Kicking off a series of books I've found inspiring or interesting over the years....
The first in the series is Sōetsu Yanagi's, The Unknown Craftsman: A Japanese Insight into Beauty. Yanagi was a philosopher, active in the early to mid twentieth century, with a focus on Japanese and Korean folk crafts, in particular pottery. He wrote about the beauty and qualities of everyday utility items that had a human connection. Though not relatable in a literal sense to making pants in a modern-day NYC, I find many of the ideals worth pursuing. One of the main ideas that stuck with me is making the best possible objects you can with a commitment to utility, for the sake of itself and its user, rather than for praise or external rewards.
Obviously we don't create folk craft objects, and rely heavily on machines and others to bring our products to life. But we do always come back to the question and related principles of: How can we make a thing that will be useful, provide enjoyment and be a daily tool for others? For us that thing is pants. Which probably sounds a little funny, but our background is in clothing. We also prefer to focus on one thing because we have limited time and resources and really want to get it right.
When you strip away all the marketing hype, I think a great product comes down to how well it's made, how it was made, its usefulness and personal aesthetic appeal. These are the things we try to spend our time improving on, realizing it's a journey rather than a destination. We don't make pieces that shout for attention; we try to make useful, timeless clothing that quietly does its job day after day.
