In life, the things that happen by accident are always the best; the events that unfold through serendipity and fate rather than pre-meditated planning. So do the ventures that come straight from the heart, from a connection or a memory, or in honour of a person or a past or a passion. Of course they need to be fed with hard work and dedication in order to grow, but if it comes from a genuine place then people gravitate towards that and support it, because essentially people are drawn to good honest vibes more than bad. I know in America right now it doesn’t feel at all like that, but I’m a positive person and truly believe it to be true.
I went to visit Jerry Peel in his basement studio in Chinatown, Manhattan because I was one of the many people who have been drawn to Peels over the year or two and I was excited to talk to him about the brand. Peels is what I would call modern workwear and in this ‘Post Heritage’ age where workwear is having a moment, I wanted to see what Jerry was doing and why. How does a young dude of 26 view workwear and what does it represent to him? Why did he start what he has started and where does he see it going?
Inspired by his nostalgic memories of his father painting in the Florida sun, grafting hard for ’27 fucking years’ Jeremy Peel talks very affectionately about his dad. And without his dad and that painting company, Peels wouldn’t exist. Take a look below:
The other thing that interested me about Peels, is Jerry’s more recent vintage workwear references. He buys and then alters from an existing uniform/ workwear company with a history of 120 years in the USA. It’s about real workwear for today’s American worker, as apposed to archival, ‘Union Made’ vintage denim. I asked him how it all came about and how he’s dealing with the expansion of the company and his plans for the future:
Jerry skates and that aesthetic has also influenced the way he works and views clothing and style. Check out how skate influences and inspires what he does today:
The brand has gained recognition from the New York Times, Vogue and I.D/ Vice, as well as appearing on the backs of a bunch of the coolest fans including the ultimate legend Bill Murray, the infamous up-and-comer Finn Wolfhand, the skate hero Mark Gonzales and hottest model of the moment, Jazzelle Zanaughtti. Jerry’s dad must be damn proud of his son… and is hopefully getting a fair bit of painting work down in the florida sun. Call 561-301-9226 if you’re interested 😉
Thank you Jerry and Izel for letting Marvic and I into your lives for the afternoon, we love you dudes.
Trend forecaster, denim designer, industry journalist and author of Denim Dudes.
