Will Watters, co-founder of Western Rise, selects fabrics in Vietnam. (Photo: Western Rise)
“We failed,” begins the letter from Will Watters, co-founder of Western Rise, a men’s apparel brand.
“After eight years of building Western Rise, we had an exceptional product, passionate customers, and glowing reviews,” Watters wrote in the October 16th letter to customers. “But the truth is, it wasn’t enough. We took on too much, moved too fast, and lost our footing.”
Western Rise specializes in premium travel-oriented menswear, with average pants priced at $130. Founded in 2015 by Kelly and Will Watters—who met as ski instructors in Vail and later moved to Telluride, Colorado—the company declared bankruptcy in June 2024. The couple had accumulated $5.4 million in debt, as they explained at the time, and are now rebuilding.
The Watters family in Vietnam – Photo: linkedin.com
“Kelly and I packed up our lives in Colorado, brought our two- and five-year-old children, and moved to Vietnam,” Watters wrote. “Not for adventure. Not for comfort. But to rebuild Western Rise from the ground up. We dove into the chaos of factories and workshops.”
“This is our second chance, and we’re betting everything on it,” the founder stated.
“This is our second chance, and we’re betting everything on it.”
Western Rise’s unconventional rebranding includes a 7-episode YouTube series titled The Journey. Based in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), the company calls it “a raw, unedited documentary” filmed “through global tariff battles, factory turmoil, and family life in a foreign land.”
The relaunch features updated product lines with new linen fabrics, maintaining its focus on lightweight, breathable travel apparel, as seen on their online store.
Kelly Watters, Co-founder of Western Rise (Photo: Western Rise)
The brand’s ties to Telluride have weakened. Their mountain town showroom is temporarily closed while founders and executives operate overseas, according to a spokesperson. US orders are now processed from a Salt Lake City warehouse.
“We’re relocating our entire inventory to Vietnam,” Will Watters shared in The Journey’s premiere, noting easier shipping logistics. “Honestly, I know many US customers are concerned,” Kelly Watters added in the video. “But FedEx and UPS deliveries from Vietnam to the US have comparable, sometimes faster, transit times.”
“FedEx and UPS deliveries from Vietnam to the US have comparable, sometimes faster, transit times.”
Western Rise’s story reflects a broader trend: Western businesses restructuring by relocating to manufacturing hubs like Vietnam. Despite global tariff volatility, direct factory-to-consumer models from Vietnam appear increasingly strategic for survival and competitiveness.
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