Ridgway pride rings loud at ColoradoCool Apparel, where the distinct skyline of the Cimarron Range and symmetry of the Sneffels Range embellish walls full of colorful hats and shirts bearing the words “Ridgway” or “Western Slope.”
Erika and John Clinton have built a brand on printing and stitching onto their merchandise the landscapes unmistakable to Coloradans, and more specifically, the people and places west of the Continental Divide.
Their storefront at 631 Sherman St., Unit 2, is the second retail location for their business, where they sell clothing, stickers, posters and other Ridgway souvenirs proudly designed in Grand Junction.
Erika, who is from Grand Junction, said much of the Colorado merchandise she was used to seeing focused on the Front Range.
“Growing up out here, you feel like you’re left out,” she said.
She and John, who is from Colorado Springs, met after attending the same graphic design program at Colorado State University.
John was already leaning into creating more original, Colorado-themed designs as Erika started introducing him to more adventures and destinations across the Western Slope. Those landscapes began to inspire his imagery and became the beginning of a niche for Colorado merchandise that illustrates the state’s distinct features.
The couple launched ColoradoCool Apparel in 2016, centered on location-specific Colorado pride.
“It started with three hats and a couple of shirts,” John said of their designs now carried at more than 200 retail locations.
They ran the business from the Front Range for a handful of years before moving back to Grand Junction. Being based on the Western Slope has become a big part of the brand.
“We sell to stores out there, not the other way around,” John said of their business.
They opened their first store in Grand Junction last year, wanting to become more involved in the community. Soon after, they started browsing for a second location in Ridgway, an area they keep coming back to for hiking and paddleboarding.
They have stayed at the same campsite at Ridgway State Park every year since they first started dating almost a decade ago.
They also saw a gap for local souvenirs and merchandise.
“We ourselves would have loved some Ridgway gear,” Erika said.
The area is also home to plenty of inspiration coming from the surrounding mountains, which show up in their products.
The Clintons hired all Ridgway or Colona locals to manage the store, considering they’re still based in Grand Junction. They are also looking to potentially work with other Ridgway partners, such as Fishbone Graphics, for screenprinting, trying to create an even more local product loop.
They’ll also have some Telluride and Ouray apparel for people driving through and encourage locals to share the designs they want to see. For more information, visit colocool.com.
Lia Salvatierra is a journalist with Report for America, a service program that helps boost underserved areas with more reporting resources.
