Canada to Cascadia

Alicia Renner started bonding with her natural surroundings almost immediately, by planting trees as a teenager in northern Alberta and British Columbia—generally known to the rest of us as the Canadian wilderness. As the trees grew, so did her dedication to creating fashion in the form of handmade clothes and accessories.

Renner moved to Bend eight years ago and quickly found support from the city’s art community. “People are just so awesome, supportive and excited for you to be doing anything.” She later started her own company called Howl Attire and works out of her studio in the Old Iron Works Arts District.

Her design choices typically combine past and present. “I bring inspiration from being in Canada,” she says. “And also from around here with the desert and mountains. I like the whole Western vibe a lot. Cowboy desert stuff is fun to play with.”

After experimenting for a couple of years, Renner locked in on a few ingredients that she tries to use in her work, including wool, leather, brass and fur.

She has also embraced the Cascadia separation movement, which, as you can imagine, paid off mightily during the 2016 election season. Orders for her Cascadia flags “just blew up…so that was pretty cool,” she says.

What’s next? Well, get set, Cascadia Nation. Renner’s at work on new 100 percent wool button-up shirts and Duffle bags. All materials sourced from the U.S.A., of course…if not (one day anyway) Cascadia itself…