Mission Denim

Kickstarter has been good for jeans. Parke, Gustin and Orijeans are just a few of the recent brands who've benefitted from launching though the crowd-funding site. But just because there's a surge of selvedge online these days doesn't mean they're all the same. Mission Denim is one of the latest upstarts to catch our eye. The four person team, based in New York, is crafting their jeans the old fashioned way—using vintage machines—but with updated fits. With more than a month left on the campaign, they've already received double their goal, so we caught up with co-founder Scott Goldscher to learn more.

The slim fit has a more modern, narrow fit in the thigh and a tapered leg opening.

What made you want to
launch Mission?

First and foremost, we were customers and denim enthusiasts ourselves. Jeans are a truly universal garment—there's something special about the perfect pair, and they're one of the few items that truly gets better with age. We started the brand because we weren't satisfied by the jeans we saw on the market. We were tired of having to pay upwards of $200 for the premium branded jeans that we found were over-priced, low-quality and produced overseas with a lack of attention to detail.

What would you say separates Mission from the handful of other denim start-ups?

The quality and authenticity of denim from a different era. We were inspired by the heritage of the classic American blue jean and found inspiration in a vintage pair of World War II-era, American-made jeans. The goal was to restore that level of quality and craftsmanship. We obsess over the details—from the vintage machines and production methods to the materials. We handcraft the jeans here in the States, sourcing only the best selvedge denim fabrics, starting with the Cone Mills White Oak plant in North Carolina. If you take the time to break-in a pair of our selvedge denim, you will be rewarded with an exceptional pair of long-lasting jeans that's personalized to you.

Those vintage machines ... Is it as hard to get your hands on them as it seems?

Yes. And hard is probably an understatement. For example, some of the older Union Special models are exceptionally rare to find. They're no longer being produced, so there's a limited number of them available that still work well. And you can only obtain one by finding an existing owner who no longer needs it. While many of the leading apparel brands were shutting down local factories and moving production overseas, we were able to reach out to repurchase and revive many of their old machines. Not only that, but we met a lot of great people along the way including highly-talented sewers, mechanics and pattern makers who not only helped us out, but inspired us and restored our faith in the quality of talent that still remains here.

The brand is donating 5% of their profits to charity through their non-profit arm, Mission Impact, which aims to provide clothing, shelter and other basic human necessities to communities in need.