These days, being an artist isn’t really enough.  Innovation is essential in these turbulent times, not just for the sake of creating new and interesting fashion, but also for the future of our planet. As the global environment changes, we are faced with a myriad of resource and production challenges that will mandate a movement to fully sustainable practices and to a culture that fosters environmental awareness, not mass consumption and waste.  As a career outdoorsman, the environment has an even deeper meaning to me and it was the initial inspiration behind my collection and to my stance of doing “no further harm” as part of my core design philosophy. Such things as organic fabrics, natural dyes, recycled materials, quality construction, ethical practices, local production and local sourcing are all elements found in this collection and in every collection I do.  

This collection is called “When I grow up...A School Boy Fantasy.”  There is inspiration from all parts of my life and loves, but at the core of it is the idea of never growing up and maintaining your youthfulness and joy, regardless of age.  My collection takes elements of all the above including sustainability and vintage military denim (my USMC service and family military service a key contributor here) and combines them with school boy uniforms and fetish wear (I’m a gay man living in San Francisco.  I couldn’t help myself here).  I have sourced organic, natural indigo dyed and recycled cotton denim, am using recycled bicycle inner tubes (I am an avid cyclist and manage a bike shop) and am doing my own natural indigo dying.  Surface treatments involve the use of hand sanders (something my father used every day as a painter) and sculpted rubber and distressing that are designed with the male form in mind.

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My design aesthetic for this collection, and all others, is inspired by the male form.  I truly appreciate the male body and look for innovative ways that celebrate the form.  As a result, there is always a sexiness in my designs, whether subtle or overt.  There also tends to be a vintage feel to my collection; often either WW2 era or the 1970’s.  I am very inspired by heritage and history and feel that modern fashion is a way of acknowledging our past and honoring it.  Finally, coming from a working class family, I will always feel a connection to working class clothing.  At the core of this, is a love for denim and specifically historical denim.