Who is behind 114° West?
Hey, I’m Gunther 👋
Graphic designer in an earlier life, lifelong tinkerer, and now the human behind this little clothing venture.
In 2019, my wife Katharina and I packed up and moved from Austria to Vancouver, chasing big views, new ideas and good hockey (yet I still am a Canucks fan, sorry). In 2022, we landed in Cochrane, Alberta and that’s where things really clicked. Wide skies, rolling foothills, chinook winds, and the Rockies on the horizon tend to do that to a person.
Most days, inspiration comes from exploring the area with our two dogs, Finn and Treek: equal parts trail scouts, quality-control supervisors, and mud distributors. These designs are my love letter to this place: the quiet mornings, dramatic weather, and the feeling that the prairies and mountains are constantly having a conversation.
Everything here is inspired by this town, the Rocky Mountain foothills and this beautiful country, created with a designer’s eye and a deep appreciation for the outdoors and the people.
Why are you called 114° West?
114° West is a real place on the map but it’s also a state of mind.
It’s the longitude that runs straight through our backyard, where the prairies start getting ideas about becoming mountains. It’s where Chinook winds roll in, the light hits the foothills just right, and “going outside for a bit” somehow turns into an all-day adventure.
We chose 114° West because it’s a quiet nod to where we are, how we live, and what inspires us: wide skies, changing weather, small-town charm, and the feeling that you don’t need a coast to have character.
If you know, you know.
