Interview With Chris Macchiaverno of Guns And Money
Nov 24, 2014 15:03:47 GMT -6
Winterland, stinky, and 8 more like this
Post by ickes on Nov 24, 2014 15:03:47 GMT -6
Mr Chris Machiaverno & his brother, Jesse, have had hands-on experience and impact with almost every facet of the US denim industry. The Machiaverno brothers' mutual sense of enterprise and invention gave birth to Guns and Money. The brand expressed their personal passions for more-tailored, modern looks at traditional workwear and featured the best fabrics the world could supply to do the job... on top of phenomenal detailing & construction.
Even the Machiaverno brothers, whose involvements with & contributions to the denim industry were massive, found that they were not spared the barbs of negativity that plague every community. However, the pure quality, creativity and innovation of the proudly US Made brand Guns and Money rapidly found many admirers, forged some rabid fans and carved out a niche in the never ending story of US (& world) denim.
This forum and its community wish to express our huge thanks to Mr. Chris Machiaverno for his great generosity in visiting our community and enriching us with his AWESOME interview!!!
Admin: Winterland, Mods: Ickes & Old26.
1. Albert Einstein once said,” Imagination is more important than knowledge”. Your own very formidable knowledge has, of course, contributed to the G&M range but your clothes & accessories also show remarkable innovations that must’ve been born via imagination. Do you agree w/ Einstein’s take?
Absolutely, knowledge is the most valuable of currencies, but of what use is knowledge without action? Imagination, or creativity, is what drives us, not knowledge. Imagination knows no bounds, and the culmination of our knowledge is able to express itself through our imagination. Imagination allows us to make knowledge an action. That, of course, is only if we take the thoughts that exist in our inner-selves and express them with the outside world.
2. I have never seen such brilliant over-engineering in a pair of jeans as in G&M 22oz moleskins (the brand’s first non-denim jeans). When I look at a pair of G&M jeans I wonder why all companies don’t do reverse chain-stitch which locates the chain-stitch externally on the jeans (& not hidden under cuffs, hems, seams etc) so that this stitch is visible without cuffing. Beautiful. And clam-shell stitch …this stitchwork is a signature feature of your work. You must feel great pride in having not only resurrected so many of the old Union Special sewing machines but also in the fact that their unique capabilities are referenced in the amazing detailing of your US heritage-inspired workwear . For those who love your work, are you contemplating returning to the industry at some stage?
We are currently making the shift from men’s to women’s denim. With men’s clothing we have always had the struggle of balancing creativity and innovation with tradition, to the point where ‘tradition’ felt like something that was bogging us down. For those that love the history of denim there are plenty of companies that make great traditional raw denim, that is simply not our niche. Women’s fashion allows us to be creative in ways that the men’s market simply will not. As to whether or not we will return to the men’s market, we haven’t ruled it out, but it will certainly be some time before anyone sees us making menswear again.
3. Some of your techniques for treating denim were intensive and involved using very specific agents/products. For example, your 13.5 oz Cone waxed denim required you to evenly hand brush on 1 pound of Scottish wax to the fabric…amazing! You have also experimented with overdyed indigo denim and bull denim as well as waxed & coated denims. Which techniques offered the best prospects for development, or were the most interesting for you?
Overdyed denim is something we both really like. It gives the denim a unique look and feel, and also gave us a lot of room for experimentation. With one color of dye, just by using different denims we could achieve quite an array of looks and with all the different types of dyes and dyeing processes the possibilities are endless. As far as our most interesting technique, we had experimented with ceramic coated denims that had a really unique texture and look, but we never took them past the prototype stage.
4. Your range of non-denim jeans featured some of the finest fabrics on the planet such as Irish linen, worsted wools, wool-cashmere blends, & wool-linen blends. Which particular fabrics did you feel had the greatest attributes…or, which did you find the most interesting?
The moleskin jeans for us represented a great compliment to denim jeans. Moleskin was traditionally a work-wear fabric, and even with its soft, napped topside it is extremely durable. It was a different fabric from denim but didn’t detract from the inherent durability and workwear beginnings of the jean itself. As far as a favorite fabric, the woven cashmeres from the UK were simply amazing.
6. Global fabric sourcing, industrial machine operation & maintenance, designing and pattern making. Every pair of G&M jeans were handmade by you & your brother, Jesse. Your brother did the cutting & sewing while you worked on the machines, other details and the biz side. You two did it all – incredible – and I know you’re very pro-Made in America. So Chris, do you have thoughts on the current state of the industry (w/ new biz models such as crowd-sourcing etc) & do you have any words of advice for guys like Roman (of Lawless, who're entering the gladiator pit that is the production process & the market etc)?
I think the denim industry is entering a unique time period. Within the past few years the denim market has become very crowded with new entrants with not a lot of differentiation. I think to be successful in the denim industry now one needs to find their own perspective that they work from. I know it might upset a lot of the old school denimheads that are in love with the ‘tradition’ of denim, but this ‘tradition’, one of the most overused buzzwords in the denim industry, is crippling to new entrants. To be honest I have a hard time seeing the difference between ‘tradition’ and stagnation. I think designing from your own unique perspective will be a tougher road in the onset but I think it is the only way to establish not only a viable company, but an authentic identity.
7. What are your predictions &/or desires for the future of the industry? Do you think that US Made is closing the gap w/ Japan etc?
I wouldn’t say that US made denim is closing the gap with Japanese jeans, but only because I don’t think that is the best way to look at what is going on. The wave of new denim companies from the US is changing the way people look at denim and as a whole is making quality denim more accessible to the broader fashion market. While no one can deny that Japan is home to many quality denim makers, the US makers are doing more to move the denim industry forward. I know a lot of denimheads are averse to any sort of change or break from tradition when it comes to jeans, but the denim industry is so saturated with companies making jeans that adhere to ‘tradition’ that there is no more room for it.
I think that underlying the adherence to ‘tradition’ is a suppression of creativity. There is a noticeable gap between the more mainstream fashion industry and denim industry and my hope is that in the future the denim industry will be more accepting of ‘fashion’ and embrace the underlying creativity that the fashion market fosters. A lot of denimheads dismiss fashion companies as producers of low quality, overpriced garments sold to the ‘uninformed’, but I think they miss what the fashion industry has that is absent in the denim industry: a passion for creativity.
9. Who are your personal heroes/inspirations &/or the most interesting & inspirational philosophies you’ve encountered…that delivered you to the creativity and innovation of the G&M Project?
I find it funny, from the time we are children we are taught to look up to people who inspire us, to have role models, seek mentors, and I have grown to think this is misguided. I think we can certainly look to others who have done great things and think “I have respect for that person” but I think that the person we need to look up to is our self. That philosophy has shaped not only our endeavors with G&M but everything we do. I have always loved this quote from Chuang Tsu’s Inner Chapters, “I sit quietly and forget”. I think that is the driving force not only of our creativity but all creativity and innovation. When we ‘forget’, we put aside all that we know, all that we have been told, all that we have seen, and are left with only ourselves, and it is from our innermost selves that we should work. I don’t mean to get all philosophical but I think anyone in the arts or fashion will understand what I am getting at.
Special Thanks to highlights for coordinating this interview and putting it all together. It would never have happened without him.
Pics:
www.tumblr.com/search/guns%20&%20money%20jeans
www.pinterest.com/pin/300052393893762420/
Further Reading:
www.denimhunters.com/2013/06/guns-money/
www.metazashi.com/about-us/
www.denimhunters.com/author/metazashi/
www.denimhunters.com › Denim Wiki › How It's Made
Read more: gustinfriends.proboards.com/conversation/408#ixzz3K1QCdOG4
Even the Machiaverno brothers, whose involvements with & contributions to the denim industry were massive, found that they were not spared the barbs of negativity that plague every community. However, the pure quality, creativity and innovation of the proudly US Made brand Guns and Money rapidly found many admirers, forged some rabid fans and carved out a niche in the never ending story of US (& world) denim.
This forum and its community wish to express our huge thanks to Mr. Chris Machiaverno for his great generosity in visiting our community and enriching us with his AWESOME interview!!!
Admin: Winterland, Mods: Ickes & Old26.
1. Albert Einstein once said,” Imagination is more important than knowledge”. Your own very formidable knowledge has, of course, contributed to the G&M range but your clothes & accessories also show remarkable innovations that must’ve been born via imagination. Do you agree w/ Einstein’s take?
Absolutely, knowledge is the most valuable of currencies, but of what use is knowledge without action? Imagination, or creativity, is what drives us, not knowledge. Imagination knows no bounds, and the culmination of our knowledge is able to express itself through our imagination. Imagination allows us to make knowledge an action. That, of course, is only if we take the thoughts that exist in our inner-selves and express them with the outside world.
2. I have never seen such brilliant over-engineering in a pair of jeans as in G&M 22oz moleskins (the brand’s first non-denim jeans). When I look at a pair of G&M jeans I wonder why all companies don’t do reverse chain-stitch which locates the chain-stitch externally on the jeans (& not hidden under cuffs, hems, seams etc) so that this stitch is visible without cuffing. Beautiful. And clam-shell stitch …this stitchwork is a signature feature of your work. You must feel great pride in having not only resurrected so many of the old Union Special sewing machines but also in the fact that their unique capabilities are referenced in the amazing detailing of your US heritage-inspired workwear . For those who love your work, are you contemplating returning to the industry at some stage?
We are currently making the shift from men’s to women’s denim. With men’s clothing we have always had the struggle of balancing creativity and innovation with tradition, to the point where ‘tradition’ felt like something that was bogging us down. For those that love the history of denim there are plenty of companies that make great traditional raw denim, that is simply not our niche. Women’s fashion allows us to be creative in ways that the men’s market simply will not. As to whether or not we will return to the men’s market, we haven’t ruled it out, but it will certainly be some time before anyone sees us making menswear again.
3. Some of your techniques for treating denim were intensive and involved using very specific agents/products. For example, your 13.5 oz Cone waxed denim required you to evenly hand brush on 1 pound of Scottish wax to the fabric…amazing! You have also experimented with overdyed indigo denim and bull denim as well as waxed & coated denims. Which techniques offered the best prospects for development, or were the most interesting for you?
Overdyed denim is something we both really like. It gives the denim a unique look and feel, and also gave us a lot of room for experimentation. With one color of dye, just by using different denims we could achieve quite an array of looks and with all the different types of dyes and dyeing processes the possibilities are endless. As far as our most interesting technique, we had experimented with ceramic coated denims that had a really unique texture and look, but we never took them past the prototype stage.
4. Your range of non-denim jeans featured some of the finest fabrics on the planet such as Irish linen, worsted wools, wool-cashmere blends, & wool-linen blends. Which particular fabrics did you feel had the greatest attributes…or, which did you find the most interesting?
The moleskin jeans for us represented a great compliment to denim jeans. Moleskin was traditionally a work-wear fabric, and even with its soft, napped topside it is extremely durable. It was a different fabric from denim but didn’t detract from the inherent durability and workwear beginnings of the jean itself. As far as a favorite fabric, the woven cashmeres from the UK were simply amazing.
6. Global fabric sourcing, industrial machine operation & maintenance, designing and pattern making. Every pair of G&M jeans were handmade by you & your brother, Jesse. Your brother did the cutting & sewing while you worked on the machines, other details and the biz side. You two did it all – incredible – and I know you’re very pro-Made in America. So Chris, do you have thoughts on the current state of the industry (w/ new biz models such as crowd-sourcing etc) & do you have any words of advice for guys like Roman (of Lawless, who're entering the gladiator pit that is the production process & the market etc)?
I think the denim industry is entering a unique time period. Within the past few years the denim market has become very crowded with new entrants with not a lot of differentiation. I think to be successful in the denim industry now one needs to find their own perspective that they work from. I know it might upset a lot of the old school denimheads that are in love with the ‘tradition’ of denim, but this ‘tradition’, one of the most overused buzzwords in the denim industry, is crippling to new entrants. To be honest I have a hard time seeing the difference between ‘tradition’ and stagnation. I think designing from your own unique perspective will be a tougher road in the onset but I think it is the only way to establish not only a viable company, but an authentic identity.
7. What are your predictions &/or desires for the future of the industry? Do you think that US Made is closing the gap w/ Japan etc?
I wouldn’t say that US made denim is closing the gap with Japanese jeans, but only because I don’t think that is the best way to look at what is going on. The wave of new denim companies from the US is changing the way people look at denim and as a whole is making quality denim more accessible to the broader fashion market. While no one can deny that Japan is home to many quality denim makers, the US makers are doing more to move the denim industry forward. I know a lot of denimheads are averse to any sort of change or break from tradition when it comes to jeans, but the denim industry is so saturated with companies making jeans that adhere to ‘tradition’ that there is no more room for it.
I think that underlying the adherence to ‘tradition’ is a suppression of creativity. There is a noticeable gap between the more mainstream fashion industry and denim industry and my hope is that in the future the denim industry will be more accepting of ‘fashion’ and embrace the underlying creativity that the fashion market fosters. A lot of denimheads dismiss fashion companies as producers of low quality, overpriced garments sold to the ‘uninformed’, but I think they miss what the fashion industry has that is absent in the denim industry: a passion for creativity.
9. Who are your personal heroes/inspirations &/or the most interesting & inspirational philosophies you’ve encountered…that delivered you to the creativity and innovation of the G&M Project?
I find it funny, from the time we are children we are taught to look up to people who inspire us, to have role models, seek mentors, and I have grown to think this is misguided. I think we can certainly look to others who have done great things and think “I have respect for that person” but I think that the person we need to look up to is our self. That philosophy has shaped not only our endeavors with G&M but everything we do. I have always loved this quote from Chuang Tsu’s Inner Chapters, “I sit quietly and forget”. I think that is the driving force not only of our creativity but all creativity and innovation. When we ‘forget’, we put aside all that we know, all that we have been told, all that we have seen, and are left with only ourselves, and it is from our innermost selves that we should work. I don’t mean to get all philosophical but I think anyone in the arts or fashion will understand what I am getting at.
Special Thanks to highlights for coordinating this interview and putting it all together. It would never have happened without him.
Pics:
www.tumblr.com/search/guns%20&%20money%20jeans
www.pinterest.com/pin/300052393893762420/
Further Reading:
www.denimhunters.com/2013/06/guns-money/
www.metazashi.com/about-us/
www.denimhunters.com/author/metazashi/
www.denimhunters.com › Denim Wiki › How It's Made
Read more: gustinfriends.proboards.com/conversation/408#ixzz3K1QCdOG4
(was actually a question re brands/clothes Chris favours, personally etc...asked Chris to only respond to questions that he fancied)...but, yes, #7's a biggy on several levels, for sure. I openly, but more awkwardly now, admit to being Old School at the core...but, you know, I just recently scored 2x woollen houndstooth jeans and 1x Irish linen jeans - these jeans are "fully out there" but they are...splendid!! So, if the creativity/innovation prompts like,"Mama mia, I DIG this stuff!!! Why haven't I seen it before???" etc then it can really work, I think.
As you've said, Old26, so many times: most important thing is...fun!!! I agree, the Renaissance has arrived!!!
