Pace Jeans – From Sweden to America And Back Again

Drawing inspiration from one man’s journey half way around the globe during the 1900s, Pace Jeans was founded in 2003 by husband and wife duo, Klas and Cecilia Erixon. As the story is recounted by the Swedish brand, Klas’ grandfather, Erik Erixon, emigrated to America at the beginning of the century to embark upon his gold mining dreams and take advantage of the booming times.

After spending several hard years in the Telluride, Colorado mines alongside his brother, Erik returned home and settled into his new life with his future wife, Anna. Together they had ten children, one of whom, Klas’ father, developed a deep interest in clothing and  eventually opened his own shop that that imported – you guessed it – jeans from the USA.

Pace Jeans Detailing

As luck would have it, Pace Jeans‘ co-founder, Klas, shared his father’s passion in denim and grandfather’s sense of adventure and interest in America. Given his family history and how drawn he was to denim, it was only a matter of time before Klas dipped his toe in the indigo world. Thus fourteen years ago, Klas and his wife, Cecilia, took the plunge and kick started their label, Pace Jeans.

Although their collection does include some washed options, the bulk of their lineup is raw selvedge and workwear-oriented. Their bellwether and standout piece is the Limited Edition Neustandter Brothers Pant MAH001 – a pair of jeans inspired by grandpa Erixon’s gold mining days and equipped with a watch pocket, traditional cinch, suspender buttons and other turn of the century detailing.

Pace Jeans Limited Edition Neustandter Brothers Pant MAH001

Pace Jeans Limited Edition Neustandter Brothers Pant MAH001

Cinch - Pace Jeans Limited Edition Neustandter Brothers Pant MAH001

Cinch and suspender button detailing

To gain an even stronger understanding of the brand, we caught up with co-founder, Klas Erixon, and learned more about his background, motivations, and future plans for Pace Jeans.

Heddels: In addition to early 19th century workwear, what relation does Pace Jeans hold with hot rods and old timer motorcycles?

Klas Erixon: I bought my first car in 1979 when I was 19, a nice Mercury 1956 Montclair. Cruising up and down the streets of a small town in Sweden, I felt as if I was in the movie, American Graffiti. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to own more than 30 hot rods and motorcycles and I’m now building a 40’s style 1934 Ford tudor with flathead and 5-speed gear box. Our company car is a 1955 Chevy Stepside and I just sold my old Harley that I had for the last 20 years. Plain and simple, I have been as passionate about cars as I have about denim.

RD: At a glance, tell us about some of your denim’s specs and collection.

KE: Our denim is sourced from Japan, manufactured in Italy, and weighs a standard 13 Oz. – 14 Oz. Our premium line is updated from the 1950’s for today’s use and is called the PX 04. It has a tapered fit with roomy back pockets. We also have the P-042 tapered fit, which offers washes developed from our own used raw denim.

RD: What country’s is Pace offered in today? Do you have plans of expansion?

KE: Today our main market is Europe. Online we sell to Asia and USA.We want to expand global in stores where we can have a friendly long lasting relation and sharing ideas about the world of denim.

RD: Have you collaborated with any other companies or brands and/or do you have any co-produced projects in the works?

KE: We have collaborated with numerous companies and artists since our launch in 2003. Two season ago we worked with Michael Harries from California to produce a pair of limited edition, reproduction denim pants from 1870-1890.

RD: Where do you see Pace heading next?

KE: We’ve been around for 10 years and stayed true to our original styles and fits. We now want to expand into new premium articles and offer new products that are modern for today’s use but still have the old history of denim. We intend to include more unique qualities and detailing including leather, customization, etc.

If you’d like to learn more about Pace Jeans, visit their website.