Meet Lex Mobley | Artistic Director & CFO, Half Moon Travel Clothing

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lex Mobley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lex, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
My parents started their “travelwear” company in the 80s while still living in Denver and established a base of operations in the North Fork valley of Western Colorado. The same year I was born, they bought an allegedly haunted old building in downtown Delta and and turned it into a workshop. I was essentially raised there, among industrial sewing machines and skilled seamstresses, and in the Renaissance faires all over the country that were the main market for their products. As a child, I was exposed to artisans and crafters and travelers from all walks of life and early on developed a love of creating things and people who create. When they weren’t busy traveling or directing operations at the shop, my parents did everything they could to get my brother and I outside—camping, hiking, skiing, etc. I always knew I wanted to be an artist of some sort and I always knew I wanted to travel—I just wasn’t sure what or how. In college, I majored in International Affairs and Film Production, dabbling in experimental film, poetry and dance. I was aimless for a few years after that, working various roles at Renaissance fairs, teaching myself web development and backpacking in South America.
Eventually, a family tragedy led to me taking over the company my parents started. I had no idea what I was doing, but having grown up around the business, I learned quickly and am now part owner and artistic director. It wasn’t exactly the direction I saw myself taking, but I get to be creative every day, continue my parents’ legacy and travel all over the country. Essentially, my background prepared me for this role and the company is a large part of who I am today.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Half Moon is a Colorado company specializing in cloaks, capes, coats, cowl hoods and other anachronistic outerwear for cosplay, renaissance fairs and everyday protection against the elements. Handcrafted in Colorado, our garments are primarily made of wool but we also work with linen, velvet and fleece. We offer many custom appliqué designs and work closely with every client to make one of a kind pieces. My parents started it in the 1980s before I was born, and became notorious on the East Coast Renaissance festival circuit for their unique utilitarian designs. They did festivals and fairs all over the Western U.S. including the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous and Colorado Indian Market. I took over about 5 years ago due to a family emergency, and have since brought the business online and to the Western Design Conference, Denver Fashion Week and the Longest Night Masquerade Ball in addition to the two Renaissance fairs that we have done for years (Maryland and New York).
Several years ago, our main wool supplier closed their mill and shifted their operations overseas, dealing us a huge blow since Half Moon was known for its garments constructed of this specific heavy wool. Since, however, I have sourced fabric from many alternative sources and branched into using linen, velvet and fleece. I am excited to pursue more sustainable fabrics, but wool garments are still what our customers primarily want.
And of course, last year the pandemic drastically impacted us, as most of our business comes from our various festivals and all were closed for the year. I put all of my stock online and took custom orders and we managed to make it through. In fact, this year was my most successful year at festivals to date—people were eager to shop after everything was shut down for a year!
Supply chain issues and the rising prices of everything continue to be a challenge, but we are doing the best we can and will continue to operate our shops at the New York and Maryland Renaissance festivals next year as well as accept custom orders from our website.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m vegan and I love bringing people to vegan restaurants—one of my favorites is Piante pizza! I also love hiking with my dog, and there’s some great hiking spots around the city, including an amazing dog park in Evergreen and some beautiful Open Space trails in between Golden and Boulder. I also highly recommend South Broadway for shopping and eating and drinking; there’s something for everyone there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out to my parents, the founders of Half Moon, for all the love and encouragement of my interests, and the wisdom and advice they continue to impart to me today. To Martha and Kelly, for keeping Half Moon creatively alive in a tough time for our family and for teaching me how to sew and opening my eyes to the vast possibilities of an industrial sewing machine. To Kevin and Gloria and all the rest of our team at the Renaissance faires in New York and Maryland, for their amazing representation of our brand at festival, knowledgeable and kind customer service, and hard work to keep Half Moon an outerwear staple on the East Coast festival circuit.

Website: hmoon.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halfmoontravelclothing/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lex-mobley-9b090998/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/halfmoontravelclothing/