The story of Wm Henri really begins in the small lumber town of Hoquiam, Washington where my father was born. Hoquiam is a Native American word meaning "hungry for wood" and my logging family was no exception, settling here on a cranberry bog in the 1920s.

In Hoquiam my psyche was imprinted early with a love of the 'Wild West.' Be it fishing, hunting, mountaineering, homesteading... It was a childhood steeped in the pioneer spirit of my father.

In adulthood the seedling of these interests flourished in earnest when I began studying the images of Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, drawn by the incredible style of the cowboys and pioneers of the 19th century. I pursued leatherwork with the intent of making chaps and holsters with the same simplistic, highly functional elegance.

As I honed my craft, I found a niche in custom leatherwork for discerning private collectors of fine traditional cowboy attire. I became "Wild Bill" and exhibited regularly at antique gun shows in the United States catering to this clientele. I found great honor in special commissions for Western enthusiasts as well as museums and historical societies. This led to period costume and prop consultancy for film and television studios. My work also found its place in numerous books on Americana and the Wild West.

When the fashion pendulum swung toward this aesthetic as well, I found myself creating custom leather accessories for Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, Sundance, and Filson. Heady days of New York runways and magazine spreads brought my work to international focus.

And now, I choose to bring my Hoquiam roots, my Wild West expertise, and my dance with high-end fashion into a culmination of all three. Wm Henri is the line I design and create in my studio on Vashon Island, located in the Salish Sea near Seattle, Washington. Connected to my pioneering family, informed by the Western style I painstakingly studied and mastered, and inspired by great design and artistry in fashion. Wm Henri seeks elegance, simplicity and functionality. In the spirit of true “cowboy” design that in fact was an amalgamation of so many cultures blended together, I embrace the blend of industrial, Americana and organic style.

I hope you enjoy.