Horses, cowboys, country.
All things commonly used to describe Dallas from an outsider's perspective, but an outsider turned insider is trying to broaden that perspective.
Hance Taplin, founder of By Way of Dallas, showcases his vision of Dallas through the brand.
The creative founded the company in 2011 when his family called him back to Dallas. He is originally from Denver and traveled around the country working as a designer for several companies.
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"Dallas was a landing place for me," Taplin said. "I stopped through Dallas after graduation, and I kind of looked around and said, you know this is kind of a blank canvas."
Instead of heading to New York or Los Angeles, the designer saw Dallas as somewhere already cool to establish something no one else was doing.
While the brand started by selling streetwear pieces, it goes beyond the clothing for Taplin.
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"My opportunity was creating this brand, that I could utilize apparel so it becomes more of a conversation," Taplin said.
Since settling in Dallas, he has collaborated with several major sports teams, local artists and Scottish Rite for Children.
"This was by far the most meaningful project I've ever done," Taplin said about his project with Scottish Rite for Children.
The designer paired with the hospital to create artwork for prosthetics and he hopes to expand the effort in the future.
Another project he is working on right now is a t-shirt design challenge.
In March, Taplin put out a post calling everybody and anybody to submit a design with the theme; The City and County of Music.
A total of 12 submissions were chosen and are being released in 3 rounds. Those who had their design selected to be sold will get the net sales from their drop.
The idea for t-shirt challenges came to Taplin during the pandemic when friends were looking for work. He found a way to give back to the community while also fostering its creativity. Now he is working on the third contest.
"I'm not looking for the best graphic designers to destroy it. I'm looking for effort, you know, because sometimes art is relative," Taplin said about the challenge.
The second drop for the contest is on Tuesday and can be found on the By Way of Dallas Instagram.
While Taplin has many successful accomplishments to boast, he is not afraid of mistakes.
"First thing I did where a ton of mistakes," Taplin says about starting the brand.
One of those mistakes was a failed Zine, a small self-published magazine or work. Taplin had to scrap the project right before Dallas Zine Fest. Not wanting to show up empty-handed, he packed a U-Haul at 6 a.m. with sweatshirts he hadn't planned on selling. At the festival, he sold out of them.
Selling out surprised Taplin, but he has worked hard to create a dedicated following.
"It's more about, how can you make a connection with the right people," Taplin said.
He may not subscribe to the algorithm or grind culture, but Taplin is dedicated to his brand and the community he has created over the last decade.
When asked what was on the horizon for By Way of Dallas, Taplin kept his cards close.
"I can't tell you that," Taplin said laughing.
Keep up with what By Way of Dallas is working on through Instagram.
