"The community has really embraced the concept of upcycling. We are now on our fourth year for the ReDesign Fashion Show put on at the Marquette Regional History Museum, which promotes upcycling artists," she says. "I have no problem finding material here in the U.P. because most of the thrift stores are gold mines."
Living in the U.P. inspires Lantto's designs. Not only does she upcycle t-shirts that feature U.P. related images, but she also says the environment influences her effectiveness.
"Every day that I take a walk and see Lake Superior I feel happy and content with life," she says. "That is what truly matters. That sense of well-being reflects in my designs because I enjoy what I do."
Living in the U.P. also influences the work of Amber Baker, who owns
Dusty Luck Vintage. It features handmade hair accessories and vintage frocks.
"Everything from color, to texture, composition, and the actual materials in my designs are inspired by nature and my U.P. surroundings," Baker says. "I believe everything has a story, that little stick in the woods fallen in a storm, the old plaid dress your grandmother wore on her first date, the antique pearl necklace with the broken clasp. All of these have secrets, and I believe there is more of their story to tell. I try to bring items like that into my shop and into my handmades."
Baker also upcycles, in that she takes these items and turns them into more fashionable items. She says being in the U.P. influences how she upcycles because the items that she finds here are different than she might find somewhere else.
"I am always surprised to find so much inspiration from the outdoors and the people of the U.P. I use found, natural objects and materials from local antique and secondhand stores to create one-of-a-kind items. I love that the people and literal scenery of our area are incorporated right into my designs," she says.
Much of Baker's work sells outside of the U.P., but she says it's exciting that something that she handmade or hand picked here gets to be a part of something outside of the U.P.
"I think this helps show that the U.P. isn't just full of flannels and hunter orange," Baker says. "We have a unique style all our own, and I just hope to be a part of that."
Lucy Hough is in the English master's program at Northern Michigan University and helps write a blog about NMU history.