TAOS: Double D Ranch's 2020 Holiday Collection

30th Anniversary Taos Holiday 2020

Taos It seems surreal that we are in the final phase of the ‘I Go Back’ collection. In celebrating our 30th anniversary, we have mapped out the milestones that have shaped us, defined us, and made us who we are, as people and as a brand. We introduced you to our earliest selves through our upbringing in Matagorda County. We took you along on our whirlwind weekend in Cody. We shared with you our adolescent aspirations and lifelong admiration of the icons out of Nashville.

And that brings us to Taos.

If you’ve been following the ‘I Go Back’ collection from the beginning, you’ve likely come to learn one thing about the McMullen family: we were seemingly always on a road trip. To the horse races, to the coast, to the mountains. They were all memorable and meaningful in their own right, but it was a fortuitous family ski trip to this tiny New Mexico town that would unwittingly change the trajectory of our lives.

“It all started with a coat,” recalled Cheryl McMullen, oldest sister and designer for Double D Ranch.

The story is this: Cheryl glimpsed a coat in a grocery store and fell in love.

So, she bought one of her own, and every time she wore it, everyone else fell in love with it, too. Daddy Doug recognized the demand and nudged us in the direction of selling our version of these blanket coats. After a little hesitation and a lot of hoop-jumping, we found ourselves in the blanket coat business, and on a whim, we called ourselves Double D Ranch.

“We didn’t plan for this to be a business,” admitted Audrey Franz, baby McMullen sister and CEO. “We just wanted to make enough money to fund another ski trip.”

Well, you know what they say about God and plans. Thankfully, His plan was better than ours, and we’ve looked to Him to guide our steps for 30 wonderful years now.

Table of Contents

Cover & This Spread: Millicent’s Blouse, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

From the Southwest to the Society Page, 12 Millicent Rogers, 43 Outside the Box, 50 The Catalyst Coat, 69 All the Trimmings, 87 Turquoise Under the Tree, 97

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Vintage Vintage Sterling Double D Ranch Belts Silver Navajo Canteens

Millicent’s Mariana Top, Blouse, Double The D Nash Ranch Flash Jewelry, Skirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Both pages: Taos Nights Top, La Loma Pant, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Both pages: Rodgers Plaid Duster, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Vintage Sterling Silver Navajo Trinket Box, Vintage Sterling Silver Navajo Compact, Vintage Sterling Silver Navajo Cigarette Case

From the Southwest to the Society Page The inspiration behind much of the aesthetic of the Taos collection is the late Millicent Rogers, a style icon and revolutionary who is largely credited with bringing Native American jewelry to the forefront of fashion.

Millicent was a striking beauty with an impeccable but somewhat unconventional style for the time, which landed her in the pages of fashion bibles like Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar. As an heir to the Standard Oil fortune, she was a sweetheart of the New York City social scene, where she turned heads and made waves by debuting this sort of “high-low” elegance, donning exquisite diamonds juxtaposed with handcrafted silver and turquoise pieces she’d acquired on her adventures through the Southwest.

The look caught on among the who’s who, and soon traditional Native American jewelry was in demand all across the country, helping to boost livelihoods of native artisans and infused the communities with income. Millicent became a prolific collector of indigenous jewelry and art, and an advocate for the advancement of the Native American culture. Upon her death, her youngest son created the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, which houses her collection and continues to honor the art.

This statement sky stone bib necklace is the work of contemporary jewelry artisan, Federico Jimenez.

Incidentally, and fittingly, Federico was formerly a trustee of the Millicent Rogers Museum. Learn more about the life and style of Millicent Rogers on page 43.

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Ramos Peralta Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry

Both pages: Ouray Jacket, Ramos Peralta Top, Espinoza Pant, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Both Plazapages: Charro Jacket, Riata Hat, Hondo Millicent’s Double Vest, D Ranch Jewelry,Blouse, Double D Ranch Vintage Double D Ranch Belt Vintage Double DJewelry, Ranch Belt

Plaza Charro Jacket, Riata Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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“The driving force behind [Millicent’s] inimitable style wasn’t a hunger for recognition but a passion for life’s aesthetic pleasures.”

– Annette Tapert & Diana Edkins, The Power of Style

Crazy Town Jacket, Lil’ Bit Country Top, Taos Nights Skirt, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Crazy Town Jacket, Lil’ Bit Country Top, Taos Nights Skirt, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Taos Nights Skirt, Apache Kid Boot

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Smith Suazo Top, Espinoza Pant, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Smith Suazo Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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“She was an elegant beauty, mysterious and evocative.”

– Cherie Burns, Searching for Beauty: The Life of Millicent Rogers

Hondo Vest, Ramos Peralta Top, La Loma Pant, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Ketch a Wildflower Dress, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Ketch a Wildflower Dress, Long Tall Sally Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Night Darkness Dress, Long Tall Sally Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

Night Darkness Dress, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Ramos Workshirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry

Sandia Pass Jacket, Ramos Workshirt, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Galloway Top, The Nash Flash Skirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Galloway Top, The Nash Flash Skirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

“There have always been women with money, “We grew up surrounded but all of them had bynot Mexican culture Millicent Rogers’ for interwoven with eye classic style andIt’s thesomething taste to go Texana. along with it.enjoyed In addition, I’ve always and atadmired, five footparticularly seven she had in a long terms lean body to rival that of fashion.” of any model, so she could very powerfully project her own fashion sense.”

- Cheryl McMullen

– Diving for Starfish--The Jeweler, The Actress, The Heiress and One of the World’s Most Alluring PIeces of Jewelry ,

by Cherie Burns

Lockwood Shirt Jacket, Plaza Charro Riata Hat, Double Jacket, D Ranch Jewelry, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Lockwood Shirt Jacket, Quintana Roo Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Lockwood Shirt Jacket, Double D Ranch Jewelry

Rodgers Plaid Tee, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Jessie Jacket, Rodgers Plaid Tee, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Hachita Claim Dress, Conquista Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

Paso del Canon Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Millicent Rogers Feb. 2, 1902 – Jan. 1, 1953

Taos innately belonged among the ‘I Go Back’ collections for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it was the adopted home of Millicent Rogers, the influential fashion figure widely credited with making Southwest style chic, and the inspiration for this collection.

Born Mary Millicent Abigail Rogers, the 20th century style icon was the granddaughter of oil tycoon, Henry Huttleston Rogers, who founded the illustrious Standard Oil alongside John D. Rockefeller. She was known for being a Manhattan socialite, a civil activist, and an avant-garde in terms of fashion, as well as for being romantically linked to some of the big names of the time. Her image and influence was so pervasive in mid-century America it’s been said that the original Barbie (full name Barbara Millicent Roberts) was patterned after her.

Reportedly to mend her broken heart after an unceremonious split from Hollywood heartthrob, Clark Gable, Millicent moved to Taos in 1947, where she instead fell in love with the southwestern lifestyle and aesthetic. She renovated a small adobe home she called Turtle Walk, and quickly became enamored with the Native American jewelry that was indigenous to the region.

It became part of her signature style, which was to combine unique fashion elements in unexpected ways with an engaging flair. She had couture Charles James blouses commissioned by the dozens, which she donned with velvet broomstick skirts; she paired delicate diamonds with chunky silver pieces; and she almost always incorporated an element of volume into her outfit, from puffed sleeves to full skirts. Her style was chic, befitting of an heiress, but edgy, indicative of her against-the-grain approach to fashion – and societal norms. (She was known to carry a 24-karat gold toothpick she didn’t hesitate to use at the table.)

Millicent’s magnificent collection of Southwestern jewelry and art is now on display at the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, which was founded by her youngest son, Paul Peralta-Ramos, a few years after she passed away on New Year’s Day of 1953.

Decades after her death, Millicent’s creative and contrary interpretation of fashion is still inspiring designs from the likes of John Gaillano, Karl Lagerfeld, and Double D Ranch’s 30th Anniversary Collection.

Night Darkness Top, Night Darkness Skirt, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Both pages: Night Darkness Top, Night Darkness Skirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Both pages: Paseo del Pueblo Jacket, Millicent’s Blouse, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Rocky Ridge Tee, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Turtle Walk Jacket, Lil’ Bit Country Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Outside the Box Sometimes treasure boxes hold treasure. In this case, the boxes are the treasure.

Varying in size, shape, and style, these ornate trinket chests are most often attributed to Navajo artisans (such as Ben Begaye, Suzie James, and Ray Adakai, to name a few) who craft the sterling silver cases entirely by hand, right down to the hinges and clasps. Depending on the artist, the faces generally feature stamp work, bump-out designs, or silver applique, and cabochons of some sort, most commonly turquoise.

Over the years, these treasure boxes have served a myriad of purposes, and they’ve come to be coveted, collectible objets d’art and family heirlooms. History has it that the smaller square boxes were originally intended for storing stamps to keep them flat and free from tear (although virtually useless against humidity). Some of the larger boxes served as elegant cigarette cases, some as pill boxes or coin carriers, and some of the smaller ones have even been gifted to young children who keep their lost teeth in them until the tooth fairy visits. Some now house prized pieces of jewelry and some are simply used as unique bits of Southwestern dÊcor.

Composed of the same materials and crafted with the same dedication and skill, these treasure chests essentially elevate an everyday item to ornamental baubles virtually on par with jewelry, which seems perfectly on-brand for the ever-extravagant MIllicent Rogers. After all, making the ordinary extraordinary was kind of her thing.

Vintage Sterling Silver Navajo Trinket Box, Vintage Sterling Silver Navajo Compact, Vintage Sterling Silver Navajo Cigarette Case

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Both pages: Jewelry Keeper Tee, Quintana Roo Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Vintage Pueblo Turquoise and Heishi Necklaces

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Rodgers Plaid Jacket, Ramos Workshirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

“Suddenly passing Taos Mountain I felt that I was “We surrounded partgrew of theupearth, so that I Mexican feltbythe sun on culture my surface interwoven and the rain. with I feltclassic the stars Texana.

It’s something and the growth of the Moon; I’ve always and under me,enjoyed rivers ran...” admired, particularly in terms of fashion.”

– Millicent Rogers

- Cheryl McMullen

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Plaza Charro Jacket, Riata Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

The Nash Flash Top, La Loma Pant, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Plaza Charro Jacket, Riata Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Both pages: Crazy Town Jacket, Peralta Top, Peralta Pant, Conquista Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Rodgers Plaid Shirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Both pages: Night Darkness Tunic, Black Hills Skirt, Quintana Roo Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Ouray Jacket, Black Gold Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Black Gold Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Black Gold Duster, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry

3rd Phase Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry

The Catalyst Coat Ah, yes. The unassuming, unsuspecting, unpredictable little garment that started it all.

“I caught a glimpse of a coat in a grocery store,” Cheryl laughed.

“It sounds funny, in hindsight, that that’s Double D Ranch’s origin story, but that’s truly how it all began.”

“Cheryl was too sick from altitude sickness to ski,” explained Audrey. “So, I took the boys up the mountain, and Mom and Dad took Cheryl into town to get medicine, and that’s when she saw the coat. And she was still obsessing over it at dinner, and a guy at the table next to us overheard and told us where she could get one made.”

Naturally, first thing the next day, Cheryl was in that little hole in the wall shop, picking out a blanket to turn into her dream coat. (An hour or so later, Daddy Doug walked into that same shop, inquired whether Cheryl had been there, and then did the most Doug thing ever: he asked the man to slip a note in the pocket before he shipped it that said, “I know what you’re up to.”

Actually, he didn’t. We didn’t even know what we were up to yet!)

But her blanket coat came, and it was every bit as beautiful as Cheryl imagined it would be. And we’re not the only ones who thought that. Everyone just fawned over it. Daddy kept insisting that we should sell them in our little store, but we took a little more convincing.

“At one point, we were walking down the street outside Dallas Market Center,” Cheryl said. “And this shuttle bus driving past came to a stop and a woman got out and said, ‘I made the driver stop because I have to know about that coat!’ and I think that was the moment we decided we needed to re-think and market them.”

The demand was there, the supply was not. We hit the usual roadblocks, of course, but in true McMullen fashion, we surmounted them, and by the grace of God, we’re still stitching labels that read “Double D Ranch” into these beautiful blanket coats 30 years later.

Taos Blanket Duster, Four Winds Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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This page: Kit’s Cross Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry Opposite page: Taos Blanket Coat, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Cervantez Cape, Ramos Peralta Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Quintana Roo Boot

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Both pages: Taos Plaza Dress, Double D Ranch Jewelry

“Taos, New Mexico, had long captivated artists, bohemians, scamps, and freethinking souls from elsewhere, who settled into its hive of quirky adobe houses at the feet of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Millicent Rogers had finally been one of them.”

– Cherie Burns, Searching for Beauty: The Life of Millicent Rogers

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San Ysidro Cross Jacket, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Ramos Workshirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

San Ysidro Cross Jacket, Ramos Workshirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Mountain Switchback Sweater, Denim Workshirt, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Mountain Switchback Sweater, Denim Workshirt, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Smith Sauzo Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Smith Sauzo Top, Night Darkness Skirt, Coyote Moon Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Taos Sock Pack

Tee Pee Graffiti Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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All the Trimmings You don’t need to sacrifice style to get in the holiday spirit.

Unless you’re going to an ugly sweater party, can we all agree to skip the cliché red-and-green garb this year?

We’re not trying to be all bah-humbug, but ladies, there are so many more stylish ways to get in the holiday spirit!

Little bits of luxe.

We’re talking velvets, leathers, and most of all, fur!

The weather allows for it, the occasion calls for it, and nothing says sophisticated style like making an entrance in a fabulous fur-trimmed jacket, right?

Subtle shimmers.

This is one of our favorite ways to say, “I’m here for the party!”. Work in some soft silver leathers or some understated rhinestone accents to give your look a little sparkle that feels appropriate from the office party to the family gathering. You don’t have to be dripping in sequins to shine.

Eye-catching embellishments.

Fringe, embroidery, beadwork, studding. Make the most of those little details that will have your friends, family, and strangers alike admiring your outfit. It’s an effortless, elegant way to look and feel festive without being too over the top.

All-out accessories.

Ok, really this is our M.O. 365 days a year, but the holidays are the perfect excuse to go all out for the gal who doesn’t really go over-the-top with her everyday look. What better time to flaunt that signature squash blossom or that cluster cuff you save for special occasions? Wear it all!

You want everyone to be talking about what you wore to the holiday party this year, but for all the right reasons.

Above Sangre de Cristo Jacket, Coyote Moon Boot Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Above Sangre de Cristo Jacket, Coyote Moon Boot Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Above Sangre de Cristo Jacket, Coyote Moon Boot Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Cheetah Blue Jacket, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Opposite Page: Vintage Double D Ranch Cuffs This page: Denim Workshirt, Taos Hat, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Denim Workshirt, Rainbird Night Scarf, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Turtle Walk Vest, Ramos Peralta Top, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

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Turquoise Under the Tree Got a loved one in your life that always needs a little help in the gift-giving department?

Jewelry is the gift that always fits and turquoise never goes out of season – or style. Leave the catalog open to this page and place it somewhere conspicuous, like next to the coffee pot, or on their desk, or better yet, beneath the remote. (Or heck, put it somewhere new every day like a hint-hiding Elf on the Shelf!) Whether it’s a cluster cuff or a statement squash you’re eyeing, let your loved ones know you want to unwrap a little lovely this year.

Vintage Double D Ranch Cuffs

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Dunaway Jacket, Denim Workshirt, Apache Kid Boot, Double D Ranch Jewelry, Vintage Double D Ranch Belt

Dunaway Jacket, Double D Ranch Jewelry

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Vintage Double D Ranch Zuni Squash Blossom Necklace Shot on location at the Lost Mission, Spring Branch, TX

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