From Mykiss Studios:
Mykiss Studios, a new studio specializing in creative design services, is introducing a branded apparel line inspired by the fish and waters that define our lives. A fusion of art, conservation, and soul, the store features a collection of designs that celebrate our passion for the iconic fish we chase and the long roads we roam in search of them – from the Steelhead Highway on the rugged Pacific Coast to the Tarpon Highway in the famed Florida Keys.
Mykiss Studios, is the brainchild of Rich Simms, a lifelong Washingtonian who has spent his life exploring the waters of the Pacific Northwest in search of wild steelhead. On one such trip, the fact that the Highway 101 traverses every major steelhead river on the Pacific Coast crystallized in Rich’s brain. That realization spawned the concept of using this well-traveled stretch of road as a bridge that can connect a disparate community and help protect a threatened species that is struggling to survive in nearly every river this 1,540-mile road crosses.
After an inspiring tarpon trip along Highway 1 in the Florida Keys, where Rich saw the parallels between the plight of wild steelhead and tarpon as well as the similar cultures surrounding the roads that connect them, he decided to make this concept bicoastal with the creation of the Tarpon Highway. Like the Steelhead Highway, the Tarpon Highway is clearly marked, but it remains an avenue to lose yourself.
Rich’s life has been a fine balance between his career in industrial design and a dedicated angling life grounded in conservation. With Mykiss Studios, Rich has set off to strike a similar balance by creating well-designed products that express a deep connection to exploration and a firm commitment to conservation – a percentage of all proceeds will be donated to support the great work the Wild Steelhead Coalition and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust are doing.
After months of dreaming and planning, Mykiss Studios is excited to embark on this new adventure. Stay tuned as we continue to release even more designs in the coming weeks. And please check out our store at www.mykissstudios.com
About Rich Simms: Rich grew up in Poulsbo, WA fishing the steelhead streams of the Olympic Peninsula, an upbringing that engrained a lifelong passion for pursuing and protecting wild steelhead. By day, Rich is a seasoned industrial design professional with a background in user experience and brand. By night, Rich is a steelhead advocate and can be found in meetings throughout Washington fighting for wild steelhead. Rich is a founding and current board member of the Wild Steelhead Coalition and was named Fly Fisherman Magazine’s inaugural Conservationist of the Year in 2016.
