Pursue Victory – Paige Callaway
This spring I will be purchasing just one new shirt for rodeo season. It’s long enough it won’t come un-tucked from your jeans. It’s sleeves reach your wrists and stay that way when you’re stretched out hustling home. It’s sides are fitted showing off your curves, rather than making you feel like a box. This shirt looks good with jeans and is rodeo ready, but you can wear it to the office, or a day in town if you want to. I NEED this shirt in my closet, so its now at the top of my must have list. The Pursue Victory Power Collar Shirt runs from an XS to an XL, is handmade in Calgary Alberta CANADA, and comes in uh-mazing colours. Urban Cowboy Denim, get-in-mah-closet!!!
Who is the designer behind this fabulous new line that launched this past October? Non other than Miss Paige Callaway. If you’re not familiar with Paige, click her name right there, and check out the About Me section of her Pursue Victory website.
While on Instagram one day, I scrolled to a picture that had a bunch of cowgirl fashionistas. Tagged in the picture was Paige, and I had thought her name was familiar, so I decided to “Follow” her. Once checking out nearly all of her pictures I decided she was pretty much the coolest girl in the world. Her style is one of a kind, she trick rides and barrel races, she travels and loves fashion. While scrolling her photos I thought to myself I hope I get to meet this cool cat one day, Paige seems to be someone I would get along with pretty well.. Though I have not formally met Paige yet, I was able to track her down on Facebook and do a little interview with her about her PV line.
What inspires you?
For me, I have learned there are two types of inspiration. The inspiration the flutters my heart and it comes at any time and place to take my creativity in new directions. I find driving I get my best ideas. Other places I draw inspiration from are riding horses, flea markets, music, the old west, kids, graffiti, nature and laughing. That’s why I like to laugh . . . I mean who doesn’t but for me its a double win!
The second kind of inspiration, and perhaps the most valuable as an entrepreneur, is the kind that nicely takes your hand and dusts you off after a “rough” day and gives you the strength and sanity to push on. The deep, to the soul, inspiration that the beauty in a cactus just doesn’t cut it for. I find that in music, quotes and other people who have done triumphant things. For those days, I have one no fail source. One of my best friends was paralyzed a few years back at Cheyenne and I call him. He never rarely gives me a “you can do it speech”, and he usually doesn’t need to because knowing what he has been through and accomplished paired with his witty comments and jokes always change my attitude. I am not sure if he knows thats why I call him sometimes, however it is probably best he doesnt cause it would go right to his head! Haha jk!
This may not be “inspiration” as much as “motivation”, however the drive behind what I do could be summed up in one word empowerment. When I started Wild Rose Clothing a few years back, I used to say that wearing one of the graphic T’s with a cool graphic or uplifting quote could be the difference between a good day and a bad day. Pursue Victory takes that to the next level. When I went to couturier school and I made myself clothing specific for my measurements it gave me a whole knew level of confidence. I thought that sort of confident energy is priceless for me going into a meeting (when I worked downtown) or at a rodeo running barrels. You naturally have that energy transfer into what you do that day. I thought there is so much value in this sort of thing for society. On a big scale, regardless of which direction the fashion industry takes me, that will always be my MO, so to speak.
Will you be bringing more items to the Pursue Victory line?
YES!!! I am so excited for all the ideas I have for this line. The first stop on the road map of Pursue Victory is to make sure that the pattern of the shirts (meaning pattern they are sewn off of) and the size grading is best for the clients. Something very unique about Pursue Victory is that the shirt pattern and size grading was done by hand, not computer. With the help of client feedback and tweaking the pattern and sizing, Pursue Victory will be releasing more colors and styles of the PV Power Collar Shirt along with maybe a casual line, a mens line and a higher end line. I love blazers and vests so I am sure they will come along as well!
Will you be making your line available to wholesalers ever or strictly off the site?
I am working right now to move the line into wholesale. My target with the first run of shirts was to really nail down the fit and I felt the best way to get client feedback was to sell it on a first hand bases and talk to the clients. Now that I have a good idea of the feedback and where things can be shifted and adjusted I am looking forward to expanding into larger orders and venues while maintaining the quality!
If you could have lunch with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Lunch with anyone, tough choice, either my Grandpa or Coco Chanel. Growing up I spent endless hours with Grandpa on his ranch. He was a very kind person to all walks of life. He loved and cared so diligently for his cows and horses and I grew up in this idea that was how the world operated. Turns out it doesn’t and the older I get, the more I appreciate the man he was. Grandpas actions spoke louder then his words, and through those characterisitics that he so naturally had he was respected and appreciated by many, myself included. That, and Grandpa taught me how to play cribbage, which though I havent played in a while I am still confident in my skills!
Coco Chanel; she revolutionized fashion to create functional clothing for woman and this is something I strive for. She had an idea for functional clothing so ladies could move around easier, like getting in and out of cabs and she stuck with it. It was actually a very liberating time for ladies in terms of fashion and the more I learn about it, it was the fine boned, quick witted Coco who led the charge. She had low regard for peoples judgement when it came in terms of what she designed because she trusted her gut and followed her heart. Plus, Coco rode horses, was slightly rough around the edges and left a mysterious trail of stories about her life . . . which I appreciate!
Since this blog is titled ‘Lipstick & Cowboy Boots’, what is your favourite of each?
I LOVE lipstick and I have become a lipstick snob!!!! There are a few things in life (Pursue Victory shirts being one!!! *wink) that quality counts! Lipstick is another where quality and brand counts . . . and so is mustard and paint brushes. I love MAC and I have a few colors, my go to right now is called “Snob”, and I have also been wearing my “Candy YumYum”, which is neon pink! One of my friends and I have a long running joke when we see photos of each other we can name the MAC lipstick that the other person is wearing. Yes they are more expensive, they last longer and are soooo worth the money!
When it comes to boots . . . for work, Justins, hands down! For play, nothing beats the comfort and cuteness of my Old Gringos. When I went to London I wore them around cause they are as good as a good running shoe for me!
After chatting with Paige back and forth I see how driven she is and she is now someone who inspires the heck out of me! She is passionate about her work and it gets me fired up to write more and do more with my own project this year aka this blog.
Want more about Paige and Pursue Victory, or would like to purchase a shirt? Head on over to her website! www.pursuevictory.com
