Schaefer Outfitter Adds Heritage Wild Rag Collection

Local Printmaker Tess Lackey Was Commissioned To Create The Fort Worth Scarf In the Collection

The Fort Worth wild rag at Schaefer Outfitter
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Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
The Fort Worth wild rag at Schaefer Outfitter
1The Fort Worth wild rag at Schaefer Outfitter
2Schaefer Outfitter Heritage Wild Rag Collection
3Artist Tess Lackey displays her Fort Worth design
4Fort Worth-based artist, Tess Lackey
Schaefer Outfitter Adds Heritage Wild Rag Collection
The Fort Worth wild rag now available at Schaefer Outfitter. (Model pictured here)

The Fort Worth wild rag now available at Schaefer Outfitter. (Model pictured here)

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Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Schaefer Outfitter Heritage Wild Rag Collection
Schaefer Outfitter Adds Heritage Wild Rag Collection
Schaefer Outfitter has launched its Heritage Wild Rag Collection, including the bold design by Tess Lackey. (Model pictured here)

Schaefer Outfitter has launched its Heritage Wild Rag Collection, including the bold design by Tess Lackey. (Model pictured here)

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Artist Tess Lackey displays her Fort Worth design
Schaefer Outfitter Adds Heritage Wild Rag Collection
Artist Tess Lackey displays her Fort Worth design, now a part of Schaefer Outfitter's Heritage Wild Rag Collection.

Artist Tess Lackey displays her Fort Worth design, now a part of Schaefer Outfitter's Heritage Wild Rag Collection.

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Fort Worth-based artist, Tess Lackey
Schaefer Outfitter Adds Heritage Wild Rag Collection
Fort Worth-based artist, Tess Lackey uses the reduction print making method in her Western designs.

Fort Worth-based artist, Tess Lackey uses the reduction print making method in her Western designs.

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Schaefer Outfitter is introducing a very special Heritage Wild Rag Collection to honor the places that have shaped the brand from its inception. Fort Worth Digital Diary would like to introduce you to Tess Lackey, the Fort Worth-based artist and print maker, who was commissioned to create the Fort Worth scarf in this exciting new collection.

Schaefer Outfitter has been embraced by its new hometown of Fort Worth ever since the iconic western wear brand moved its headquarters to 108 West Exchange Avenue in 2017, joining one of the most impressive collections of Western fashion brands anywhere. The brand, which was founded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in 1982, relocated to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and later moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, before finally arriving in Fort Worth.

North Texas has long been the company’s No.1 market for sales, and Schaefer’s production had moved to the Lone Star State in 1992, so calling Cowtown home just made sense. After sponsoring the Stock Show & Rodeo in 2017, the company found the exposure had driven record-breaking sales.

“It only seems fitting that the largest Texas-made western apparel brand be located in Cowtown, USA,” CEO Rick Grant said at the time.

The New Heritage Wild Rag Collection at Schaefer Outfitter

Schaefer Outfitter Heritage Wild Rag Collection
Schaefer Outfitter has launched its Heritage Wild Rag Collection, including the bold design by Tess Lackey. (Model pictured here)

The brand has just launched a special Heritage Wild Rag Collection to celebrate the rich history and landscapes of the places that have shaped it. Each wild rag is uniquely designed by a regional artist, pulling inspiration from the land, the culture, and the working cowboy spirit that defines these locations.

There are four heritage designs in the collection so far. The cattle drive motif of the Fort  Worth design is by Tess Lackey; Jackson Hole, Wyoming features a central bison by Matt Tumlinson; the mountain-scape of Las Cruces, New Mexico, by Alice Leese; and a woman riding horseback among the wildflowers harkens to Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Each wild rag in the collection is made of 100 percent pure heavyweight silk. These dramatic designs are featured on an extra-large scarves, measuring 35 by 35 inches, and finished with clean, hand-rolled edges. They sell for $75.

Meet Artist and Printmaker Tess Lackey

Fort Worth-based artist, Tess Lackey
Fort Worth-based artist, Tess Lackey uses the reduction print making method in her Western designs.

As a part of the new Heritage Wild Rag Collection, local print-maker Tess Lackey was commissioned to design the scarf commemorating Fort Worth.

The design of its Fort Worth Wild Rag was, “Inspired by springtime in Fort Worth — rolling fields, longhorns, the wind rippling through the grass, and the iconic Stockyards’ music scene,” Schaefer Outfitter says.

Tess Lackey tells Fort Worth Digital Diary that the design forms a subtle “S” shape as the cattle drive swirls around the prairie grass.

“I grew up on cattle ranches, first in Oklahoma and later I spent a decade in Wyoming, so I understand how cattle move,” she says. “When I dove into the history of the Chisholm Trail cattle drives, it inspired me. Plus, The Herd of longhorn cattle is a big part of tourism in The Stockyards.”

Tess was getting her degree in graphic design when she took an elective print-making class, and simply fell in love with the process. She says she’s a natural problem-solver, and that’s a good thing because the reduction printmaking process requires layering six different ink colors. What could go wrong? When problems do arise, sometimes those happy accidents lead to a richer product, she says.

More About The Design of the Fort Worth Wild Rag

Artist Tess Lackey displays her Fort Worth design
Artist Tess Lackey displays her Fort Worth design, now a part of Schaefer Outfitter’s Heritage Wild Rag Collection.

The chic wild rag has a retro feel, with a color scheme of browns, yellows, oranges, and greens on a powder blue background. It’s a statement piece with an instant patina.

Other motifs she explores in this design include vintage guitars ― a nod to Fort Worth’s historic connection to Western Swing, which was at home near the new Crystal Spring Hideaway in the River District, as well as Fort Worth’s burgeoning music scene, including the new Fort Worth Music Festival.

“When I first came back to Fort Worth, I remember walking by the train tracks and seeing the wild cactus in bloom,” Lackey says. So, clusters of cactus with their vibrant yellow blooms are incorporated. Plus, a few armadillos for good measure, because she appreciates the fact that urban Fort Worth still has a wild side.

The local printmaker and illustrator has been tapped for other big campaigns recently, including the opening of the Interstate Inn in Stephenville, as well as helping the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo kick up its heels this year. Her gorgeous prints are available on everything from postcards to framed prints.