Fashion is meant to be a way for an individual to stand out from the crowd, whether it’s by adding a flash of bling, a spot of color, or dash of texture. There’s no right or wrong way to be uniquely you, and that’s what Kelsea Walker loves about leatherwork and her customers: each piece or person is as unique as the individual grains in the leather.
Spurred out of a need to stand out while campaigning for rodeo queen titles, Walker credits her mother’s artistic background for being the building blocks of a successful career as a rodeo queen, but now as she continues to work within the rodeo industry in a multitude of behind-the-scenes roles.
“I always had a passion for not having a cookie-cutter look or just wearing something right off the rack,” says Walker. “I designed my own clothes by buying shirts off the rack and then turning them into pageant-worthy items. I didn’t want to look like anyone else, and that’s just been my vibe all my life.”
Shining Like a Tiara
Growing up in Cicsne, Ill., Walker refined her style on the junior rodeo circuit, earning her first crown as the Illinois Junior Rodeo Princess. Throughout junior high and high school, she competed in four events: barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying, and breakaway roping, all while also excelling in queen competitions. She held the Illinois High School Rodeo Queen title three out of four years, represented her state at the National High School Finals Rodeo, and finished as high as Top Ten overall.
Her ultimate goal, however, was to ultimately compete for Miss Rodeo America. After graduation, she attended Murray State University in Kentucky, where she joined the college rodeo team. During that time, she also vied for Miss Rodeo USA at the International Professional Rodeo Association Finals in Oklahoma City.
In 2007, Walker achieved that goal, traveling to Las Vegas to represent her home state in the Miss Rodeo America pageant. It was important to her to represent the rodeo heritage of the not-so-Western states.
“I always knew the cards were stacked against me, being from East of the Mississippi,” she says. “Just being able to fulfill a goal of mine that I had set for myself for so long, and to walk away from that pageant knowing that I competed at the best level I could, I did so with my head held high.”
She rodeoed through junior high and high school, but gravitated toward queening because it allowed her to share her passion for rodeo and give back to the sport. She went on to compete in college, IPRA and WPRA rodeos and still loves competition, but queening remains especially meaningful for the unique opportunity it gave her to represent and promote rodeo.
Thinking Outside the Tack Box
Rockabilly Filly Designs was started as a jewelry business while Walker was traveling the rodeo circuit.
“I think I really started realizing my desire to design while I was campaigning to be queen,” she says.
Walker started selling her items on her personal Facebook page before the social media site became the marketplace it is today. From earrings and necklaces to headbands and boot accessories, the business started to morph as she started teaching herself how to work with leather.
Now, just like how her mother painted canvas, Walker is painting leather and creating exclusive designs that are wearable and usable pieces of art.
“I think (leatherwork) is kind of a lost art,” she says. “However, there are a lot of really outstanding leather workers out there. I feel really honored that I’ve been able to build a business working with leather.”
Walker says what sets Rockabilly Filly Designs apart is her connection with her customers, and it’s that close connection that she’s forever grateful for.
“As any artist, you feel special when people connect with your work and they’re drawn to you. There are hundreds of people out there that are as good, or better, but I think what connects and brings them back as repeat customers is if they connect with you on a creative level.”
Close connections within the rodeo industry have helped to spread the word of Rockabilly Filly Designs and Walker’s artistry. For example, when large events started forbidding normal purses and bags, the National Finals Rodeo followed suit in 2017, limiting the ability of fashionistas to carry extravagant bags into Thomas & Mack Arena. Tess Murray, wife of professional bull rider Guthrie Murray, came to Walker saying she needed a clear bag, but not just any clear plastic bag—something cool and different.
Once Guthrie heard his NFR back number, Walker went to work and designed a clear clutch with leather fringe and handtooling across the front. It was the start of a slew of similar orders to be finished just in time for the start of the event.
“No matter what phase people go through in their life, girls still want to be unique and stand out from the crowd,” says Walker. “I just love when somebody chooses me to be the one they express their style through. The NFR is a fashion show from start to finish, so [I love] any time I get to do something like a clear bag or a custom belt like I did for Bonnie Merritt, lots of fringe, custom pieces and belts for girls, or custom bags. I’ve made diaper bags specifically for the NFR and a denim jacket that has the Bucking Horse of the Year on it. The NFR is a super fun time for me because people are looking to be creative and different, and that’s really my jam.”
Now a resident of central Texas, Walker won’t say she’s a trendsetter, she just likes to try to be ahead of the curve and describes her style as “a little more out there.”
“I do think some of my work has been at the beginning of a trend, but I won’t say I’m a trendsetter,” she says. “There is a fine line. You don’t want to be the person that thinks you know everything about your skill. There should be a level of being open to learning new techniques and exposing yourself and continuously educating yourself, while not crossing the line of subconsciously being affected by other people’s art. You have to consciously protect yourself to stay true to your style.”
Pieces of Life
Each special order is a chance for Walker to express not only her passion for the Western lifestyle, but to emphasize a special moment in that customer’s life, and she doesn’t take that for granted.
“I’m always honored when an order is a milestone in someone’s life,” she says.
Whether it’s a bouquet wrap for a bride, a belt for a groom, a diaper bag for a first-time mom, or even a pair of Converse tennis shoes for senior prom, Walker puts more than just her own spin on the piece, but also a piece of her heart. Her business is all custom work.
“I can do some research to get to know that person personally and create something special for them,” she says.
Eight-time NFR qualifier Coleman Proctor’s wife, Stephanie, was looking for something special for Father’s Day. Stephanie Proctor knew her husband loved golf as much as rodeo, so Walker and Proctor put their heads together to design a custom golf bag, which included Coleman’s eight NFR back numbers and their ranch’s brand.
“The bag was Stephanie’s idea–I’m always up for a challenge,” says Walker.
She thrives on creating pieces that are both functional and beautiful, whether building from scratch or embellishing an existing item. Much of her work comes directly from her customers’ ideas.
“I can take a diaper bag and make it theirs—add their brand, the baby’s name or whatever,” she explains. “I’ll listen to what they want, throw ideas at them, and together we come up with a design that works.”
“The fun thing about leatherwork is, if it’s done right, those pieces can last a lifetime and be passed down,” she continues. “So, it’s fun for me to know that what I’m working on is something that’s going to last and it’ll be something that’s going to set somebody apart from the crowd. If you’re going to have a Yeti cooler, why not have a customized Yeti cooler?”
The same goes for Nike tennis shoes, leather bootie stilettos, jackets, rope cans, etc. There’s rarely an accessory that can’t get a little Rockabilly Filly flair.
“Normally the hardest part is coming up with the pattern,” says Walker. “Then, once that’s settled, it’s easy.”
As we gear up for NFR, you can bet some of the accessories on the Thomas & Mack carpet will have a piece of Walker with them. From bull fighter to barrel racer, contestant spouse to daughter or son, everyone has some Rockabilly in them, and Walker is more than happy to add her flair.
Find your accessory at rockabillyfillydesigns.square.site.
This article about Rockabilly Filly Designs appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
