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“High Style is all about family,� says Brette Ulrich, owner of High Style Flagstaff and now High Style Collective. “We love Flagstaff and focus on our sustainable footprint in our community. We have kept over 60,000 pounds of clothing out of the local landfill and educated hundreds of students and people about conscious consumerism.�

Ulrich has spent most of her life committed to sustainability, taking up patchwork sewing and mending clothing shortly after her first son was born in 2015. She began selling upcycled clothing with local markets, creating a mobile boutique out of her 1995 U-Haul truck, and in 2021 she opened her brick-and-mortar in the shopping plaza on Seventh Avenue.

“High Style is a safe place to find your style or inspire you to be more conscious of your wardrobe choices,� says Ulrich. “We focus on creating a safe space where you feel comfortable to explore your style. I focus on denim because it wastes almost 2,700 gallons of water to produce one pair of jeans and because denim is timeless and perfect for a sustainable capsule wardrobe.�

High Style offers private fitting hour appointments on their website. This allows Ulrich to give people a one of one kind styling experience, where they measure and curate to your body type. As a result of her own body changing due to pregnancy or changes in her lifestyle, she wanted to use these one on one sessions to help people feel comfortable finding something that fits them. Ulrich strives to create size inclusive options and to help curate a sustainable wardrobe for her customers.

“I think it's really important to be comfortable in your body and be able to exchange clothes out without paying top dollar,� says Ulrich. “So my concept was to start just kind of doing something where the local girls could come drop clothing for consignment, get store credit and just like one girl's trash is another's treasure.�

In October, Ulrich expanded High Style into the High Style Collective, which hosts local artists in her brick-and-mortar along with community focused classes. They currently host seven artists; local ceramics by NanaBat ceramics, upcycled plants by R3tro Roots Plants, Simpler and Co., Asterearth and more. For Ulrich, lines like these and especially Asterearth, a full refill apothecary that ranges from body products to home products and more, present a way to sustainably engage in our planet’s future while supporting local artists.

“The collective is an extension of our sustainable mission,� says Ulrich. "A real local shop with local artisan products are available all year long after farmers market season comes to an end. A safe place to host workshops and teach people about waste reduction with a full refill apothecary. The collective space will have a dedicated space for Sunday workshops to host learning activities such as sewing mending, making soaps, ceramic arts and more.�

Ulrich herself upcycles and designs clothing that reuses quilts. Her clothes include all parts of the quilt to bring new life into jackets, overalls, denim, flannels, and more. Her grandmother had been a quilt maker, which gave her insight into the lengthy creation process and so Ulrich’s work aims to honor that time spent creating the quilt designs. She’s excited to expand her brick-and-mortar to be able to include more artists alongside herself.

“Growing up in a college town and watching waste [accumulate], I feel hope in the sustainability shift over the last few years and the impact behind everyday practices,� says Ulrich. “I never thought I’d open a store, I’m really proud of myself. I am so excited for how this all is evolving. The first Sundays of the month are going to be workshops for kids. And from there, I'm going to rotate artists out from herbal dying to silversmiths.�

The High Style Collective space expands out of the brick-and-mortar of Ulrich’s original concept of her upcycled clothing store–this larger space hosts her artists� work. Attached to this room, there is space for workshops, which Ulrich hosts to hope monthly. She’s excited to host opportunities for people to gather and to create a space inclusive of all ages to learn. Not only are her clothes inclusive, she wants people to also feel comfortable learning in her space.

Giving back to the community and opening her space to others is something that comes naturally to Ulrich. In February 2024, she hosted her first silent auction and fashion show at Elks Lodge that centered her sustainable designs. All proceeds went to Sharon’s Manor and Flagstaff Shelter Services. She will be hosting her second annual fashion show at Coconino Center for the Arts in February 2025 on Valentine’s Day.

High Style is open Thursday and Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday are appointment-based, which can easily be made by contacting Ulrich through her website or sending her an email at [email protected]. If you’re looking to vend, Ulrich has created a waitlist. To apply, send her a message. She and her team will juror in new vendors every six months under sustainable guidelines established within product and store standards.