I recently had the pleasure of meeting Billiam Denim founder Bill Mitchell at an Oliver Sweeney event earlier this month. Bill first started making denim on his mother's sewing machine in 2009 as way to pass the time and since then he has turned his hobby into one of the most innovative and original denim brands in America.
Every pair of jeans bearing the Billiam name is manufactured in-house in Greenville, South Carolina and and always will be. All of the jeans Billiam make are made from raw selvedge denim manufactured on original Union Special and Singer machinery in the legendary Cone Mills White Oak plant. Billiam have a myriad of denim choices at their disposal, from red line selvedge to special denims made from sustainable blends that incorporate fibers from recycled beer, soft drink or water bottles. True to form, all the zippers and rivets and hardware Billiam use on their jeans are hand-selected from domestic manufacturers.
Operating out of their factory-come-store front, the six strong Billiam team have recently seen their waiting list reach a staggering 400 names, proof indeed that their jeans are in high demand. By offering a refreshingly simple lineup of men's and women's styles and a sideline of high quality leather goods, Billiam put all their efforts into making their jeans the best they can be.
Through a combination of old school know-how, modern ingenuity and startling attention to detail, Billiam have set themselves apart from other denim makers; their dedication to quality, innovation and workmanship has quickly established the brand as the spearhead of a new wave of good, honest American denim manufacturing.
In contrast to most manufacturers, a host of customisation options allow Billiam to deliver modern bespoke jeans put together on vintage machines that both look good and tell a story. Remarkably for a startup, the business is totally debt free - Billiam have never taken out a loan or asked for investment and they give 20% of all year-end profit to Wellspring Living in Atlanta to fight sex trafficking.
Last year, Billiam were approached by Oliver Sweeney to collaborate on a special project that would combine both brands' passion for high quality craftsmanship and ingenious design and functionality. This year saw the introduction of a strictly limited collection of black jeans, featuring a 12.25oz white line selvedge from Cone Mills. The jeans are available in a tailored and straight leg style and each pair is finished on a classic and extremely rare 1940s Union Special 43200G hemming machine, which torques the hem in a way that will create a unique fade over time.
My pick of the Billiam line up are the tailored slims. The cut is an even split between the Skinny and Tailored Straight which is perfect for anyone tall and skinny or with skinnier legs that doesn't want too wide of a leg opening. Billiam line the inside of the waistband with undyed natural denim which allows you to tuck a shirt in without fear of indigo transferring - perfect.
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