Summit County natives create original fashion built for the outdoors

From handmade jewelry to custom swimwear, Summit County natives have turned their passion for art and design into sustainable fashion businesses.

Katie Pickens and Nichole Steuart are among the people in Summit County who have found themselves channeling inspiration from local views into their art and designs.

Pickens’ experience in Summit County mirrors that of many. She moved to Breckenridge in 2005 with the idea of ​​staying just for the ski season. After living in the country for a few months, Pickens realized she wanted to stay for the long term and got a job as a waitress.

Ten years later in 2015, Pickens found himself looking for something more creative to do. She took a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was immediately inspired by Southwestern architecture and design. Once back in Summit, she signed up for a silversmithing class and her jewelry business, KP Mountain Metals, was born.

“I went and bought everything I needed on my credit card,” Pickens said. “I started making little things and my friends started wanting to buy things and asking me to make things. I was like, ‘Oh, this could actually be something I could do and make money that I really enjoy.’

Pickens of Santa Fe’s inspiration is clear in her jewelry, which includes rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces adorned with natural stones and carefully sculpted silver. The designer wanted to create jewelry that would allow people to express themselves while living a mountain lifestyle.

“I look after a lot of … women and men who live in the mountains, who are very active and don’t take off their jewelry just because they have to go to the barista or a service shift or go to the mountains or go for a bike ride or a walk,” Pickens said. “I want them to be able to wear it without feeling like it’s so delicate and elegant that they’re going to break it.”

Pickens said she has received photos from customers fly fishing, biking and hiking while wearing rings she has made.

Because she does all the work herself, Pickens has not opened a website or physical store for KP Mountain Metals. Most of her pieces are sold at the Breckenridge Sunday Market, which she attends.

Like Pickens, Steuart found himself wanting to create a fashionable product that would appeal to people who lived in the mountains. Steuart officially opened her swimwear business, Water and Salt, in 2020 after learning how to create swimwear from another designer in Colombia.

Saltwater swimwear is all designed with traditional shapes in mind. They’re also all reversible, so people can get multiple looks out of one swimsuit. Steuart did this on purpose so that swimwear could become a staple in a person’s wardrobe rather than something they would get rid of after a year.

“I would prefer it to be a very classic shape that you can get from now to five years from now,” Steuart said. “…If you take care of your clothes, the wear can last.”

Stewart has also focused on functionality in the design of her swimwear. She would like people to wear them while whitewater rafting, kayaking or paddling. Some women even wear their clothes as a body with their day clothes during the winter season.

In addition to being sustainable and functional, Steuart hopes Water and Salt will fill the demand for swimwear in Summit County. When she started designing swimwear, Stueart heard from many of her friends who were tired of shopping online for swimwear.

“I actually get a lot of orders from people who are going on vacation, who ordered a swimsuit, received it, hated it, and are in trouble,” Steuart said.

Steuart currently operates water and salt by mouth, but she hopes to launch a website to manage orders soon.

Both Steuart and Pickens own one-woman businesses. While they like the idea of ​​having popular e-commerce websites, they also worry about their ability to fulfill all orders on time. For Pickens, the decision not to use a website also helps her aim to be an innovation.

“It’s not easily accessible and I think that makes it special,” Pickens said. “I’m okay with that.”

You can find KP Mountain Metals by visiting @kpmountainmetals on Instagram. Steuart also accepts orders through Water and Salt’s Instagram, @waterandsaltwear.

This story previously published in the Summer 2022 edition of Explore Breckenridge & Summit County magazine.