We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lexi Whaley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lexi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Thank you for having me; it’s an honor to be chosen for this conversation!!

The name “War On Sanity” was born from the best kind of chaos. It’s not just a name, it’s a state of mind — it’s the state of the world. I see it around me everyday — in unlikely encounters, obscure paradoxes, and billboards that absolutely do not belong next to each other. I am constantly discovering new definitions and visual explanations embodying how I feel about “War On Sanity”. Comically absurd nuances present themselves often in a place like Los Angeles, no doubt, but I believe it’s representative of a universal feeling that connects us all, and I wanted to create something that resonated with everyone.

Accessories are those final touches that reveal your dedication to style and attention to detail. I found my cowboy hat vocation in January 2021 in preparation for my best friend’s bachelorette party. The mission was to find the perfect hat for our bride-to-be, but the options online left me in a doozy. The hats available were built for a trash can, poorly made, single use quality. There was not one fashionable or quality option, etsy included. It showed me a very specific gap in the market. This lit my fire. I got to work making the first War On Sanity cowboy hat, the “Lucky Strike”. The pristine white cowboy hat was adorned with a crystal band and boasted three inches of sparkling crystal fringe around the brim. Lucky Strike was nothing short of a revolution in the world of cowboy headwear, and I say that without exaggeration. Just three months later, it graced the runway at Miami Swim Week, and within six months, imitations started popping up left and right. That came with a moment of defeat, but looking back now, it proved my concept to be gold.

I’ve kept my focus on what I love and do best – designing and creating. To me, a cowboy hat is like a blank canvas, an opportunity to elevate an already fabulous outfit to new heights.
Wearing a WoS cowboy hat is an electric experience. It transcends age and gender. Cowboy hats spark the conversation with their distinctive charm, bringing smiles and a sense of unity in a world where differences abound. Art brings people together. And at the end of the day, that is what these cowboy hats are: Art.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Allow me to introduce myself and give you a glimpse into my journey. My name is Lexi Whaley, and I’ve always been driven by curiosity. The ability to create and draw inspiration from other artists while adding my unique touch has been a fascinating journey. It’s what led me into the fashion industry and ignited my passion for delivering that “wow” factor in the world of clothing and accessories.

My foray into this industry began during my high school days when I would shop for jeans at thrift stores and transform them into custom shorts through cutting, dyeing, and studding. This creative process allowed me to infuse uniqueness into my wardrobe. I also developed a deep connection to clothing passed down through the generations, often wearing pieces from my mom, grandmothers, or great-grandmothers. These garments not only held immense sentimental value to me personally, but were also crafted of such higher quality than their contemporary parallels being mass produced today.

I firmly believe in investing in your wardrobe, and that the clothes we wear should carry meaning matched with exceptional quality. This is where my products come into play. They are a testament to sleek decadence, opulence, texture, and craftsmanship that oozes rock and roll. To me, being “American Made” signifies more than just a production location – it symbolizes fair wages, a limited number of hands that have actually touched each product, and the hope that these items become treasured heirlooms passed down through generations.

I take pride in the legacy I’ve established in the fashion industry, particularly for having revolutionized the glam rock and roll cowboy hat. It’s an emblem of the fusion of tradition and innovation, and it speaks to the heart of what I stand for in the fashion world.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding my venture was made possible by a combination of personal savings and a stroke of serendipity. To bootstrap my business, I primarily used my personal savings as the foundational capital. This initial self-investment was a testament to my belief in the business concept and provided the means necessary to take those crucial first steps; such as creating samples for each product style, hosting photoshoots to generate assets for social media and website, building the online presence, a website, etc.etc.etc.

At the time, I was still fully engaged in the film industry, juggling between costume design and working as a production assistant on various sets. It was during one such production, “King Richard,” that my stroke of luck came into play. On this set, the beloved tradition of the “bucket” was an end-of-week ritual, where PAs would exchange raffle tickets for money contributed by crew members. The accumulated sum would be raffled off at the end of the workday.

What made this experience truly remarkable was the involvement of the one and only Will Smith, who brought an extraordinary level of generosity to the set tradition in our final month of filming, gifting extravagant prizes like Pelotons, The Mirror, all-inclusive vacations, the list goes on. On the last day of filming, the excitement reached its peak when he announced that he would double the $2,500 bucket, and give $5,000 to five lucky individuals. After the 5th person, our fresh prince said what the hell, how about one more. Well that 6th person was me! Talk about a Lucky Strike ;)

Will Smith’s incredible generosity, especially in the aftermath of the challenges faced by the film industry due to the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, was deeply inspiring. It encouraged me to take the leap of faith and fully commit to my entrepreneurial endeavor. The $5,000 windfall I received provided me the financial flexibility to invest in marketing, propelling my business to meaningful new heights.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ve been fortunate to come from a family of entrepreneurs. I draw inspiration from the experiences and talents of my parents and sister as they have been my lifelong mentors, guiding me on this journey. I’ve been deeply influenced by their practical wisdom and the tangible examples of their success.

My mom, with her interior design business and storefront, PortaBella Interiors, provided me with a daily education in aesthetics and style. I spent countless afternoons after school in her shop, surrounded by her unique taste. This environment ignited my passion for textures, patterns, and art. Observing her transform a storyboard into a stunning model home with grace and style left an indelible mark on my approach to design and creativity.

My dad, a lawyer with his own practice, displayed his entrepreneurial spirit by investing time in writing scripts and producing indie movies in his commercial warehouse property, River Road Exchange. This multifaceted approach to business and creativity instilled in me the importance of versatility and the power of combining diverse interests.

My sister’s journey was equally motivating. She opened a wedding venue, The Willow Ballroom, in the same commercial property years later and has since added real estate and event planning to her repertoire. Her entrepreneurial endeavors have reinforced the idea that you can continually evolve and adapt to different ventures, provided you’re passionate and dedicated.

With this lineage of entrepreneurs as my support system, I’ve always felt certain that I could reach my highest potential. I’m fueled by an insatiable hunger for success and am more than willing to invest the extra hours to chase this dream. I’ve learned not to fear taking risks because when one door closes a window appears. It’s a unique form of mentorship that has profoundly impacted my entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy, more so than any specific external resources. It’s a reminder that, sometimes, the best guidance comes from the people who believe in you the most.

Jump and the net will appear.

Contact Info:

• Website: thewaronsanity.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waronsanity/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WARONSANITY
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexiwhaley/
• Other: shopzandria.com

Image Credits
*The nun photo was taken by Tati Bruening @ illumitati *Girls in photo on runway from L to R are Lexy LaRossa, Lexi Whaley, Ninah Turner