Family’s mission, deeply woven ties to artisan community in Mexico loom high for Nov. 8 showcase
November 2, 2024 | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Two-in-one purpose: 50 blankets become 25 tops for this Crossroads shop, weaving warmth into the fiber of runway event
A cloak-like coat that Jonathan Garvey’s brother designed for him as a Christmas present has inspired a new collection and a fashion show, the Pancho’s Blanket co-founder shared.
Jonathan and Joseph Garvey, Pancho’s Blanket, at The Bauer; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
The Repurpose Collection is set to debut 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, on the runway during a collaboration with the Garvey family’s Feed A Family nonprofit.
It’s all part of the Keeping Others Warm artisan showcase organized by Pancho’s Blanket at The Bauer — the Crossroads building that houses the company’s Kansas City shop — through a partnership with artisans in Tlaxcala, Mexico, to design and make wool jackets, blankets, and sweaters.
Click here for tickets to the Nov. 8 event.
The new collection — which Garvey describes as a blend of sustainability with artisanal craftsmanship — is expected to feature limited-edition pieces made out of the company’s signature blankets: just like the one he received from his brother.
Garvey — a University of Missouri-Kansas City business school grad and veteran of the U.S. Marines — first saw the coat’s prototype on a business trip to Mexico where he was overseeing production of 1,000 Pancho’s Blanket pieces for a blanket order from GEHA. He was inspired.
An artisan cloak from Pancho’s Blanket at the business’ Crossroads shop; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“I realized we could do something really neat with our blankets,” Garvey recalled. “We were like, ‘Let’s design a bunch of new pieces off of our blanket designs that we already have. We’ll just make different coats for every single blanket design.”
A fashion show seemed like the perfect showcase, he added.
The pieces in the new collection will all be woven with repurposed fibers, Garvey noted.
“That’s pretty unique,” he continued. “Then we make them on the (125-year-old) foot pedal loom, the same way we do these (wool) coats, the same way we do the blankets. Essentially, it takes two blankets to make any one of these.”
The limited-edition collection will be made to order, Harvey noted.
“We’re only doing 25 of each tops,” he explained. “Once 25 of them are sold, we’re cutting off orders, never selling them again.”
Click here to follow Pancho’s Blanket on Instagram.
Jonathan Garvey, Pancho’s Blanket; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
An artisan cloak from Pancho’s Blanket; courtesy photo
The Keep Others Warm event is not only meant to highlight the new collection but also to get exposure for the Feed A Family nonprofit, he shared, which his family started to provide families in Mexico with essential food and clothing.
Every purchase from Pancho’s Blanket supports the nonprofit, as well.
“That’s really the focal point,” added Garvey, who noted that his brother and co-founder will be in town from Mexico for the event. “We have provided more than 60,000 meals and counting.”
The fashion show is also set to showcase local artist Jason Wilcox, the ghost painter for the character Vivian Banks on the Peacock TV show “Bel-Air.”
“He’s going to be here painting and selling his painting,” Garvey said.
Noonday Collection — a fair-trade fashion company that partners with artisan businesses all over the world creating opportunities for dignified work — is expected to be on hand with items available for purchase. And representatives from Rightfully Sewn will be helping out with measurements of those who buy the made-to-order pieces.
Featured Business
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Brick by brick: How used LEGOs are making innovation more tangible for KC kids in need
Solopreneur Rhonda Jolyean Hale believes that all children deserve access to play — no matter their circumstances. As the Kansas City ambassador for the Pass the Bricks initiative, she’s working to build that reality by giving new life to donated LEGO bricks. “We take gently used LEGO bricks — not the stuff the dog chews…
Novel Capital teams with Crux KC to offer growth-focused marketing to early-stage tech companies
An exclusive partnership between two Kansas City-based innovators is expected to help remove a traditional financial hurdle to business growth, said Ethan Whitehill, president and chief strategy officer for the KC Chamber-lauded marketing firm Crux KC. The collaboration between Crux and Overland Park-headquartered capital provider Novel Capital is expected to offer B2B SaaS and tech…
Neighborhood smart cans help Kansas Citians save the planet from their kitchens
Newly introduced composting technology is already turning new ground in Kansas City, Kristan Chamberlain said, with more solar-powered compost cans arriving later this spring across the metro’s urban landscape. Her social venture, KC Can Compost, installed three of the devices in October — free to use for KCMO residents wanting to deposit their soil-making food…
Voodoo Volleyball bounces back in OP: Father-daughter duo doubles as new venture’s setters
Quinn Austin put several sports to the test as a preteen — racing from basketball practice to softball to volleyball. But she latched on to just one. “Volleyball. It was my sport. Everyone was having a good time,” she said. “We just loved the cheers — a cheer when we got a hit, a cheer…