B.Yellowtail’s Latest Carhartt Collaboration Highlights the Power of Montana Entrepreneurship
Billings, Mont. — Core to Big Sky Economic Development’s mission is creating an environment where entrepreneurs can foster relationships, grow identity, and build financial success. Through entrepreneurship resources, business assistance services, and the Rock31 small business incubator hub, BSED helps Montana companies build sustainable businesses capable of competing in regional, national, and global markets.
One recent success story exemplifies that mission in action.
B.Yellowtail, the Indigenous fashion and lifestyle brand founded by Crow and Northern Cheyenne designer Bethany Yellowtail, has launched its second collaboration with Carhartt, one of America’s most recognizable brands. As a member of the Rock31 entrepreneurial community, B.Yellowtail’s newly released spring launch brings authentic Indigenous design to customers across the country while highlighting the talent, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit emerging from an authentic Montana brand.
For BSED, the collaboration represents more than a successful product launch. It demonstrates how entrepreneurs rooted in Montana communities can build nationally recognized brands by embracing their unique identity, values, and culture to strengthen business success.
Originally from Wyola, Yellowtail built her career in the fashion industry in Los Angeles before returning home and growing B.Yellowtail into a nationally recognized company. Founded in 2015, the brand was created to provide an authentic Indigenous voice in an industry where Native-inspired designs have often been produced without tribal involvement.
“Native people have always been creators, makers, artists, and entrepreneurs,” said Yellowtail. “For too long, Native-inspired products have often sold without Native people being part of the process. B.Yellowtail was built to help change that by creating authentic Native-designed products and sharing those stories with audiences across the country.”
The latest Carhartt collaboration continues that mission. Inspired by Yellowtail’s upbringing, heritage, and connection to the landscapes and communities of Montana, the collection brings Indigenous perspectives to a national stage to capture a wider audience. Products from the spring launch are available nationwide online and can also be found locally through retailers including Scheels and Shipton’s in Billings.
The partnership’s impact extends beyond fashion. As part of the collaboration, Carhartt is contributing $50,000 to the Wyola Development Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the well-being of residents in the Wyola Mighty Few District.
“Growing up in Wyola shaped who I am both personally and professionally,” said Yellowtail. “The opportunity to share Indigenous design with a national audience while also supporting the community that helped raise me makes this collaboration especially meaningful.”
Montana’s Native communities have long contributed to the state’s identity through art, craftsmanship, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. The continued success of B.Yellowtail demonstrates how those traditions can create new opportunities when paired with innovation, business growth, and access to larger markets.
“When people think about economic development, they often imagine major employers, large construction projects, and transformative investments. Those projects are important, but some of the most impactful growth starts with small business entrepreneurs who have a vision and the determination to build something meaningful,” said Kimberly Bailey, BSED Executive Director.
“Bethany’s success is a powerful example of what’s possible. She built a nationally recognized brand from Montana, partnered with one of the most iconic companies in America, and is helping bring investment back to the community where her story began. Through Rock31 and our broader entrepreneurship efforts, we’re committed to creating an environment where more entrepreneurs can achieve that same kind of success.”
For Big Sky Economic Development, stories like B.Yellowtail’s are a reminder that entrepreneurship remains among the most powerful drivers of economic vitality in communities. When local entrepreneurs build successful companies, they create opportunities, attract investment, build awareness, and showcase Montana small businesses on a national stage.
To learn more about B.Yellowtail, visit https://byellowtail.com.
To view the Carhartt & Bethany Yellowtail Spring Collection, visit https://www.carhartt.com/carharttxbethanyyellowtail
For questions or additional information, please contact Sam Loveridge, Marketing & Communications Manager, at 406.670.8522 or sam@bigskyeda.org.
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