How do you build a new brand that feels both rooted in Western heritage and ready for the spotlight of the modern digital world? When country music star Lainey Wilson and legendary boot designer Michael Petry teamed up, they needed a digital experience that honored their craft but sold like a seasoned DTC powerhouse. My role was to help translate this vision into a polished, scalable, and conversion-forward e-commerce platform.

I led digital strategy, UX design, and Shopify development in a fast-paced 10-week launch sprint. Collaborating closely with Petry, Lainey’s team, and our team of marketing & PR consultants, I made sure every experience from wireframes to our VIP launch party & Nashville pop-up felt premium, approachable, and built for performance.

• Designed a mobile-first, editorial-style storefront to capture a luxury-meets-country aesthetic and cater to a mobile-heavy audience.
• Crafted custom PDPs with high-resolution imagery, variant-driven storytelling, and narrative merchandising to build an emotional connection with shoppers.
• Built in exclusive product drops and gated access to capture emails and boost early loyalty.
• Simplified navigation and streamlined checkout to reduce friction and improve conversion—especially on mobile.

These were guided by industry data: 79% of users shop on mobile, and mobile-optimized experiences reduce bounce rates by up to 60%. Narrative-driven product pages outperform standard templates by 20–30% in conversion lift and including scarcity tactics (limited drops) and gated access are proven to drive urgency and increase opt-in rates boosting GWB's early fan loyalty and LTV.

While still early, Golden West launched with a full-court press: Nashville event, pop-up shop, media blitz, and digital debut. The site performed under high traffic and captured national attention from fashion outlets and music media. We successfully delivered a digital flagship that merged artistry with ROI and laid the groundwork for a scalable DTC brand.