This apparel line has been called Western haute couture. Double D Ranch comes to us out of Yoakum, Texas and is a company that was started by Cheryl McMullen, her mom Margie, and sisters Hedy and Audrey. Today, when you stop by the Double D Ranch corporate offices in Yoakum, TX, you won’t find the stereotypical fashion house. Cheryl has her bare legs propped up on the design table sketching a new collection. Margie will be fresh out of the garden thumbing through invoices but already planning what she’ll serve the office for lunch. Hedy might be buried under a shipment of fur, sorting out the pieces that don’t meet her standards. And you’ll find Audrey at a fitting session, scanning the month’s order forms, while seamstresses tuck and pin around her.
Double D Ranch was born in 1989 out of Cheryl’s inability to handle the thin air atop the mountains at a ski resort in New Mexico. Cheryl spent the day shopping in Taos, where she spotted a man wearing a coat made from a Pendleton blanket. She found the little shop where a man took custom orders and made the coats one at a time. She ordered one for herself. Cheryl soon found that she couldn’t wear her coat without being asked about it. Audrey recalled, “One lady even stopped the bus we were on...to find out where Cheryl got the coat.” The sisters told their dad about the attention the coat drew and he suggested they make coats and sell them.
The McMullen’s didn’t plan to embark on a large business venture, but Cheryl had been romanced by the beauty and culture of the Southwest during summers spent in New Mexico. She began to envision clothes with a historic flair that would reflect the spirit of the American West. She came up with the Scout jacket, a fitted, military style jacket that has become Double D’s signature item. A variation of the jacket is included in every fall line. Cheryl also uses velvet, wool, suede and leather. “Cheryl takes current trends and interprets them in her own way,” Audrey said. Everything that Cheryl does has so much research. “We find the fabrics and designs she naturally enjoys and loves sell the best.” The family insists its company isn’t a big player in the world of fashion, but Cheryl has earned numerous fashion awards and the company can be seen advertised in Cowboys and Indians and Vogue magazines to name a couple.
From leather jackets with over 2000 studs on it to flowy prints and basic knits, Double D has been a superior style force for the Emerald Isle for over 15 years. The success of this line in our store is mostly attributed to two facts. Double D has always produced a high-quality product and is committed to that standard. Second, each season is fresh and innovative. The owners and designers of the company travel all over the world to discover new and innovative styles and fabrics that may not have yet reached the US. They take couture and give it a western flair.
|
