By Shayna Mace | Photography by Shanna Wolf

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Such is the case for Kelly and Joe Leschisin, who not only own KELLA, a gift and apparel shop in Mount Horeb, but Forward Apparel Co., a Wisconsin-themed clothing line. (Joe also founded Kella Design in 2008, a digital marketing and web design agency, which Kelly also works at.)

After working on client marketing projects for years at Kella Design, the couple had a desire to create their own product from start to finish. Enter Forward Apparel Co., a line of Wisconsin-themed shirts and hats with sayings such as “Wisco Made” and “Up North.” The couple’s retail space on Main Street features their own apparel items, as well as pieces from 40-plus Wisconsin makers. They love showcasing the creativity of the Dairy State.

“There’s so much more to Wisconsin than beer and cheese — there are so many cool things to discover here,” says Kelly. “We’re trying to represent what the state is all about.”

118 E. Main St., Mount Horeb, madebykella.com

SHOP THE LOOK

Clockwise, from top left:

• Flags Over Wisconsin’s cheeky candle can be used as a pint glass once it’s used up. $28
• Madison authors Angie and Ben Buelow penned their “Goodnight Madison” book as a spinoff of the popular “Goodnight Moon” book. $26
• Kelly Lechisin says their Wisconsin-themed prints are one of KELLA’s best-sellers, like this state parks version. $15-$30
• Forward Apparel Co.’s “Northerly” cap is another hit item. $30
• Heidi Clayton of Center Ground Studios handcrafts mugs close to KELLA in her Mount Horeb-based studio. $38
• “The lake is one of our favorite places to be, no matter which body of water it is,” says Kelly of this Forward Apparel Co. sweatshirt. $40

This article originally ran in the September/October 2021 issue of BRAVA Magazine.