TheDistinctLife.com

Distinct Life Dry Goods x Detroit Denim Company: Available Now.

rick — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:52:15 +0000

Distinct Life has gotten together with the Detroit Denim Company to create a pair of limited edition jeans as a part of the first offering of Distinct Life’s Dry Goods collection. The jeans were hand made in Michigan with Cone Mills white line selvedge denim. Features include a top button milled from a solid piece of copper and attached with a screw and contrasting pocket bags that reflect the Distinct Life corporate colors. Another notable detail is the Horween leather patch co-designed by Rick Williams and Frank The Butcher. These jeans are available now in very limited quantities at Boylston Trading Co.

Distinct Life Dry Goods (Collection 1): Available Now!

rick — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:31:32 +0000

Its been a long time coming but I am excited to let you know that the first collection of the Distinct Life Dry Goods is now available for purchase! The offering consists of two basic sweatshirts witch feature the signature Distinct Life embroidery and branding. Also, the collection features a collaboration with Detroit Denim Co. a Michigan company that prides itself on producing their products exclusively in the USA. These products are available now in the Distinct Life web-store and at Boylston Trading Co.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Detroit Denim Company: 1 on 1 w/ Eric Yelsma

rick — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:02:36 +0000

DISTINCT LIFE: When was Detroit Denim Established?

ERIC: Always been into denim. Mother was a home-economics teacher and I learned to sew at an early age. During high-school I was always modifying or altering my jeans. That’s when it started – over 20 years ago in the 80’s. Officially, Detroit Denim has been in business since 2008. It began as a personal challenge to get the best fitting and looking (men’s) jeans I could get that were 100% US-made. I wanted to oversee every part of the process. I contacted many people in and outside of the denim industry and did a ton of research to see how jeans were being made. I took notebooks full of notes and finally started with my first crude jean pattern in 2008 – following several current methods of jean making and developing a few of my own along the way. The actual Detroit Denim incorporation started in late 2009 with the LLC being granted in 2010.

DISTINCT LFIE: Is every component of DD produced in Detroit?

ERIC: Actually relatively few of the components are produced in Detroit. For example, denim is only still produced in just a few places in the US anymore – all of which is from the Southern States. The jeans are hand-made in Detroit, but most of the materials are from outside of Michigan. Every part of the jean is from the US, however. Here is a short list of where each component is from:

Copper buttons are from Connecticut
Main top copper button is machined from a local shop just outside of Detroit
Top-stitch jean thread is from North Carolina
Leather is from Chicago and is stamped in my shop.
The hand-hammered copper rivets are from various US sources
Cotton Selvedge denim is from Cone Mills in North Carolina.

DISTINCT LIFE: Where do you see DD in the next 5 yrs?

ERIC: That’s a good question. The primary objective of Detroit Denim is to make the absolute best jeans using domestic materials with the result being a jean that is extraordinary to its owner. This doesn’t come easily by today’s standards. Most people are used to buying far less expensive mass produced jeans made overseas with imported denim and produced with automated machinery. The goal for Detroit Denim is toward design aesthetic and quality over size and market share. That said, I hope to apply the same principles of aesthetic and quality toward a few denim-related accessories such as bags and belts to eventually expand the Detroit Denim product line. I envision DD will have its own downtown bricks & mortar store and factory within 5 years. I also see DD jeans being sold at select men’s clothing stores throughout the US.

DISTINCT LIFE: What do you hope someone gets out of purchasing a pair of your denim?

ERIC: I personally couldn’t be happier with the results of the final product. The jeans are dark and stiff when you first begin wearing them (as many jean enthusiasts would expect). No distressing or washing to ‘break-in’ the jean – that’s meant for the wearer to do. The fit is semi-slim and minimal. The copper rivets are hand hammered for strength and minimal profile. The top button is machined from a solid copper rod and attached with a machine screw. The stitching is tighter (thus stronger) than standard jeans. All of these details make a Detroit Denim jean that gets better each time it is worn. I would expect that someone buying a pair of Detroit Denim jeans would have the same experience.

DISTINCT LIFE: What was your main objective when creating this company?

ERIC: Make jeans that I would like to wear. With attention toward every detail questioning the material and manufacturing of every step. I figured there would be a few others that might feel the same way. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to make a jean that will please everyone, but then you end up disappointing the very people you are making jeans for. Also, it was important that the jeans be made locally. Detroit has given the world so much in terms of creativity, technology and design and I wanted to help continue that tradition. The people and resources here have been better than I expected.

DISTINCT LIFE: In regards to your close attention to detail can you take us through some of your favorite aspects of the Detroit Denim Co. for Distinct Life collaboration?

ERIC: We didn’t try to change the whole jean. Instead, we stuck with what has been working and made subtle yet distinct changes that you would notice only if you were wearing the jean or paying very close attention to the jean. The fit is the classic semi-slim fit versus the slim fit. The denim is a darker white-line selvedge 13.0 oz. from Cone Denim in North Carolina that is only being used for this collaboration. There are other subtle changes too. For example, all of the bar-tacking is green instead of the standard dark red. It compliments the white-line selvedge perfectly and adds a great balance to the jean. Also, we selected Horween leather for the limited edition back patch. You can really notice how nice the leather is. There are a few other unique changes too. The end result is an amazing jean.

Frank The Butcher x Nike Sportswear Destroyer

rick — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:57:30 +0000

My boy Frank had the opportunity to get down on a the coveted Nike Destroyer jacket and in my opinion this is one of the best ones I have seen. Check out what Frank had to say about the experience:

I am proud to present my Nike Destroyer jacket built at the Nike Sportswear / Stadium MFG shop in NYC. All patches and embroidery tie back to something personal. Homages include my wife, children and my brother who passed away in 2005. The chest features a “BAU” embroidery hit which stands for “Business as Usual”, while the back features the ‘Love Wolf’ graphic that is also a tattoo on my forearm.

A big thanks to Nike / Stadium MTG for the opportunity and a SPECIAL nod to Mike Cherman who helped me put this amazing varsity together.

All photos by: Billy Fischer / www.OHWRD.com

****** Side Note***** Check out the Distinct Life x Detroit Denim Co. Jeans Frank is rocking! #famshit

New Balance: Ballistic 501

rick — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:53:58 +0000

Normally I post about limited release product here on the Distinct Life however, these in-line 501′s are dope. These 501′s feature a ballistic nylon and suede make up rounded out by the always important gum bottom. Look for these to release during the third quarter of 2012.