Dylan & Outback Drover Co:
Built for the Bush, Drawn from the Heart
ARTICLE BY TIFFANY CHAPMAN
Outback Drover Co may be one of the fastest rising names in rodeo and station gear, and at the heart of it all is Dylan; a hard-working larrikin and talented artist whose focus is on building something that celebrates the people and the lifestyle he loves.
“It’s a community, I’m just the base of it. I want people to feel like they’re part of it.”
That mindset has been there from the very beginning. In 2023 Dylan launched Outback Drover Co with little more than a sketchpad, a stockman’s work ethic, and a belief that the gear should reflect the people who wear it. Everything from the horse and cow logo to the intricate patterns have been hand-drawn by him. Each piece is inspired by a memory, a moment, or someone he has met along the way.
Those drawings have grown into some of the Drover’s most recognisable designs. There is the bucking horse taken from a photo of one of Dylan’s own rides, the bull rider captured mid-spin that happens to be a close mate, and an entire collection of Australia’s floral emblems turned into shirt patterns. Every design has a story and those stories keep the brand tied to its roots.
The growth of Outback Drover Co has come through people rather than big-budget marketing. Station photographer Jaz Stewart helped out with early shoot and rodeo legend and mentor Glen Kent has offered guidance from the start, helping Dylan shape the business with his knowledge of the sport.
Dylan’s hilarious social media posts, often featuring him battered, bruised, or fresh from some kind of wreck, with the focus on how the clothes are “tough” and “actually tested” in the most literal way possible. Then there is a new generation of riders like 15-year-old barrel racer and women’s ranch bronc competitor Hannah Innes, who Dylan recently brought on as a sponsored rider and who already has a big future ahead.
Dylan’s larrikin spirit is never far from the surface. After a bronc ride ended with a broken arm and two metal plates, his first reaction was not about the injury. “There was a hoof print right across the shirt,” he recalls with a grin. “I looked at the boys and said, this is going to make one hell of an advert.”
From selling out the very first release in just one week to preparing a bigger than ever women’s workwear range later this year, Outback Drover Co is proof that authenticity still matters. Built for Australian stockmen and women, and shaped by the community that wears it, the Drover is more than just a clothing label. It is a shared story and it belongs to everyone who pulls on a piece of its gear.