Whether it’s diving into an otherworldly science fiction book, listening to good music or spending time outdoors, Brennah Strange finds inspiration all around her. The Park City High School alum, now in her final year of the Multi-Disciplinary Design program at the University of Utah, has launched a clothing brand, Hookchute, which seeks to balance utility with fashion.Strange’s family relocated from California to Park City when she was in the eighth grade, after her father accepted a job offer in Utah.“Park City is definitely where I found the outdoors,” said Strange. “Because before, I was in the suburbs of San Francisco and not very outdoorsy. But my dad’s a huge skier, so when we moved to Utah, we started skiing a ton, and that’s where my love for the outdoors kind of blossomed.”From a young age, Strange developed a passion for sewing, a skill she learned from her father and began cultivating in the fourth grade. In her junior year of high school, she teamed up with a friend who shared her interest in fashion to create a collection for a fundraiser fashion show benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This project inspired her to start a fashion club, which she and her friend founded at Park City High School the following year. During this time, Strange had the realization this was what she wanted to do as she set her sights beyond high school and into her professional future. It was in high school that she shifted from making items like pillows and pajama pants to taking clothing design more seriously, she said, which ultimately led her to joining the apparel design program at Baylor University.“Everyone was making dresses and skirts and blouses. And I was like, ‘Hey, how can I make this more applicable to what I want to do?’” said Strange.Carrying an interest in outdoor apparel, she would try to modify assignments, asking her teacher things like whether a long raincoat that wasn’t full-zip would count as a dress. “I was modifying everything, all the assignments, to fit my wanting to do outdoor stuff,” she said. Ultimately, Strange questioned what she was doing in Texas if she was trying to design ski wear, and this led her to return to Utah and transfer to the University of Utah. Now equipped with technical knowledge of pattern making and apparel design, Strange began working on more outdoor pieces and got involved with the U of U’s Fashion in Business Club’s fashion shows, all of which led to her creating Hookchute.Credit: Courtesy of Nico SavoiaLast fall, Strange hosted her own fashion show, showcasing 27 outfits from her work on Hookchute over the past few years. She wanted her event to be a fun, casual and community-oriented experience. When planning the show, she envisioned an event with live music in the forest where people could bring their own camp chairs and enjoy the runway in a relaxed atmosphere.The setting allowed models, including bikers and runners, to showcase the outfits in the environments for which Strange had designed them.“Hookchute is a brand made for people who want to look good in the outdoors. A lot of my stuff is brighter colors, which I don’t think a lot of outdoor companies make,” said Strange. “It’s a very people-focused brand when it comes to sustainability, community and just functionality.”Strange envisions Hookchute as a brand focused on creating community, hosting events that center around the people who wear the clothes. As the brand grows, she plans to host pop-up shows across the country, each set in outdoor, laid-back and fun environments.While Strange has participated in various shows and showcased dozens of apparel pieces, she has never until now had anything available for sale. Her first product, an active tank top designed for running and climbing, is now available for pre-order on the Hookchute website, with limited pre-order slots available. Strange expressed her desire to avoid traditional manufacturing, opting instead to keep everything in-house.“I think especially in the outdoor industry it’s kind of rare that things are handmade,” said Strange. “And what comes with manufacturing is a lot of sustainability loopholes, it’s hard to be sustainable about manufacturing.” She explained that her goal is to focus on pre-orders with limited quantities, based on her availability and capacity, a process that will also allow her to reduce waste, she said. Strange plans to make everything custom to size, accommodating specific adjustments for customers, such as if someone is particularly tall. By making each item to order, she aims to keep the process both handmade and custom. In the future and as the brand grows, Strange plans to hire another seamstress and eventually set up her own sewing room, expanding the number of orders she can take on.Credit: Courtesy of Nico SavoiaAs part of her brand launch, Strange is preparing for a “drop party” on Thursday, April 3, from 6-9 p.m. at the University of Utah’s Roger Bailey Exhibition Hall (“The Bailey”) in the College of Architecture building, where she will release additional pre-order slots for Hookchute’s first item, the Lonetree Tank.The event will be free and open to the public. It will be held in collaboration with Duck, a furniture brand created by a design schoolmate. The pair will host a design discussion for the first hour followed by screen printing, sewing and snow cones.As a word of advice for the upcoming generation of fashion forward thinkers, Strange encouraged kids to be curious and find ways to get involved in what they are interested in doing in the future. Strange said she has found success in cold calling or emailing companies she is interested in learning from and encourages kids to do the same.She is also open to giving tips and advice to those interested. “If anyone at Park City High is interested in fashion or doing anything like this, they should feel free to reach out to me on Instagram (@Hookchute) or my website,” said Strange.For more, visit hookchute.com.The post Park City High School alum launches outdoor apparel brand appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less