Labor of Love – Winnipeg Free Press

Ryan Bowman wears his heart on his sleeve. Literally and figuratively.

For starters, Bowman is a perpetual walking advertisement for We Heart Winnipeg, the eye-popping, sometimes cheeky, clothing line he founded five years ago with his wife, Jessica, to promote all things wonderful about Manitoba's capital city.

Secondly, their brand name is not an empty boast. Maybe it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, Bowman says, but running a business fueled by their mutual love of Winnipeg has made him appreciate his hometown even more.

Ryan Bowman and his wife, Jessica, opened the two-story Local House on Watt Street last July.

“It's human nature to dwell on negative things, but for his way of thinking, it's easier to take a positive view,” he continued, standing in front of a Valentine's Day display at a local home, the two-story operation they opened. Last summer at 680 Watt Street to display their wares alongside those of nearly 30 regional producers.

“Not a day goes by that I don't come across something that excites me, whether it's a new restaurant or a brewpub, and a big part of our mission is to remind people that there are so many great things happening in our own backyard. »

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Bowman, 40, laughs that no, high schoolers would never have turned him into a future fashion mogul.

The father of five and two daughters often sports jeans and baggy T-shirts, maybe the odd hockey top, but it's all about his sense of style, he says, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt. gray hood over “We Heart Wpg. Lifestyle Co. through the chest.

With an arts degree from the University of Winnipeg in her back pocket, Bowman moved to Ont. in 2010 to study journalism at Conestoga College. Moved to Kitchener. There he was introduced to Jessica. After graduation, the couple spent several months traveling through Central and South America.

They discussed staying at their leisure. Ryan convinced Jessica, who grew up in Tillonsburg, Ont., southwest of Hamilton, that Winnipeg might be their best option. Something interesting happened while they were house hunting: he began to see the city through Jessica's eyes, and together they began to care for places he hadn't before moving east.

“The first thing I noticed about the craft beer scene was how much it's grown in the five years I've been away,” he says, adding that he's even visited landmarks he used to frequent, like Sargent. Sundae, now shared with Jessica, suddenly enjoyed it.

In 2017, they married, the same year the Bowmans started a blog called Our Winnipeg Heart to share their love of the city and province with others. It was a hit and their followers started commenting that they should monetize it somehow. Just how?

For Summer 2019, Bowmans designed a set of t-shirts and hoodies for Assiniboine Red and Assiniboine featuring an image of a compass showing “True North” with the letters “WPG” boldly displayed above two wavy lines. rivers.

They applied to be vendors at many of the festivals that year, and as the first night of the downtown gathering was on the frosty side, scantily clad attendees flocked to their booth in search of warm bums.

Unsurprisingly, those same people started wearing their new purchases while out and about, leading to strangers stopping to ask where they bought them.

In turn, the Bowmans were suddenly flooded with requests, prompting them to create an e-commerce site, followed by a brick-and-mortar location on Osborne Street, which opened in January 2021 next to Oakwood Cafe. (At the time, they had up to six different collections, including ones advertising Winnipeggers' penchant for hockey, country cottages, and colder temperatures if one included the phrase “Colder than Mars”).

Business was booming at Osborne, sales were strong, but the lease was on the small side, barely 500 square feet. In addition, all of their screen printing had to be done off-site on Dufferin Avenue, requiring several hours of back and forth each week to pick up inventory.

Bowman in his upstairs print lab where we're currently designing Winnipeg.

Bowman estimates they looked at 30 different sites across the city before buying the Watt Street property in March 2023. They spent three months renovating the space, which was home to a technology services firm, and held a grand opening in July 2023.

The reason they decided to change the name above the door from We Heart Winnipeg to Local House was simple; their intention was to represent other manufacturers and they did not want to run a clothing store.

Raya Peters launched Rings by Raya in spring 2021. Specializing in jewelry and accessories like hats and bags, she initially sold her wares through her Etsy shop and at public markets, but found that those two approaches didn't always resonate with customers. needs.

“The Local House is very beneficial for my customers because any markets or pop-ups are temporary, and the Local House is a permanent place where people can shop when they're open,” says Peters, who has since started displaying her wares there. last fall.

In addition to their own creations, Local House also displays products from many local artists and manufacturers.

“A local's home is also a quiet and peaceful environment for shopping, as markets or pop-ups can be crowded and overwhelming.”

Peters says many people who don't like online places like Etsy have found her business through a local home.

“Also, anyone who comes into the store to buy from another business is likely to see my products that they wouldn't have come across otherwise,” he adds. (Another local homemaker will be Bowman's mother, Arlene, who offers hand-knit sweaters, boots, bras and gloves under the Baba Baby banner.)

Going forward, Bowmans, who will be doing all the screen printing on the second floor, hopes to introduce at least two new collections a year.

The house features hundreds of products designed and created by local artists and makers.

Their latest version, called “Prairie Roots” and featuring a stylized, orange, yellow and green bison as their emblem, was created by local graphic artist Leticia Spence, who has worked with the Winnipeg Jets, the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Mint.

Another plan is to add a coffee shop on the south side of their space that will serve the same Colisimo blends currently on sale.

“It's fun because it's really become my full-time job,” says Bowman, folding a cotton-polyester baby shirt that says “Made in Winnipeg.”

“The first couple of years I was wondering if I was going to do this forever, but now I'm 100 percent sure.”

Their latest collection, called Prairie Roots and featuring a stylized, orange, yellow and green bison as their emblem, was created by local graphic artist Leticia Spence.

Oh, and if you're wondering what a man with a heart emblazoned front and center on his business card will get his better half for Cupid's big day, Bowman won't be reaching out — a man with a ball cap emblazoned with “WPG” on it. edge – yet.

“We always tell each other we don't need a present, we get each other everything we need all year long, but you still want to mark the day somehow, right?” he says. “In the past, I've been more about experiences than products – nights out, dinners and spas – so I'll probably go that route again.”

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