CEO Letter: Building the Future of Our Denim Community

I can’t wait to see you all in a few weeks in New York at Kingpins. There’s nothing quite like reconnecting with old friends. But some of my favorite moments also come from meeting the people who are brand new to this community. The ones just discovering denim, still figuring out where they fit.

Lately I keep thinking about those newcomers — the students, young designers, and denim lovers who are hungry to learn how jeans actually get made.

I’ve always believed it’s our responsibility to welcome new people into our denim community. Our China show this past May reminded me why. I found myself thinking about the emerging designers; the new businesses; and the people who love denim but haven’t built a career around it yet.

That’s who we’re really building this for.

We’ve always been deliberate about connecting directly with consumers, because the future of this industry isn’t only in mills and trade shows — it’s in the people who are just starting to discover what denim can be. Finding those people and pulling them into the fold is one of the things I care about most.

What we’re really after is a conversation, not a lecture. That’s the whole idea behind Denim Talks — nobody in the room has all the answers and that’s the point. The best ideas usually come from someone with decades of experience talking to someone who’s brand new and asking the “obvious” question nobody else thought to ask.

Denim has never stayed still — production shifts, new regions rise, and creative energy keeps popping up in places you wouldn’t expect. That’s exactly why our community has to stay wide open. Our strength isn’t in any one city or region — it’s in how many different corners of the world we bring into the same room.

I think about our consumers the same way. Today’s denim buyers know a lot — about how their jeans are made, where the fabric comes from, what sustainability actually looks like. So instead of explaining things to them, I’d rather we just invite them in. Treat them like the informed, curious people they are, and let the conversation go both ways.

We say we want engaged consumers. I think that starts with how genuinely we engage first.

Since Hangzhou, I’ve been on the road — meeting mills, makers, and artisans, soaking up everything I can about how denim is made, dyed, finished, and worn. There’s so much knowledge out there waiting to be passed down.

And that’s really what New York is about for me. For me, it is a place where old friends, new faces, students, brands, makers, and innovators all come together. That’s what makes Kingpins special. It’s a community that’s always learning, always evolving, and always making room for the next generation. 

Kingpins has never been just about doing business. It’s about building a community where knowledge is shared, relationships are built, and every generation has a place.

See you in New York.