Jeansland Podcast
This is why I do this. Jeansland is a podcast about the ecosystem in which jeans live. There are an estimated 26 million cotton farmers around the world, and about 25% of their production goes into jeans, which could mean 6.2 million farmers depend on denim. I read estimates that at least 1 million people work in retail selling jeans, and another 1.5 to 2 million sew them. And then there are all the label producers, pattern makers, laundries, chemical companies, machinery producers, and those that work in denim mills. I mean, the jeans industry, which is bigger than the global movie and music business combined, employs a lot of human beings. And many of them, like me, love jeans. The French philosopher and existentialist Simone de Beauvoir, when visiting New York, said, "Everyone in the New York subway is a novel." I never met her, but I guess she made the observation because of the incredible diversity of people who ride the subway system. I'm convinced the people in our jeans industry are like those in the subway. They are unique, with rich and complex stories to tell, and I want to hear them. And deep inside me, I think you might feel the same way.
https://jeansland.co/
Jeansland Podcast
Ep. 25: Building It Back with Pete Roberts and the Origin Story
What happens when the system collapses, and you decide to build something meaningful with your hands?
In this episode of Jeansland, Andrew sits down with Pete Roberts, founder of Origin, the American brand making jeans, boots, and apparel entirely on U.S. soil. After the 2008 recession upended his life and wiped out his business, Pete was left with a timber-frame cabin in the woods of Maine, two young kids, and no clear way forward. So he and a group of friends and family cut down Eastern white pines from the surrounding woods and hand-built a sturdy wooden workshop—barn-sized and framed with massive 10x10 timbers—where they powered up a generator, scavenged old sewing machines, and stitched a new future—one garment at a time.
But this isn’t a story about recovery. It’s about direction. From a redesigned jiu-jitsu gi to a full-scale denim operation, Pete has spent the last 15 years reclaiming the machines, knowledge, and spirit of domestic manufacturing—while shaping a 100-year plan to build something lasting, local, and real.
If you’ve ever wondered what it means to start over on purpose, and do it all by hand, this one’s for you.
Guest: Pete Roberts, founder of Origin USA