At ULAH, we’re passionate about highlighting the creativity and grit of local brands through our ULAH KC Collective — designed to give Kansas City makers more visibility by featuring them in our store, on our website, and in our marketing. One of the newest brands we’re proud to showcase is Prairie Sailor Co., a Midwest-born lifestyle and apparel brand that blends functionality, style, and a love for adventure. We sat down with the founder to talk about the brand’s roots, vision, and what it means to “Always Seek Adventure” here in the Midwest.
What inspired you to start Prairie Sailor Co.?
Somewhere between my passion for clothing and wanting to be my own boss. After going through design school and bouncing around the marketing world, I knew starting Prairie Sailor was the right move for me.
How did your upbringing in Hays, Kansas, and later moving to Kansas City influence the vision for the brand?
The style naturally leans toward being somewhat active. I grew up reading a lot about Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, but I also spent time sketching Kansas Basketball uniforms. I think the brand reflects that balance—trend-forward but rooted in actual activewear.
Can you share some of the early challenges you faced when launching the brand, and how you overcame them?
Finding the right producers is always a climb. Even if you find the right one, sometimes they can’t source the fabric you need. That process takes a lot of time and money in sample sew-outs and fabric swatches. For instance, I could never find the denim I wanted for our jeans, so we had to design our own fabric.
What does “Always Seek Adventure” mean to you, personally and as a brand?
We use this tagline to speak directly to those in Middle America, where you really do have to go out and create your own adventure. We don’t have mountain peaks or ocean waves, but we adapt—surfing lakes behind a boat or grinding out long gravel rides until our legs give out. It’s about chasing the unusual and doing it unapologetically.
How do you define the Midwest-specific identity of Prairie Sailor, and how does that shape your product designs, brand messaging, or lifestyle content?
The dream is to be a true design house here in the heart of the Midwest—a bit of a middle finger to coastal and European fashion houses. Like, we can do this just as well. All of our marketing is rooted in notable Midwest places, and the stories we tell are about people here. Our design aesthetic also mirrors the weather—dramatic swings in a day, a week, or a season. We believe in layering pieces that have true function.
How do you see giving back to the community, or environmental stewardship, playing a role in your brand’s mission?
Right now, we’re focused on helping fund the building of hiking and mountain bike trails around the metro. We also volunteer at trail workdays. Looking ahead, we hope to host coaching clinics and community events as well.
Walk us through your design process: how do you decide what type of outdoor gear/apparel to create, what materials to use, and which stories to tell through your products?
Take the season I’m working on right now—I’ve been obsessed with late ’80s and ’90s “country club” style. Whether it’s watching old movies, flipping through vintage magazines, or scouring the internet, I pull pieces that feel like they’d fit within the brand. Sometimes it’s a detail I’ve had in mind for a while, like a collar or trim, that finally clicks. Our new two-tone field jacket, for example, has a leather collar that stands up, with that same leather carrying through as piping on the center line, hem, and cuffs. I first saw that on a riding jacket from a polo match photographed in New York in 1992—boom, the idea came together. There are so many great elements to borrow—flannels, preppy sweaters—that blend into a unique style.
Are there particular outdoor adventures or environments (in the Midwest or elsewhere) that you draw inspiration from?
Wilson Lake in Kansas is my paradise—beautiful water, incredible landscapes, unreal sunsets, and fun mountain bike trails. Bury me at Wilson!
How do you balance ruggedness, functionality, and style in your product lines?
Fabric choice is always number one. From there, I develop patterns and cuts that will work in any situation. Then we test everything before it ever goes to market. That way, if there’s a pain point or weak spot, we can address it in pre-production. Sublimation techniques have also made a world of difference.
Since founding the brand, how has Prairie Sailor evolved—product lines, retail presence, community engagement?
We started with screen-printed t-shirts at a farmers market in Hays, KS. Now we have a store and make all of our own clothing. We love partnering with people like Ulah, who not only provide another space to showcase our clothing but also truly care about our brand. That’s allowed us to grow. If we can reach everyone in the metro, we’ll become even more diverse than we already are. Moving further into fashion will help us evolve into a whole new space.
What are some unexpected lessons you’ve learned in growing a lifestyle brand in Kansas City/the Midwest?
The biggest thing I love is that Kansas City supports its own. If you provide a quality product, KC embraces you. That’s special, and it makes us want to introduce ourselves to other cities like KC.
How has being based in Kansas City/the Midwest shaped your business?
It’s both one of our favorite aspects and one of the biggest challenges. It helps to bounce ideas off other business owners or people in adjacent industries, but unfortunately, we’re kind of one of the few brands here designing all of our own products. That’s good and bad.
What does it mean to you to build a community around Prairie Sailor—both with customers and with other local brands/partners?
The goal has always been to make the brand bigger than just me. From group rides to art shows and concerts, we want to create all of that. Growing enough to make it happen comes with challenges, but I know we’ll get there. Hopefully, people will see Prairie Sailor as their brand and their community.
What are some of the most rewarding or proud moments you’ve had thus far with Prairie Sailor?
Opening our store, hands down. It was a crazy amount of work. When I got the space, it was just a white box with some windows. I spent months building it out myself with some help from friends and family, but a good amount of time with myself, and some headphones. The vision for the store will always evolve—we’re moving from a rough, outdoorsy vibe to more of a country club feel. I may even have to stop wearing sandals every day.
Is there a product or collection that stands out to you as being especially meaningful?
Our denim. It’s probably our hardest product to make and the one that gets the least attention. We designed the fabric from scratch and built the fit from the ground up.
What has surprised you most about running Prairie Sailor?
With our mix of technical wear and casual fashion, the surprises never stop. I can spend 100 hours perfecting our MTB pants and sell a few, but then a patch I designed in an hour on a hat or tee will sell out. It’s funny like that. The key is getting people to try things on—once they do, we almost always make a sale. We take a lot of pride in our fabric and color choices.
What are some of the biggest challenges you anticipate going forward?
Tariffs have hurt us. We used to stock deep at reasonable prices, but now we get hit with high taxes before the products even hit the floor. The dream would be to find an American manufacturer with reasonable minimums and the right fabric options—but honestly, it’s nearly impossible. Most of the “American” companies I’ve found are just third parties for overseas factories. Beyond that, I think the future challenge in fashion is education—cutting through bad information and assumptions to help people understand what quality clothing really takes.
Where do you see Prairie Sailor in 3–5 years?
We’re looking to move further into the fashion side while still offering our evergreen outdoor gear. I’d love to bring on a designer or two and open a couple more locations. Expansion into Midwest cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, OKC, and Bentonville is a huge goal. Plus, the trail-building and marketing side of Prairie Sailor is growing fast. Creativity in every space—that’s the goal.
How would you like to see the outdoor lifestyle/adventure culture in the Midwest evolve—and how do you want Prairie Sailor to contribute?
We’re seeing more people embrace the “Seek Adventure” philosophy. Outdoor parks, MTB trails, hiking routes, restored waterways—it’s all growing. That has such a big impact on youth and adventure seekers here.
When you’re off-duty, what are your favorite outdoor spots/trails/adventures around Kansas City or the Midwest?
Wilson Lake, of course—our North Star! We also spend a lot of time at Nall Park, since it’s in our neighborhood. And Northwest Arkansas has become a land of plenty for us—Bentonville is definitely a hub.
What’s your go-to Prairie Sailor outfit when you’re heading outdoors?
Our KOM shorts. So versatile for all kinds of situations.
If you could take your team or community on any outdoor trip, where would it be and why?
Let’s ride bikes, fish, build trails, watch sunsets, and get on the water. We’re going to Wilson Lake! Celebrating what we have in our own backyard, exploring and trying different activities for me doesn't mean having to go to the Alps or anything.
What advice would you give someone in KC or the Midwest who wants to start an outdoor lifestyle or apparel brand?
Come work with me first. I’m still making mistakes that you don’t need to repeat.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about what goes into creating a brand like Prairie Sailor?
That we truly care about our community. I believe in the idea of growing where you’re planted. There are so many options for where to buy clothes—give us a shot. If you don’t like it, no worries—you can complain directly to the person who made it. I’m always open to ideas.
Hearing the story of Prairie Sailor reminds us why we launched the ULAH KC Collective in the first place — to celebrate local talent and help brands like this reach more people. Prairie Sailor is proving that adventure, design, and community can thrive right here in the Midwest. We’re so proud to feature their work at ULAH and can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself. Stop by the shop or check them out online here to see why Prairie Sailor is quickly becoming a local favorite.
