EXCLUSIVE: Benjamin Talley Smith Brings His Talents Back To Earnest Sewn

Benjamin Talley Smith knows denim. He started off in the fashion industry as an assistant designer for Geoffrey B. Small in 1999, and from there, went on to design and consult for denim lines at companies like Tommy Hilfiger, Helmut Lang, Rag & Bone and EVISU. Smith, who also had a three-and-a-half-year stint at Earnest Sewn back in 2005, has rejoined the company as creative director last month.

"I’ve returned to Earnest Sewn because I’ve always felt that the brand was built on integrity and that it still has a story to tell," Smith tells Uinterview. "I believe that Earnest Sewn can be a major brand and still has an amazing future ahead of it. I plan to continue with its amazing history that I originally helped build and evolve the brand to a new more relevant direction." In the time that he was absent from the company, though, he says the Earnest Sewn brand has stayed true to its original mission.

"With a saturation of denim in the market finding a pair of jeans that is manufactured in an environment that is positive and to a quality level that surpasses most is extremely important," Smith said. "Earnest Sewn is now and has always had an amazing attention to detail and craftsman ship and it always will. It is all sewn in the USA with true craftsmen and every piece is unique and to the finest quality."

This quality that Smith speaks of comes from the company's mix of Japenese and American denim essentials. "Earnest Sewn has always been about a mix of American classic style and the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi, beauty in the imperfections," Smith said. "Every Earnest Sewn jean being hand crafted has subtle differences and unique elements making each special. The Japanese attention to detail is something that we try to get across with our jeans."

Even with eastern influences, Smith says Earnest Sewn remains a sustainable brand, as each pair of denim is made here in the U.S. by skilled workers. And although the vintage, Americana-inspired line is relatively small, it Smith says its ability to give the perfect fit make it a winner. "it’s always a mix of a great fabric, perfect pocket size, shape and placement and of course a great wash! If all of these things work together the jean will look amazing and be your favorite pair!"