The time has come for artisanal producers to take back the term
"premium" from the fakers that are making pants out of denim fabric and
not remaining true to the heritage of blue jeans.
State your name and occupation.
Tony Patella |
Co-Founder at Tellason
My friend Pete
Searson and I had been the apparel industry in many different forms for 20
years each and decided that we should do something of our own. Given my background in denim and his in
international sales, we figured the time was right.
First job?
My first job after
college was as a sales representative for Converse shoes in northern
California. This was back when the Chuck
Taylors and Jack Purcells were still made in Lumberton, North Carolina. A visit to the factory in Lumberton was an
eye-opening experience. I realized that
while the people making the product may not be passionate about the brand (some
were wearing Adidas shoes!), that preserving these types of jobs is vital to
our country/economy and that somehow, most Americans have become so caught up
in quantity over quality and price over provenance. Several years after I left Converse in 1994,
Nike bought the company, moved production to China, increased the price and
built the revenues to eight times what they were when they bought the company.
How did denim become a staple in
menswear?
The reasons are myriad:
durability, comfort and for me, the metamorphosis that denim undertakes
throughout its life. The wear patterns
(when starting with raw, double ring spun denim) tell the story of the wearer's
life.
Who is your style icon?
While I could never pull off some of the shit
he wears, my friend Brian Awitan at Imogene + Willie has great personal steez
that I admire. Somehow he makes a
neck-kerchief, Chuck Taylors, rigid denim and ponytails look cool.
What is your personal soundtrack for the summer?
Besides the incessant Clash, Jam and Ramones
playing in our studio year around, I'm really enjoying Japanther at the moment.
What is the process of crafting and creating a pair of jeans? Favorite style to wear?
The process is simple –
spend a silly amount of time developing a great fit, cut beautiful selvage
denim and and sew it with the best possible methods and machines and walk
away. I'm partial to our original fit –
our slim straight John Graham Mellor.
What’s your favorite indulgence?
Tacos de carnitas dorados
con todos at La Taqueria in San Francisco.
The finest use of swine on the planet (it kills me as an Italian to put
it above prosciutto, but it's true).
Describe your Americana icon.
Loeb Strauss.
Best phrase or word?
“It's all ball
bearings these days.”
What about yourself is reflected in the craftsmanship Tellason offers?
I'm a minimalist with OCD.
Beer, BBQ, or Brownies?
How about this:
beer, beer, BBQ, beer, beer, brownies...
( 1/2 owner // Tony Patella )
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