What do bold patterns, arena lights, and a mid-life “why not?” have in common? Yuki Khona. She ditched tech, found her love for rhinestones, and built Kultured Rider. Tune in to learn about the western show brand that’s as fierce as it is fabulous.

• Hosts: Jennifer Hebert, Morgan Nicole Zipperlen
• Contact: Sophia Jagella, WESA Marketing Specialist
• Guest: Yuki Khona
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kulturedrider/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kultured-Rider/61561108045162/
• Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/kulturedrider
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kulturedrider
• Website: https://kulturedrider.com

Foreign.

You are listening to the Horse Radio Network, part of the Equine Network family.

This is episode 153 of Wisdom by Wesa on the Horse Radio Network.

This is Jennifer Heber.

I'm Morgan Nicole.

And this is Sofia Yagela.

Welcome to Wisdom by Wasa Sophia.

We are now just one month away from opening day.

Is there anything buyers can still sign up for at this point?

Yes.

So first of all, they can still sign up for buyer badges if you still haven't.

And along with the pre registration, if you're quick, you'll also get some food vouchers along as long as our supplies last.

So that's always helpful during the busy trade show days.

And then the second thing that people can still sign up for is the benefit golf tournament which really is just a fun get together at TOPGOLF in Dallas with a buffet and drinks and actually also Montana silversmith buckles for our winning TOPGOLF teams.

And I think the best part about all of this is that the proceeds go to National Little Bridges Rodeo association and specifically to their scholarship funding.

So this really is a great event to sign up for.

How fun.

That's definitely something we don't want to miss.

Where can they find the golf and the Westa registration?

So the buyer Registration is via westsidetradeshow.com and the player registration for the benefit golf tournament is also on our website.

You can just hover over August and then find the events tab and just sign up there.

Phenomenal.

Thank you.

And it's now time to get to our guest.

And our guest today is Yuki Kona and she is the visionary founder and designer behind Cultured Rider, a luxury western show apparel brand that combines bold craft, heavy design and urban elegance.

As a WESA exhibitor, she's built a networked business by embracing areas beyond her comfort zone to elevate the show apparel into a cultural statement.

Welcome to the show, Yuki.

Hi.

Nice to meet you.

I'm a fashion train wreck.

I'm raising my hand right now, so I'm so excited to chat with you.

I drove around your website this morning for a little bit to look at the fashions and I found at least three different things I need to buy just to go to.

Just to go to Westa later on next month.

So excited that you're saying that.

Yeah, it's.

It's definitely been something out of my comfort zone.

Believe it or not, if you actually met me in real life, I am in sweatpants and T shirt and I don't always wear what I design.

So, yeah, I. I design it for other people.

Let's just put it that way.

Well, what I found so interesting, because I am not.

I don't have good fashion confidence or fashion sense.

What I saw on your website, number one, you use models who are real human beings.

Yay.

Thank you.

And they're beautiful.

They're.

They're beautiful.

But you don't look at them and say, oh, that's out of Vogue magazine.

That's a real person that I can relate to.

I'm guessing they're also equestrians.

Absolutely.

Actually, so one of my models is Kaylen Quinones.

I actually met her at WESA.

I saw her walking around with a crown on, and I was like, yeah, you need to come talk to me.

So we became friends, and now she, you know, models for me, and she's awesome.

I'm going to say two.

Don't quote me, but I mean, they're both brilliant equestrians, brilliant women.

And I'm just so lucky I found them.

And it's really part.

I mean, I'm not gonna say partially, I'm gonna say a hundred percent, because I was at weta, so it's been.

It's been such a blessing.

So your.

The fashions on your website, they.

They range from casual barbecue, picnic, right up to where a tuxedo wedding.

And yet every single item is so approachable.

You look at that, and you look at those visuals on there, and you say to yourself, I could wear that.

I could wear that on my vacation.

I could wear that when I go to the beach.

I could wear that when I go to dinner with my friends.

What are some of the things that inspire the fashions that you design at Cultured Rider?

So interesting that you said that.

And I'm actually really honored that you said that, that it was accessible, because that's literally what I was trying to do.

Right.

So let me kind of back up a little bit.

So we're a very, very brand new company.

I have absolutely no designing skills.

I have absolutely no business doing what I'm doing.

Right.

Because this is not my profession.

But I wanted to do something that was creative because I've always been creative.

Just didn't know what to do with it.

So I said, let me start designing clothes.

Like, why not?

My.

My father is my manufacturer, so I have an advantage there.

And I started with the equestrian collection first and I wanted to do something that, you know, wasn't out there.

Something that was not simpler, but something that was easy to wear for anyone, right?

You didn't feel like you had to be a certain way or, you know, just to bring that prettiness back or that, that femininity back into the writing.

You know, the writing discipline is, it's kind of how cultured writer was created.

And, and then, you know, it really evolved into, okay, let's add something for the Ferrell racers, let's add something for the Rainers, let's add something for trail.

And it kind of developed, but believe it or not, that collection was put together in two weeks.

I know I'm crazy, but I have the advantage of, you know, my dad being my manufacturer and he's like, okay, we can do this, we can do this.

And while I was there, I was kind of contemplating whether I did the right thing or not.

I felt like I needed something more accessible.

And that's where I added Lavender Sky.

So flew back out to India for literally two weeks, created lavender sky, and I showed lavender sky in January.

So those two collections are very different, but it's for a, a girl who rides, right?

Like, let's say you're out in, you know, in your barn and you're cleaning up after your horses, you're wearing a shirt, you can actually wear that shirt right out to town.

Or you can, you know, like the date night, you can wear lavender sky and feel pretty.

So I, you know, I just wanted to kind of put something that was accessible to, to everyone.

So that was something I noticed too, that I think is unique to Cultured Rider.

I've never seen this in any other fashion oriented brand that you, you have curated lines that you can drop.

Use the drop down menu.

You can if you're a hunter rider, if you're a Rainer, if you're a barrel racer, you can click on that and you have suggestions, curated suggestions.

Again, great.

For those of us who are not really confident in our fashion choices, what are some of the design cues that allow you to do those different curated lists?

Is it color, is it cut, is it fabric?

A little of each.

So it really depends.

Like when you're a barrel racer, you want something that's easily movable and right, you're moving, you're racing your horse, so you want something that's Tight, but not too tight.

Stretchy, but not too stretchy.

You want something that's breathable because you're.

You're hot.

Right?

So I. I choose fabric based on that.

But barrel racers love to have color, and.

And they're.

They're not afraid to go, you know, out of the box.

So you'll see some really cool fabrics out there.

Right?

But then you have disciplines that don't allow bling or they don't allow fringe.

So we just have to be very careful with how we, you know, how we put the collection together.

But, you know, coming into the.

To this industry, I had a lot of learning to do, and both Carly and Kaylin have been great resources for me to kind of guide me and say, hey, have you thought of doing this or have you, you know, thought of doing that?

And, you know, they've helped me build my collection together.

And just talking to customers, especially at Westa, right, Talking to people who are rider themselves, but they own a boutique, and they want to see different.

Different options.

And for example, I had a customer in January who loved one of my Carly shirts, but she didn't want the satin.

She wanted made in cotton.

Well, guess what?

That's what.

That's what we do.

We can take the same pattern and just change the fabric so it's more friendly.

Oh, my gosh.

I was thinking exactly the same thing.

Yeah, it's pretty cool.

Well, like I said, I'm cheating a little bit, right?

Because I have my dad, who, you know, I can call him and be like, hey, dad, can we do this?

And he's like, absolutely.

Or he'll turn around, be like, yeah, we can't do this because this is, you know, really difficult, or, you know, the fabric's not available or whatever it is.

So it's was supposed to start out as a hobby.

It's become a business.

And it's been pretty kind of wild to see people wearing my.

My stuff and loving it and tagging us on their Instagram.

And I'm just in awe every day of like, did I.

Did I really do that?

Did I really put this together?

I have no design background.

I have no apparel background.

I have nothing.

I'm in supply chain by profession, so totally out of my comfort zone.

But, yeah, I'm enjoying every minute of it.

But obviously, you're adept, if not expert, at putting together a really good team.

It sounds like you have members of your cultured writer team that you have, that you have a really great relationship with, and that allows you to keep things moving.

Smoothly, you don't have those interruptions because of breakdowns in communication, which are.

They can be the death of any business.

And it sounds like.

Sounds like you've got that part really well ironed out.

Oh, my gosh.

I can't tell you how lucky I have been.

When I first started this, I realized I needed somebody to do my social media.

I was.

I was actually at work one day, and I was like, let.

Let me Google and find someone to help me.

And I ended up meeting Romina, who is my social media manager, and my gosh, am I lucky to have her.

And, you know, she really helped me understand Instagram, which is, oh, my gosh, more involved than I realize.

You know, my children are more aware of, you know, how to do certain things.

And so she's been a blessing.

But, you know, like I said at Westa, when I saw Kailyn walk by with her crown, I was like, who are you?

Why are you wearing a crown?

Please come talk to me.

And funny story.

So the most expensive piece I have on my website is called the K. Lynn.

And this is because when I met her at Westa, she.

She tried on that outfit, she tried on the jacket.

And I turned around, looked at her dead in the face, and I said, this is yours.

And she's like, what?

I'm like, this is yours.

This was meant to be yours.

It fits you like a glove.

And I turn around, look at my husband, and he's looking at me like, sure.

Oh, stretchy.

Yeah, I understand.

But that's your most expensive piece.

I was like, I understand.

But to me, relationships are so much part of what we do, right?

And that's really why we come to west side is to build.

Built these relationships and have these relationships.

And I was like, who better to.

To tie up with than somebody who is the, you know, poster child, or however you want to call it.

The.

I can't come up with the word.

But she embodies everything I believe in, right?

Women being, you know, strong women helping each other, being beautiful, being strong.

And I mean, she.

She has an mba, she's educated, she's gorgeous, but she's just like the package.

And I was like, this jacket has to be yours.

And that's how I named the.

The jacket.

The K. Lynn.

Oh, my gosh, that's so interesting.

And another thing that, again, I think this is unusual, if not unique for the industry.

At Cultured Rider, you have a custom ordering process.

Walk.

What is that?

And walk us through it.

Why did you start it?

As far as the Horse apparel industry is concerned.

It's not really a unique offering.

A lot of the higher end designers do cut them, but I, you know, I mean, honestly, I have the ability to do it because of the, you know, access that I have with the, the, the factory.

Right.

I'm able to say, okay, I like this design, but the customer doesn't want yellow bling.

They want purple bling.

Like, it's something that's so easy for me to do.

So it was part of, you know, it was part of the original plan of having that, that customization.

I, I've never been introduced to the rodeo queen industry, which is where Kaelyn comes from.

And that's kind of where we're, we're targeting going forward is, you know, making very unique pieces for girls who are trying out for either Ms. Rodeo USA or Ms. Rodeo America or their local pageant.

So having that, having that ability, I think really puts, you know, cultured writer at an advantage.

And the other thing is because I, because of the accessibility to fabric and design and, you know, bling and things like that.

And I don't think bling is the official term, but rhinestone.

Yeah, but everybody calls it.

I think you're right.

Everybody.

I know, but I can build something that's within everyone's budget, right?

Or I can, I can have a customer say, hey, I'm willing to spend a thousand.

And I, I can have a girl who says, listen, my budget's 200, so I can really play around with, with that and offer them something so unique that they don't have to break their bank.

And part of the reason that actually happened was I was at a horse retailer, clothing retailer, and one of the clerks I was talking to, she was talking to me about her favorite outfit that she arrived in, and she had spent $800 on that shirt.

And I said, wow, that's amazing.

She goes, yeah, that was the money that my grandpa left me.

And I was like, I'm sorry.

You used all the money that you had from your grandpa to buy a shirt?

And she's like, yeah, because they're so expensive.

And that's what it hit me.

Like, I don't.

I want these girls to look beautiful and not have to spend something that their, their grandparent left for them.

You know, like, it kind of hit me and I'm like, that's why I want to make some of the stuff that, you know, I put out there accessible to everybody.

And I'm willing to work with, with customers.

And, you know, my first question is, what is Your budget, What do you want to do?

Yeah, exactly.

And that's a key aspect of all of this, is being able to be accessible both in the fashions and the styles, but also in the price point.

Yeah, I think that's really, really important.

Yeah, yeah.

So you have wholesale program and private label options.

Is that another thing that you had in mind from the get go or is that something that has evolved a little bit since you're business began?

It definitely involved.

Involved.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Because like I said, this was initially created as a hobby and it, it's, it's blown up into something that I didn't expect.

And you know, one of the things that I always tell myself is just keep an open mind.

Bring, you know, whatever, whatever comes your way, you know, accept it and take it.

And that's the wholesale part really happens because, you know, it was something that I could do and I have access to and private labeling is something that my, the factory in India already does.

I mean, they've been in business for over 40 years.

They manufacture for manufactured garments for customers all over the world, so why not?

So I've actually had really cool opportunities that have come out of Westa that have, has nothing to do with horse related, but we are doing shirts for a customer, you know, and it's, it's, it's been kind of really cool that that's what it translated to because, you know, when, when my customer approached me and said, hey, can you do men's shirts?

And I'm like, yeah, absolutely.

It's, you know, we have the ability or capability of doing that.

So that's, that's, that's pretty cool.

That's interesting that.

And I can see a few years down the line that the cultured rider expanding into more of the menswear perhaps.

Well, we did, we did do a soft launch in January actually.

We did a men's line, but we had a lot of feedback of what men actually like.

They, they're a little bit different than, than women.

Right.

When it comes to their shirts.

They want certain buttons, they want certain fit, they want certain fabrics.

So we're kind of going back to the drawing board and I'm hoping to have something out for next January.

There we go.

I'm going to put out a personal request to cultured rider in the menswear line.

Please create shirts for men who are not extra large size and over six feet tall.

The.

It's Crazy.

It's crazy how you cannot find tall men's clothing unless the tall man is built like a linebacker.

I don't know.

We need to chat.

I'll be.

I'll be.

I'll be there in August.

We'll chat.

We'll.

We'll talk about.

So one more thing.

Do you have a favorite piece in your lineup?

A personal favorite, and why?

Well, it's kind of my namesake, the Yuki.

It was.

It was a jacket that I literally had the design in my head, so it wasn't really put on paper or anything.

And I sat with my tailor and drove him crazy.

Don't.

Don't get me wrong.

But I was like, okay, put this here.

Put this here.

I want you to do this.

And it just kind of evolved into this beautiful jacket.

It's one of my favorite pieces.

And I.

That's kind of.

That's really the first design that I. I put together, and I. I love that piece.

It really does kind of, you know, allow me to.

To keep going in a sense, when I look at that piece.

So, yeah, I guess that the Yuki is the one that.

That I love the most.

I love the cut on that.

I'm a very, very conservative dresser.

Probably related to my lack of confidence when it comes to fashion, but I just am in love with the cut on that jacket.

If we could make that in, like, some lovely earth tones, I'd be your best friend.

Well, let's, you know, reach out to me, and we'll make a custom piece for you.

But I can see why you're.

Why you love that.

Now, am I getting it right that there are little zippers on the cuffs?

There are zippers on the cuff, yeah.

Oh, how cool.

Now, was the zipper on the cuff purely a design choice, or was that something also related to the equestrianism and the usefulness of the garment?

I honestly put the zipper on there just in case, you know, like, when you have something that's, like, too tight and you don't want it to be too tight, you just want it to, like, be.

So I just wanted to give it that little, like, flexibility.

But also, when you're done, you can unzip and just.

I mean, you can't roll this one, but you can unzip the zipper and just kind of cool down a little bit.

And that's the interesting that, you know, I don't ride horses.

I have no experience in riding horses, but I.

That's kind of where my advantage is as I come in looking at it from a very different perspective.

Right for example, the barrel racers love the zipper because after they race they want to be able to take off their shirt because they're hot.

Well, guess what?

The zipper in the front and the zipper on the side allows you, or even the Velcro allows you to take it off immediately.

Pretty, you know, it's, it's a pretty quick, you know, quick, you know, you can take it off.

Sorry.

Yeah, but these are different things that the industry hasn't seen.

But I have, I have some ideas, right.

And I just, I just have to kind of implement it and see and some, and a lot of the, a lot of the, the disciplines are different.

Like for example, I have a team up in Canada that bought some of my shirts but they needed buttons on top of the placket because it has to be a button up but they want a zipper feature underneath.

So that's the cool thing about working with us is however you want to design your, your shirt, we can, we can accommodate that.

Perfect.

Now one final question, I promise, then we'll let you get on with your day.

For someone who's doing the custom order, which I think is something that is just going to shine for you guys, what kind of, and it's tough because it could change from, from season to season.

What kind of a turnaround time would one might expect?

So if it's something as simple as a shirt and you just want the measurements that could be maybe a two week turnaround.

It really isn't, you know, a really long.

And the only thing is fabric availability is super important and just you know, being able to turn that around.

But for example, if you wanted like either the K. Lynn or the Yuki, like the more elaborate jacket.

Oh, let me put it in perspective.

The Kalin took 400 man hours to put together.

So yeah, by like a month and a half or something because it's all hand done so it could take a little bit but you know, it, it really just depends on what you're, what you're looking for.

There we go.

Thank you very much for spending some time with us today, Yuki.

This has been fascinating.

I really appreciate this.

This has been awesome.

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