The Leelanau Company in Suttons Bay, Michigan

“LOCAL ART GROUNDED IN PROCESS DRIVEN PRACTICES”

A few years ago I walked into 45 North Winery while I was giving a wine tour and met one of their employees, Matt. Matt was incredible with my customers and everyone seemed to always have a great time when he was the one serving them wine. I had the pleasure of getting to know him a bit more the more wine tours I gave and instantly learned why everyone enjoyed him so much. Of course he knew his shit about wine, but more importantly, he’s such a smart, kind and passionate person. I started to learn more about him and learned that he had a clothing company called, One Without Limits (OWL) that specialized in handmade and hand-dyed organic clothing. Matt told me he had plans to start a shop someday and well a couple of years later, here we are. I had the chance to sit down with Matt and his daughter, Mena, last month and learn a bit more about Matt and his partner, Beth’s, journey with OWL and their new badass shop in Suttons Bay, The Leelanau Company.

So a bit about The Leelanau Company. This shop is located right downtown in the village of Suttons Bay and hosts almost 20 local artist’s designs. The shop has a bit of everything, ranging from pottery to handbags to all kinds of clothing. All of the garments and products are made to be functional and durable while leaving as little impact on the environment as possible and most of the products sold are made right on the Leelanau Peninsula in Northern Michigan. I love their mission, “From seed to store your garment has never left the U.S. We create clothing that is fashionable, sustainable, and locally-driven for Every Gender and Every Generation.”

PRODUCTS AND ARTISTS

What really pulled me into writing this blog was hearing about Matt’s company, One Without Limits (OWL) when I first met him. He was SO passionate about designing and creating his product. It was one of my first interactions in this area where I really saw that fire and passion, living here for three years now I’ve learned that so many wonderful artists have that passion here and that is why our art community is so rich and wonderful and a place like, The Leelanau Store, exists.

I asked Matt, “What’s your favorite part about having a business in Suttons Bay? His answer, ‘The artist community here. He said the community here is absolutely amazing and encouraging, they all support each other. He also loves that, “Every time someone buys a garment he loves that his product is now apart of their Northern Michigan adventure or experience.” I love that Matt now has a space where he can bring all those wonderful artists together.

Their store is ever-growing, every time I visit or see some info on social media I see they have added a new artist! I talked to Matt about OWL and he said he plans to add more zip-up hoodies, continuing to grow their cardigan line and maybe even some dresses!

THE PROCESS OF DYING CLOTHING

Although I love The Leelanau Shop in its entirety, OWL Clothing is what really intrigued me to write this blog. Hand-dyed clothing is quite the process and it was so fun watching Matt do his thing and learn more about the hard work that goes into creating such beautiful garments. I learned that with the current process, Matt can only dye 4-8 pounds worth of fabric in a single day. Once it’s used it cannot be reused because it is a living organism. The specific garments can take anywhere from hours to months to make, so keep that in mind when you are shopping through this store. It’s incredible to learn about and witness how much love and passion is put into this clothing.

I asked Matt what he wants his business to be known for? He replied, “Sustainable and quality clothing. I want to also educate people on how important it is to purchase local clothing or second-hand clothing because the fashion industry is the #2 polluter in the world! Just by making subtle changes in how we shop and dress can have a huge impact on the world.”

WHY I LOVE THE LEELANAU COMPANY

Aside from the cute and practical clothing and Matt being such a wonderful person, I simply love the energy at The Leelanau Company. You can feel the love, hard work and passion as soon as you walk through the door. I love that one single store can host so many different handmade local gifts and that tourists and locals can see how talented and incredible our art community truly is. I also love they have this activity (below) for kids to stay entertained while parents are walking around the store but at the same time learn about the skill and patience it takes when creating all forms of art.

I also had the opportunity to buy one of Matt’s newest products before leaving the store!

My favorite thing to use from The Leelanau Company is this beach towel/blanket Matt dyed. It’s the perfect size for the park or beach and is also so so cute!

Want to learn more about The Leelanau Company and all it has to offer? Head up to Suttons Bay, Michigan and visit their store at 224 St. Joseph St. Unit 103. You can also check their Facebook page for potential workshops and to follow along with their awesome and exciting journey! Interested in dye work? Click here to learn about their-Potential Textile Workshops with Aaron Head. Click the next link to simply learn more about the store, The Leelanau Company.