Article by Jessica Renstrom

Photos by Michelle F Photos 

Part runway show, part art installation and part cultural celebration, Coup de Rouge is an immersive experience unlike anything Montana has seen before. Three women who share a passion for the West and the remarkable talent found here created it, and in doing so, built a stage for Montana stories told through fashion, film and fine art. 

Bekah O'Shea, designer and co-founder of House of Cow Bella and Ride Free Montana; Karlee Gebhardt, owner of Rocky Mountain Agency; and Heidi Martincic, longtime industry veteran and owner of Paris Montana in Red Lodge, came together with a shared vision shortly after New York Fashion Week. "People just have this natural draw to the West," Karlee says. Despite Montana's deep well of local talent and growing outside interest, the state had nothing to match the caliber of events in New York or Miami. So they built one. 

The name itself tells part of the story. Coup de Rouge, meaning "the Strike of the Red," was conceived by Jovi Rosselott, granddaughter-in-law of internationally acclaimed Crow artist Kevin Red Star, honoring both Red Lodge's Indigenous roots and Red Star's legacy. 

The inaugural event in 2025 took place at 9,000 feet at Red Lodge Mountain, drawing more than 300 attendees. The goal, while the event itself resists easy description, is clear. "We hope you laugh and cry and walk away with something meaningful," Bekah says. The first Coup de Rouge delivered. One fourth-generation Montanan said, standing on that mountain, she understood its history for the first time. An Indigenous attendee said the event inspired her to explore her own culture more deeply. 

For 2026, Coup de Rouge moves to the Livingston Yellowstone Film Ranch, a historic ghost-town movie set, expanding to a full weekend, August 27-29. Thursday opens with an event at HOWL, the team's new creative hub in Livingston. Friday features community panels and a private dinner at Bella Farms. Saturday brings the main event: runway fashion, fine art, film and curated experiences woven throughout the ranch's rooms and spaces.  

Throughout the three-day event, many talented artists from across the West get the opportunity to share their work, voices, and stories. The founders are excited about the potential to share the talent of the West from both experienced and new artists alike, as Karlee explains: "There's now a platform here to give up-and-coming Western and Indigenous designers who are maybe students, still in school, a potential platform to show their artwork and their craft here locally." 

In line with its connection to and care for the West, Coup de Rouge is also donating a portion of proceeds to the cause of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP), a cause that found its way into the event organically through the work of designers and artists already using their work to raise awareness. 

Looking ahead, the team plans to use HOWL as a year-round platform, hosting featured artists and fashion shows beyond the annual Coup de Rouge. "The West is having a moment, and we're creating a stage for it,” explains Heidi. “We're offering this opportunity for it to unfold in real time.” 

Tickets and sponsorship information are available at coupderouge.com. Their Instagram offers the clearest window into what they're building within Montana's creative community. 

Originally printed in the July 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Never miss an issue, check out SLM's digital editions here!  

related articles: