Hasty & Co.: A Family Brand, Generations in the Making

When I first began imagining Hasty & Co., I wanted to create a brand for our family and our home that felt as though it had always existed. Something that might look equally at home embroidered on a linen napkin, stamped onto a brass hotel keychain, or printed on a shopping bag from a beloved old department store.

I found myself drawn to two traditions: the history of family crests and the visual identity of historic department stores. Both are about creating something recognizable that represents more than a name. A family crest speaks to heritage and belonging, while a department store logo represents a promise of quality, hospitality, and experience.

And as I thought about it, I realized just how closely these ideas connected to my own family history.

A Family History in Retail

In 1884, my great-great-grandfather opened the Steffes Store, beginning a family business that would be passed down through generations. Eventually, my grandfather and great-uncle became its owners, and my dad was the last generation of our family to work there. Neither he nor his brother ultimately wanted to take over the business, so it was sold to my grandmother's brother.

I have such fond memories of visiting the store as a child. At the time, I certainly didn't appreciate the significance of walking into a business my great-great-grandfather had established. Looking back, I love knowing that generations of my family had walked through those same doors, worked behind those counters, and built their lives around the business.

Although I never imagined myself taking over the Steffes Store, I now recognize how deeply that heritage influenced my interests.

I studied Fashion Marketing and Management at Stephens College before pursuing fashion history at the University of Missouri. My professional life eventually led me to teach fashion history, retailing, brand management, advertising, and visual merchandising at the collegiate level.

I've always been fascinated by the ways brands communicate identity and create emotional connections. Historic department stores understood this particularly well. From their elaborate window displays and signature typography to beautifully wrapped packages and shopping bags, they weren't simply selling merchandise. They were creating entire worlds that customers wanted to enter.

And I've always loved the idea that something as ordinary as a matchbook, shopping bag, or piece of stationery can become an object of nostalgia because of the memories associated with it.

Where Family Heritage Meets Hospitality

When Eric and I began developing the Hasty & Co. identity, I wanted to bring these two worlds together.

I loved the idea of a modern family crest, something that could represent the family we're building and perhaps be passed down through generations. But I also wanted the warmth and understated sophistication of a historic American department store or an elegant boutique hotel.

The name Hasty & Co. felt like a natural bridge. "Hasty" represents our family, while "& Co." suggests something larger: the friends who gather around our table, the guests who stay in our home, and the generations who might come after us.

Unlike the Steffes Store, Hasty & Co. isn't intended to be a retail business. It's a brand for our family and our home.

I imagine our house operating a little like a beloved boutique hotel, where the smallest details have been considered. Custom stationery, embossed cocktail napkins, personalized menus, a signature candle, and vintage-inspired hotel keychains. Our basement bar, Huckleberry, will even have an identity of its own.

But the goal isn't to make our home feel commercial. Quite the opposite. I want to borrow the thoughtfulness of hospitality and the storytelling of branding to make our everyday lives feel more personal.

A New Kind of Family Heirloom

As I've gotten older, I've become increasingly interested in the objects and traditions that connect generations. My Grandma Shirley's Frankoma dishes, for example, are something I hope will remain part of our Thanksgiving celebrations for years to come. Their significance has little to do with their monetary value and everything to do with the memories they carry.

I hope the objects we create for Hasty & Co. might eventually take on a similar meaning.

Perhaps one day Miles will come across an old Hasty & Co. keychain, a holiday ornament, or a box of stationery and remember the home where he grew up. Maybe he'll associate that little logo with family celebrations, cozy evenings, and the people who loved him.

My great-great-grandfather couldn't have known when he opened the Steffes Store in 1884 how many generations of our family would become part of its story. More than 140 years later, I find myself doing something unexpectedly connected to his work.

I'm not opening a store. I'm simply bringing together my love of history, fashion, branding, hospitality, and family traditions to create something meaningful for the three of us.

A little family history. A little department store nostalgia. A little boutique hotel magic.

And, I hope, the beginning of a tradition that will outlast the objects themselves.