Episode 4: Fletcher Kasell, Fashion Designer and Owner of Tanner Fletcher

How We Impact the World with Eric Fransen

Two Harbors native and now Brooklyn, NY fashion designer Fletcher Kasell was riding the subway last month with Tanner Richie, partner and co-founder of the fashion brand Tanner Fletcher, when their phones blew up with congratulatory messages. Turns out their photo was part of a Vogue article featuring emerging and new designers. The next week Tanner Fletcher launched its Fall line at New York’s Fashion Week and then the founders were off to Paris’ Fashion Week.

It has been a whirlwind since Kasell launched his brand and company during the pandemic. After stints at luxury brands Barneys and St. Laurent, Kasell found himself pandemic-related unemployed and wondering what was next.

To bring in some extra money during COVID, Kasell and Richie started making tote bags in their apartment. They had some initial success selling to friends and family and caught a break when several boutiques started carrying the tote bags. “And these things were selling so we’re like, Hey, maybe we can keep going with this and develop it more than just a side project,” said Kasell.

Tanner Fletcher was born. A genderless fashion brand that was created out of the founder’s own challenges with shopping for clothing. Kasell and Ritchie both liked to wear quirky things and shopped between men’s and women’s departments. “We just really wanted to make fashion that could be bought by men or women or anyone for that matter,” Kasell said.

Tanner Fletcher is a luxury apparel brand that is inspired by interior design. Most items are inspired by wallpaper patterns, textures, interior designs, and a lot from the 1960s and ’70s. A focus from the beginning was to ensure everything was top quality and that the brand had the freedom of creativity.

At the start Kasell wanted to take their genderless fashion brand to the luxury market. “When working at Barneys, which is also a luxury department store, I just got inspired by all these fashion designers from France, Italy and here in New York, and they are doing beautiful things,” said Kasell.

I asked Kasell how he wanted to impact the world. Kasell said, “Growing up in a small town, somebody like me, who is a little bit different, I really want to inspire others to not feel like an outcast, feel good, and feel like they can inspire others like them to be able to accomplish whatever they want to accomplish. I want to be that voice that is saying, you can certainly do whatever you want to do, spread your wings, and just go for it.”