IdleWilde Entrepreneurs Make an Imprint on Hartford

Connor Millican and partner Rachael Guzick have been tucked away in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood for 1.5 years. Out of their cozy space in the historic manufacturing neighborhood of Hartford, you’ll find the two working endlessly around the clock producing beautifully designed screen printed merchandise (like those awesome Chief Brody’s Banh Mi tees they printed as a collaboration with designer Jaime La Jones).

You may have recently spotted them in action when they brought out their portable screen printers and made our lovely Make Hartford Yours t-shirts at a couple of Hartford’s events.

The Journey into Screen Printing

Often times, many successful businesses are created in order to fill a void in the community. For IdleWilde, that void started with Connor’s own experiences.

In 2013 Connor’s band, Wise Old Moon, began playing out and they were looking for a small batch of quality merchandise. After looking around, he decided that we was just going to make the shirts himself, so he went out and purchased a DIY home screen printer kit. “One job lead to another and together we opened up our own shop to meet the demand” say the two entrepreneurs.

Today, they love having the ability to not only collaborate with creative people, but to create a physical identity for their unique brands.

Finding Home in Hartford

Connor and Rachael both grew up in the Hartford area, so Hartford always had roots for them. They decided to set up shop in the city because they knew there was (and is!) a lot of room and opportunity  for creatives like them to flourish. As soon as they settled in, they quickly began to see how incredibly supportive the community was.

“Sometimes it feels like there is a lack of support from the city as a whole, but on the start-up level, there are incredibly hardworking, determined, and passionate business owners” say Connor and Rachael.

In fact, many of IdleWilde’s customers are Hartford based companies. In Parkville specifically, they work with businesses like Hog River Brewing, Hartford Denim Company, Parkville Sounds, Pine and Iron, VASU, and Hands on Hartford.

And often times, they’ll find themselves hanging out at these places as well, such as Twang Tuesdays at Hog River, grabbing a bite at Tangier’s (yes!), Hall’s Market, Angelina’s … or strolling around Elizabeth and Pope park on the regular.

If IdleWilde Were a Person

We asked Connor and Rachael to describe IdleWilde as if it were a person. Expecting a comparison about an actor or an artist, they replied with an ever so fitting response…

“We often think “what would Pope do?” when making big decisions in our business. Albert Augustus Pope was an importer and manufacturer of bicycles here in Hartford starting in the late 1800s. He built a thriving community around manufacturing in Parkville and we’re inspired by his ingenuity and industriousness” the two say.

Where You Can Find IdleWilde

If you’re lucky enough, you may come across Connor and Rachael walking around in the park or grabbing falafel at Tangier’s. But if you want to cut right to the chase, you can find them at both of these upcoming Hartford-favorite events:

• Crafted Hartford on November 18th (you can see last years event details here)
• KNOW GOOD Holiday Bazaar on December 8th

OR, you can look for their upcoming online store, featuring their very own line of merchandise!