Meet the fashion designer, maker, and now owner of Traverse City’s very first combination retail shop and cereal bar. This episode features Michael Wahlstrom, Founder of Gitche Gumee. clothing company.
Meet the fashion designer, maker, and now owner of Traverse City’s very first combination retail shop and cereal bar. This episode features Michael Wahlstrom, Founder of Gitche Gumee. clothing company.
Tommy [01:05:49] Michael are you talking to us on your phone? Is that your phone right there?
Michael: Yeah
Tommy: Can you show us the store a little bit? Can you give us a little tour and talk into the mic as you’re showing us stuff is that possible?
Michael [01:05:50] Yeah, of course, hang on one second.
Michael Wahlstrom is giving me a virtual tour of his new store in downtown Traverse City.
Michael: right now we're in construction mode … But I've got this large panoramic window that overlooks ... I don’t know if you can see.
Tommy [01:06:31] That’s the Boardman River and Lake Michigan right there.
Michael: Yeah.
Tommy: That is beautiful. LAUGH. Wow.
MUSIC STARTS
Michael is a fashion designer and maker ...
and once this space is finished he will sell - and make - his clothes here.
Michael [01:06:59] you can see, like, the sewing machine set up, my leather materials, my trimmings ...
The store personifies just how trendy he is. It’s all concrete and looks almost like a museum … there’s the great view of the water, a working fireplace, the workshop area where customers can watch him make clothes ... and there’s also an extra unexpected element of coolness here.
Michael [01:06:31] this is the cereal bar that we're building out right here this is where it’s gonna live ....
It’s something you might expect to see in New York or Tokyo but now Traverse City is about to get its very combination boutique and cereal bar.
Michael [00:57:55] you can pick and choose different combinations and toppings … we have this beautiful patio so people can sit outside and overlook West Bay and have a bowl of cereal!
MUSIC UP
Today we meet another of the growing number of creative entrepreneurs who are making North Michigan their home and who have brought with them exciting new ideas, innovations … and cereal bars!
I’m Tommy Andres and this is Creative Coast.
MUSIC OUT
Even though he’s investing in a cereal bar…
Michael Wahlstrom grew up eating oatmeal.
I love it! Put a little bit of brown sugar in it.
His childhood home was in Michigan’s Oakland County.
Just outside of Detroit.
He was an artistic child …
into cartooning and painting.
He was also really into music and acting ... joining choirs and acapella groups.
I'm wildly, wildly dyslexic. I gravitated more towards creative fields than math and science.
After high school Michael went to Michigan State university to study musical theatre.
But it didn’t work out.
Michael [00:09:15]
quickly into it, I realized that, A you don't really need a four year degree to do that if that's really what you want to do. And B, my dyslexia just was really challenging from a college standpoint before I really started figuring out how to control it and make it work for me.
So after a year Michael left college and got a job as an intern at Abercrombie and Fitch … and his attention turned towards the fashion industry.
Michael [00:10:03] It really started peaking my interest in possibly a career in something like this.
Michael worked hard and learned as much as he could.
He moved his way up to assistant manager and then went on to manage stores for Hollister, Urban Outfitters and American Eagle Outfitters.
But that wasn’t enough …
He decided he didn’t just want to sell clothes…
He wanted to make them.
And that's when I applied to FIT, which is the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
MUSIC
F-I-T is one of the best fashion schools in the world…
David Chu went there…
Calvin Klein went there…
Michael Kohrs went there.
it's very, very exclusive. And the talent at that school is incredible.
But Michael wasn’t interested in high fashion.
I was not going to be designing couture runway shows. LAUGH
Having already worked in the industry he knew there were more career paths than just fashion design.
He had his sights set on something else.
He studied fashion merchandising management at the FIT business school where he learned about the whole business side of fashion …. from initial idea to end product.
Michael [00:11:39]
from textiles to pattern making to fashion illustration to industrial, you know, sewing and seam and stitch type. And so they give you all the tools to make clothes. It's just a little bit different than like someone, let's say, who's a fashion designer.
For Michael, attending FIT was a clash of cultures.
Michael [00:13:22]
a lot of the students there … They're all mostly from New York or major metro markets or European major markets. And their sole interest is really in fashion and not necessarily the business of fashion. So it was kind of like a fish out of a water for me. This kid from the Midwest where, you know, a teacher mentions Wal-Mart or like Meijers or something and the students have no idea about any of these kind of, you know, you know, superstores or things or even Target where they've never even stepped foot in a Target before.
Michael [00:14:26] And so I didn't know anything about any of the designers or the latest runway shows or the who's who. But I knew every kind of big box or specialty retailer in the Midwest.
Tommy [00:16:24] This is kind of a dumb question but is there a lof of pressure to dress really well when you go to class at FIT?
Michael [00:16:25] One hundred percent and I had teachers … in some of my early semesters that told some of the students, don't ever show up to my class like this. Like, you got to FIT you put yourself together.
Tommy [00:17:05] Yeah if you wear those sweatpants with pink on the butt you’re out!
Michael [00:17:05] Yeah I had a I had one professor one year that banned UGG boots in like 2005 I think.
Tommy [00:17:16] That was peak ugg boot time too!
Michael [00:17:16] Yeah, I know, I know. She hated them. She thought they're the grossest things. So she says no ugg boots in my class. LAUGH
MUSIC OUT
In 2007 on a work trip to Los Angeles, Michael met the woman who would become his wife.
Leslie was a model who had been hired by the company Michael worked for at the time.
Seven months later her and her friend who was also a model moved to nyc and the rest is history!
… and since then she has been an integral part of his life and career in fashion.
That career really took off in 2008 with Michael’s first company.
Michael [00:25:20] Kart Apparel. It was KART and it stood for kids art.
I would take children's artwork, usually around fifth and sixth graders artwork and print it on knits like hoodies and T-shirts and sweatpants and things of that nature … It was a very cool, unique brand.
And one that Michael’s whole family was involved in.
Michael [00:27:10] everything was cut and sewn and made in L.A. And I had it shipped to my parents house in Michigan. And my wife, who at the time was my girlfriend, went to Michigan and her mother even came up from Kentucky. And my grandmother was there and they were unpacking hundreds of boxes of T-shirts and hoodies and stuff and sorting them in the family room and attaching hang tags to them. It was a it was very much bootstrapped, very much you know, a small business, you know, out of your like, parents like living room while I was in New York. LAUGH
Kart made money…
And it made waves.
we were featured in like Seventeen magazine and like Miley Cyrus was wearing like one of our t shirts.
But in 2009 the economy crashed.
that kind of killed it I guess LAUGH
The recession was difficult for many industries, and fashion was no exception.
Michael [00:28:27]
that recession changed consumer behavior for ten years almost … it was a bull market for a long time. And disposable income was at its highest luxury and premium brands and companies were very successful. They were everywhere. And then once that hit … that income, the discretionary income, just really kind of shrivels up. And it also became kind of faux pas for people that still could afford, you know, nice products. They just didn't unless it was really subtle.
Not only had consumer behaviour changed but companies were also starting to move online.
Michael says it felt like the industry was scrambling to figure out what was next.
And so after Kart folded he decided to take a break from fashion and started working in digital marketing for a couple of years … before eventually moving back to Michigan.
Tommy [00:21:21] So how do you and a model from LA end up living in TC - what brings you back?
Michael [00:21:25] we just kind of knew that New York was kind of a great place in your 20s, but as you approach your thirties you get this point where you're like, it's either now or never type, you know, because if you stay, then, you know, you don't leave when you're in your 40s because you just you know, your your roots are deep enough. So we just kind of just knew that we wanted something different and we felt the time was right.
(ADD MUSIC)
Michael’s wife Leslie had grown up in the warmth of Louisville, Kentucky before moving to LA.
my wife, she missed the West Coast and and the weather of the West Coast. I don't know how I convinced her that northern Michigan was the suitable second choice for that LAUGH
Before the decision was made Michael took Leslie on vacation to Traverse City … somewhere he hadn’t been since he was 12 or 13 years old.
Michael [00:22:45] it was incredible how much it had changed since I last remembered it. And we went wine tasting and we went to a couple of breweries and we hung out downtown. We thought it was really vibrant for, you know, what you would think a northern Michigan town was it was just it was awesome. There were young people everywhere. We immediately felt like we could fit in. It was everything that you'd kind of. You know, you want you'd want out of a place … And it ended up winning out.
The cost of living was also a lot lower there than in other places … and there was another reason it would be a good fit.
Michael wanted to start another business and believed that might be easier in Traverse City.
when people relocate to smaller markets, they kind of have an opportunity … we thought it would be a good place to try out.
(MUSIC POST/FADE)
Michael and Leslie moved back to Michigan in 2012.
He spent a year merchandising for a big brewing company and also had a couple of business startups.
But there was still that fashion itch …
Michael [00:29:29] I knew that I wanted to work with leather. And I knew that I wanted to work with some premium materials … And so I made that choice to then, you know, go to Henry Ford. They have an industrial sewing certificate program.
Henry Ford College in Dearborn, just outside of Detroit, offered a three and a half month industrial sewing course… So Michael enrolled.
It's primarily designed for the automotive industry specifically and like seating and interiors. But the class encompasses all forms of sewing and production on an industrial level. On a commercial level … the minute I finished there, I bought a couple of pieces of leather, found an old sewing machine on Craigslist, made my first couple of handbags and launched the company.
And like all companies, he needed a name.
MUSIC
As a kid Michael had travelled throughout Michigan with his family at least twice a year.
Once in winter to go skiing up north and once in the summer to a cottage on the lake.
It was during these trips that Michael fell in love with the Great Lakes - and one lake in particular.
Michael [01:09:48] I was always fascinated by the fact that Lake Superior could be so beautiful and serene one day and quite literally deadly the next day.
He used the lake as inspiration.
I wanted to create a brand that kind of personifies that something that's really soft and beautiful, but then also has an edge of like a raw kind of dangerous side to it. And so when i first started, I would hand stitch five X's on everything … and it was one X for each Great Lake and I stitched the last X bigger for Lake Superior, which was Gitche Gumee.
Gitche Gumee - the name first given to Lake Superior by Native Americans.
Where Michael’s previous company Kart had been fun and quirky...
This one is Midwestern Americana meets streetwear.
And once again it started off grassroots.
After selling those first couple of handbags, his business started to grow organically.
Michael [00:36:07]
bought some more leather. Made some more. Sold them to friends and family. Bought another sewing machine. And so it was a very slow moving. And then I was able to throw in some T-shirts and things that, you know, just getting some blank T-shirts … screen printing them. That was easy to do. That was an easy category. Starting off. that was kind of the beginnings.
He started out of his home...
Then he moved to makers market fairs...
And then he landed a 3-month pop-up shop in Traverse City in 2017 where he really tested the concept, made some changes to the brand and then found some space for his first retail store… which he quickly grew out of.
After two years it was time to expand again.
MUSIC OUT
store front space in downtown Traverse City doesn't turn very often … And if it does, it's really expensive. So it was a matter of just kind of waiting it out and waiting for something to pop up. And I started eyeballing a property … And I stalked the building owner. And it took me three, four months to have a conversation with the person. And I ended up being able to secure a new space right on front street.
Which is the building Michael’s talking to us from right now.
every decision I made in the growth of my company was intentional. It was very lean. You know, the company's never had any debt. You know, the company's been profitable essentially since day one. that's part of the strategy. And the growth has been completely organic and it's been, you know, responsible. You know, I guess we probably could have grown a lot faster if it was done differently. But I just felt like this is the way to do it.
Michael still makes almost all his products by hand.
But it takes time.
It is the opposite of fast fashion.
Michael [00:53:25] if I can produce it myself in smaller quantities, it's less wasteful. It's more economical. The profit margins are way higher.
Michael has been innovative in how he markets his company too.
In the spring of 2019 he and Leslie decided to put on a fashion show in Traverse City to showcase his newest collection … it was called Off the Rails.
Having walked in hundreds of fashion shows his wife was the perfect partner to help pull off the event.
They got a venue, a DJ, held castings and then the big night came.
FASHION SHOW FX
Michael [00:40:22]
it happened so fast. You know, it's amazing how much work you put into it and it's, you know, 13 minutes long. LAUGH But but, yeah, it was it was great. And for the community up here, one of the things I heard most from feedback was, when's the next one? And that was my first fashion show I've ever attended.
Michael says the fact that Traverse City has become this hub for creatives has allowed his company to prosper.
Michael [00:48:47] I do not think that I would be able to launch a similar brand 10,15 years ago in Traverse City, I just I don't think it would fit and I don't think there was enough of a customer base to support it.
There’s also the many visitors who vacation in Traverse City … and Gitche Gumee has also developed a big online presence.
Tommy: You mentioned Miley Cyrus wore Kart. Have you seen anyone famous wearing Gitche Gumee stuff?
Michael [00:50:51] It’s interesting how influence has changed over the years. I mean, obviously, you know, the large brands all, you know, go after the Jenners and, you know, the Kardashians but I found more success in authentic, smaller local just people, just cool people that aren’t, you know, quote unquote, famous or anything like that that are just just fun, cool people that like the brand and they like wearing it and they like talking about it, not because they feel like they have to.
MUSIC IN
With his bigger workshop, Michael will be able to produce more clothes…
And with more retail space he’ll be able to sell more.
But his big focus right now is brand extension...
And that’s where that cereal bar comes in.
He’s calling it Gitche Krisp.
He planned to open it this Spring…
But then Covid-19 happened.
we had always planned on shutting the store down for a couple of months in the slowest part of the season, which is usually March and April. And building out the cereal bar and launching it before the Memorial Day weekend … So in a strange way, it was kind of, I guess, the perfect timing.
And so he continues to get the store ready.
Michael [01:11:20]
I'm excited to get the cereal bar up and running. And there's merchandise that we're doing that dovetails with Gitche Crip … you know we're not going to stop being a fashion company. We're just gonna be a fashion company that also sells cereal.
But the big question … Will there be oatmeal?
Probably not. LAUGH
(MUSIC TRANSITION INTO THEME)
To learn more about Michael’s company visit gitchegumee.co
That’s spelled G-I-T-C-H-E-G-U-M-E-E.
Creative Coast is a podcast series brought to you by Traverse Connect…
the Grand Traverse Region’s Economic Development Organization…
and is produced by me Tommy Andres and Maria Byrne for our company Airloom Media.
That’s spelled A-I-R.
The music is composed by Traverse City’s very own Josh Hoisington.
This podcast series is made possible thanks to generous support and funding from the Michigan Film and Digital Media Office at Michigan’s Economic Development Corporation.
You can visit Traverse Connect’s website at traverseconnect.com.