Haute Hats Y'all

Kemo Sabe's Wendy Kunkle(left) and some adoring customers

Once upon a time, cowboys roamed the Wild West, herding cattle, breaking broncs, and praying their boots wouldn’t disintegrate before payday. Fast forward to Aspen, where today’s cowboys are hedge funders on a ski break, and their toughest decision isn’t whether to lasso a steer, it’s choosing between the distressed beaver-felt hat with turquoise inlay or the one branded with their own initials in gold. Welcome to Kemo Sabe, where the west isn’t just wild, it’s wealthy.

Founded in 1990 in the lawless town of... New Mexico (yes, before it's Aspen flagship), Kemo Sabe didn’t become a phenomenon until it hit the billionaire playground known as Aspen. Today, it’s less a western outfitter and more a fashion fever dream fueled by tequila shots, influencer narcissism, and the unshakable human urge to cosplay as a Marlboro Man, minus the Marlboros and minus the cows.

Walk into Kemo Sabe and you’re greeted by salespeople dressed like extras from Yellowstone, armed with custom branding irons and the kind of confidence only a $1,400 belt buckle can buy. The flagship store feels like a cross between a saloon, a fashion shoot, and an Old West-themed bachelorette party gone off the rails. And yes, there’s often someone with a $5,000 hat yelling “Y’all” who has never seen a pasture. It doesn’t matter, just take it all in.

The crown jewel of the Kemo Sabe empire? The Hat Bar. It’s where the magic happens which could mean spending four hours (and four figures) designing a hat that says, “I own land” when really you just Airbnb in Jackson Hole. There are hatbands made of rattlesnake skin, feathers plucked from artisan birds (probably), and enough turquoise and gold to offend every geology major within a five-mile radius.

But amid the rhinestones and swagger, there’s one thing that grounds the whole Kemo Sabe phenomenon: Wendy Kunkle, the likeable, unflappable owner who somehow manages to keep the circus classy. She’s got a warm smile, a no-nonsense attitude, loves to hug and the kind of authenticity you wish you could bottle. Wendy didn’t just build a brand, she built a tribe, one hat at a time, with grit, hustle, and a whole lot of charm. She’s part boss lady, part den mother, and part human branding iron—hot, sharp, and undeniably cool. She’ll happily hand you a shot of mezcal and call you “darlin’” before branding your name into a $900 hat that you will cherish forever. Wendy has assembled a team in each of their 5 locations that almost mirror each other in look, style and charm. Spending time inside Kemo Sabe is pure and utter fun…and don’t get me started about their upstairs bar parties!

Of course, this isn’t your granddaddy’s Stetson. These are haute hats for the Hermes crowd. And nothing says "authentic western grit" like pairing a custom-branded felt cowboy hat with Golden Goose sneakers and a Moncler vest (both brands located just down the street).

But make no mistake, Kemo Sabe’s meteoric rise isn’t just about hats. It’s about vibe. It’s a lifestyle brand for those who want to channel the frontier spirit without giving up oat milk lattes. You’ll find $600 pearl snap shirts, hand-tooled leather everything, a wall of boots and more fringe than a Vegas showgirl convention. It’s Coachella meets cattle drive with a liquor license and a Bluetooth speaker blasting Chris Stapleton. Every Saturday, you will find red velvet rope lines out front, sometimes to control crowd size, other times to protect VIP customers inside.

And the celebrity clientele? It’s a who’s-who of aspirational Americana. Gigi Hadid’s in a Kemo Sabe hat. So is Kendall Jenner. Diplo. Post Malone and of course local residents Kevin Costner, Goldie Hawn and Jeff Bezos. The Kardashians and Real Housewives crowd made it Instagram-official years ago, and from there, the western-chic virus spread faster than you can say “giddy-up”.

Wendy and her staff have bottled the formula for making a high end, spur of the moment purchase fun and unforgettable. But that’s why it works. It’s so over-the-top it becomes irresistible. It's the go-to uniform for Aspen’s Après Rodeo fantasy, for anyone who wants to feel rugged while sipping $34 cocktails at Hotel Jerome. It’s not western wear as you might expect. It's so much more. Yeehaw to that!