Meet Mandy Bland | owner and hiker

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

Hi Mandy, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
It’s customers spreading the word about my gear. Once you wear a Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, you can spot one a mile away. I have customers tell me stories of making lifelong friends on trail after meeting another hiker also wearing a PR Skirt. My customers sell my gear better than I do and that kind of marketing is priceless. I am so grateful to every single person who has purchased a skirt from me and given a stranger a ‘tour’ of the pockets!

What should our readers know about your business?
We make the world’s best hiking skirt! Great pockets is really what sets us apart from other athletic skirt companies. All of our designs feature our signature double pockets. Women’s wear is seriously lacking in good pockets and we fill that gap.

I’m very proud of the customer service we offer. I love connecting with my customers and hearing stories about what they accomplish in our skirts.

I started the business on a dining room table. I couldn’t find what I wanted in a hiking skirt so I went about making my own from thrifted fabrics. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing when first launched my Etsy site in 2014. I thought it could be a good side hustle to help me pay my student loans. A few years later I was full time with it, sewing every skirt myself. It certainly wasn’t easy, but I love working for myself, making my own schedule and innovating on the fly by listening to my customers.
I don’t have an MBA and didn’t go to design school. I grew up in the Midwest and have a strong DIY work ethic. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and learned a valuable lesson from every single one of them. Like right now I’m learning what makes a good partner in factory production. Just because they have a cut and sew facility doesn’t mean they make good apparel!

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.
We’re based on Southern Oregon and may be a bit partial, but it’s Shangri-la as far as I’m concerned.

We’d start with wine tasting in the Applegate Valley. We’d go to Cowhorn Winery and taste their biodynamic wines and then hit a nearby swimming hole for the rest of the afternoon.

Next we would pack up the car for a mini road trip. First we’d drive up to Crater Lake, take a boat tour on the lake, and finish with a cocktail on the deck of the historic lodge. Next we’d go to Umpqua Hot Springs perched on the edge of the Umpqua River. Then we’d head out to the coast and explore the sand dunes. Following 101 South down to the Redwoods near Crescent City and hike around Fern Canyon in the Redwood National Forest. On the way back to Medford, we would stop at a swimming hole on the beautiful undammed Smith River.

We choose to call Southern Oregon home because of the beautiful nature all around. We like living in a small town without traffic or crowded trailheads.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
ALDHA West! I became involved with the American Long Distance Hiking Association – West after I completed a thru hike of the AT. They are an organization of hikers promoting fellowship and education about long distance hiking. Through that organization I met wonderful people who really believed in my product. The group also helped keep me connected to the hiking community which is so critical after completing a life changing experience like hiking the Appalachian Trail. Allgood, Snorkel and She-Ra, here’s to you!!

Website: www.purplerainskirts.com

Instagram: @purplerainskirts

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