I will always remember the day I met Mike & Dave Stampler at the Norman Porter studio in Philadelphia and they walked me through painstaking process of how they make their jeans. Sweating every detail, the immaculate sewing, reinforcing, bar-tacking, hand-hammering rivets, and the chunkiest (10 oz indigo chambray), cleanest pocket bags this side of anywhere. I’ve been in menswear for a long-ass time, so I’ve been to the rodeo before… I said, “So, you know you guys are totally over-engineering this thing, right?” Mike just stares at me and says, “Yes.” Me, “I fucking love it.” This is how you make a jean. Like a boss. #sorrynotsorry
No detail was overlooked, no corners cut. This collaboration is one that I’m stoked and honored to be a part of. Some of Philly’s best artists stepped up to add their mastery, driven to do something cool just out of kindness. Mike Ski of True Hand Society Tattoos & Design in Fishtown drew and tattooed each leather patch by hand. He nailed the marriage of the TSY lightning bolt logo with Norman Porter’s snake, in my opinion. Jessie Jay (also of THS) jumped in to design the pocket bags for us that Pink Bike Ralph printed. It’s pretty cool how everyone was so humble and just came together to quietly celebrate the spirit and camaraderie of Philly design, craft & quality. It was an awesome thing to see everyone come together…for a jean. We are only making 13 pairs of these beauties… And when they’re gone, they are gone.