I don’t know about you, but when I was a freshman in high school my main concerns were finding a date to homecoming, making the JV cross country team, and passing my learner’s permit test. Will Berman, the founder of accessory line, Unwashed Denim, contends with headaches like sourcing denim from Japan, sewing all of his products by hand, and shipping orders all over the globe on top of his typical teenage existence.
At fifteen years old, this precocious New Yorker may very well be the youngest man working in denim today (in the United States, at least). A la Chaz Tennenbaum, Will started Unwashed Denim — his self-designed and crafted denim accessories label — out of his bedroom last year. But don’t expect a pair of jeans out of him:
“There are already so many denim brands out there that do slightly different variations of the same exact thing (not saying they don’t do it well, because they do).” He explained in an email. “My goal is to steer clear of jeans and utilize that same great fabric on other commonly used goods.”
Will truly takes our One Man Brand idea to heart, performing every single aspect of his company from the stitching to the shipping. He admits he’s taken notes from the best, “My inspiration to start my own brand was, in large part, Roy Slaper [of Roy Jeans].
“I loved the whole idea that everything was done by him, in one workshop, with the highest quality materials and the highest quality craftsmanship. I try to model my ‘workshop’ (which currently doubles as Will’s bedroom) after his.”
Where the magic happens
So far, he’s come up with two flavors of an iPhone sleeve and a riveted keychain in the style of a jean selvedge strip. All of which are made by hand (his hands) out of sanforized 14.5 oz Japanese Raw Selvedge. But that’s far from where he’ll stop, Will’s got plans in the works for a tote, iPad sleeve, wallet, and a backpack.
Riveted selvedge keychain
iPhone sleeve
Will’s prototype wallet design
Keep your eye on Berman and Unwashed Denim, who knows how big he’ll be by the time he gets to college! For more information and a look at Unwashed Denim‘s wares, head on over to the official website.
