West
Mr. & Mr.
WHERE LOVE IS, CREATIVE MAGIC FLOWS....
Once upon a time....
A modern love story through art, identity, and intention.
There were two young artists, Cody West and Dennis Henderson.
For Cody, drawing and stepping behind the camera came naturally. From an early age, he dreamed of making Hollywood-style films inspired by the imagination and storytelling of Steven Spielberg.
Dennis with an eye for design, and personal style, dreamed of becoming a famous fashion designer, inspired by icons like Giovanni Versace. ​Even then there were signs, both voted Best Dressed in high school, a quiet indication of what was to come.​​​​
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Two Paths, One Direction
Before the brand, there were two young dreamers.
​They grew up far apart. Cody in Bellevue, a small farming village in mid-Michigan. Dennis, 200 miles southeast as the flamingo
flies, just over the southern tip of Lake Erie in
Fairview Park,Ohio.
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But nothing, not even distance could stop their love for one another.​ Two different worlds. And yet, somehow, already connected.​
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Where It All Began
The early internet. A chance connection. A story already unfolding.
Our story begins 22 years ago, just before the summer of 2004, a time when a love like ours wasn't yet recognized in marriage.
​
Pop culture was having a moment: Paris and Nicole were living The Simple Life, Beyonce was getting her first solo Grammy, and Regina George was ruling in theaters,
so fetch.
And somewhere in the Wild West of the early internet, we found each other. ​
On one of the first
dating websites,
Facethejury.com,
profiles were
rated on a scale of
1 to 10. In that era,
anything below a
6 was considered "undesirable."
​Somehow, we beat the odds.
​
What started as messages became
late-night phone calls. Days
turned into months. Before we
ever met, we became best friends.​​
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The First Adventure
The moment that everything became real.
And then we met.​ It was love at first sight.​
That summer, we traveled, explored, and stepped into something that felt both new, and ment to be.
​
One of our first adventures took us to Cedar Point, riding roller coasters, chasing adrenaline, and laughing the kind of laugh that only comes from knowing you've found your person.​​​
We began building something neither of us had ever experienced before. It was just the beginning.
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Creating Home
Where love became life.
In the fall of 2004, we began college and a new chapter together. There were U-hauls, long days in class, and the quiet excitement of building something of our own.
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We found our people. Stepping into the world of luxury retail with Saks Fifth Avenue. Working with other people who, like us, were drawn to the craftsmanship behind designer garments.
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​We also found our space, our first apartment became more than a place to live, it became a home.
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Not long after, we welcomed our princess: Miss Juicy Anastasia Beaverhausen Western Couture. Rescued from a shelter, she brought warmth, personality, and a kind of joy that fill every corner of our lives.
​
For 18 beautiful years, she was part of everything. She loved cozy places, warm sunshine, and without question, being the center of attention.
This space is, in part, hers. She made sure of it, often interrupting its creation for a well-deserved pet. Long live the Queen.
​​​
Becoming
Individually driven, Creatively aligned.
As the years unfolded, so did our paths.
Dennis pursued fashion, graduating from the University of Akron with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Merchandising. After graduating, we both were selected to open a new prototype store for Saks Fifth Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Cody later graduated with honors from Northern Kentucky University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, refining a voice that would help shape the stories we tell today.
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Together, we built not only careers side-by-side, but a shared creative vision.
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#LOVETHECOV
Where We Found Our Rhythm
Covington, Kentucky - where history meets creation.
Now rooted in Covington, Kentucky, a place where history isn't distant, it surrounds you.
​
The spirit of German craftsmanship lives on here, in the details, in the care, in the work.​
​
The John A. Roebling
Suspension Bridge
stretches across
the river, a lasting
icon, and the
prototype for the
Brooklyn Bridge.
​
Across it, Cincinnati,
home of the Reds,
the first professional
baseball team.
A place of beginnings.
Of legacy.
Of tradition.
​
And for us, a place where our creativity found its rhythm.​​
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MR. & Mr. West
A moment once impossible, made real.
A promise fulfilled. On April 22, 2016, Earth Day, we became officially Mr. & Mr. West.
​
Married in Covington, at the Magic Shop, in a moment that once felt impossible, now entirely our own.
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Seen & Celebrated
Creativity shared on a larger stage.
Our work began reaching wider audiences, leading to recognition as Macy's Lifestyle Influencer of the Year.
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An opportunity to merge style, storytelling, and connection.
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A World of Our Own
Where creativity lives.
On April 22, 2022, in honor of our 18th anniversary and Earth Day, we launched mrandmrwest.com into the world and digital space.
"A space to share our creative magic."
Bridging the Gap
Conversations that matter.
Our journey has always been about connection, it's at the center of what we do.
We joined “The Dating Doctor,” David Coleman, to share the story behind Mr. & Mr. West—a creative partnership build on resilience, trust, and a shared purpose.
The Mr. & Mr. West Show
Creativity, connection, and calm.
A heart-centered series for the inner child, hosted by Cody and Dennis.
Blending creativity and connection, each episode invites viewers to slow down, breathe, and tune in to themselves.
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Inspired by the warmth of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and the calming creativity of The Joy of Painting, the show creates space for imagination, expression and for being.
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Why We Create
Art, at its core, is connection.
Art has always been personal for us, held close, created with care, a reflection of something within.
​
We weren’t always certain it was meant to be shared.
Until a quiet influence, artist Elaine York McGue, reminded us that art lives fully
when it connects us.
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We listened, we let go, with intention.
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And in doing so, we began creating together. Not just as individuals, but as a unified voice, building something that reaches beyond ourselves.
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The Flamingo
A symbol of confidence, identity, and love.
The flamingo became our symbol by design.
​A timeless emblem of love, beauty, and effortless allure, its bold pink represents confidence and self-expression.
​
For Cody, it carries something deeper.
​
Growing up in a home that celebrated individuality, pink wasn't questioned, it was embraced. His father, inspired by life in Florida, brought that same spirit north, filling their yard in Bellevue with flamingos as a sign of a home that was open, vibrant, and entirely itself.
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​Playful. Meaningful. Iconic.
The flamingo perfectly embodies the spirit of Mr. & Mr. West. For us, it's more than a symbol, its home.
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In Service of Something Greater
Using our voice with purpose.
Our work extends beyond creation, it exists in service of something greater. From moments of remembrance to movements for change.
​
March for Our Lives
Cincinnati, Ohio | 2018
In honor.
In remembrance.
​
Holding space for the lives lost and the stories that deserve to be remembered.
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Pride & Joy
Visibility is power.
Diversity defines us.
It shapes our perspective, our presence, our art.
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Our story is one of resilience, of becoming, of visibility, of truth.​ We create with intention. We honor individuality. We believe in the power of being seen.
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This is more than expression.
it is a reflection of a world where love is visible and celebrated.
With Gratitude
None of this exists without you.
​
To those who believed in us,
supported the vision,
who helped bring this dream to life,
​
thank you.​
With love,​​
Cody & Dennis
