Our Brand Spotlights are where we share the stories of the people behind the brands that we carry. More than just buying a product, we want the Withered Fig experience to be deeper in purpose and meaning. We want you to know the people behind the brands that have made this their living. It is the men and women, from the top to the bottom, the owners, the designers, the cutters and sewers, that encompass …
We spent an hour chatting with Steve Doudaklian of Bedo’s Leatherworks in Falls Church, VA while he effortlessly added Lulu Toe Taps to our Viberg Crust Horsebutt “Franklin” 145 Oxford. Toe taps are one of those things that you never knew you really needed until you see it. Without further delay, read on for the basics of how a metal toe tap is added to your shoe, sprinkled with some random questions and tidbits from Steve throughout.
Merz b. Schwanen in its current form is not that old. But behind the current brand is a long history dating back to 1911. Starting in 2011, Peter and Gitta Plotnicki introduced the first line of the contemporary Merz b. Schwanen line at the Bread and Butter trade show in Berlin, Germany and have gone through many iterations of their knits to bring to realization the current popular knits – 1950s tees, 206 henleys, 207 short-sleeve henleys – in their current format.
Viberg Boot has a long and storied history, steeped in its roots of work boots for the common working man. It remains as one of the few namesake boot manufacturers left in North America. Beginning in 1931 with Edwin Viberg, this Canadian company operating out of Victoria B.C. is now in its 3rd generation with Ed’s son, Glen Viberg, putting some of the finishing touches on every single pair of boots, and Glen’s son, Brett Viberg spearheading the future of Viberg. It’s that personal connection to the family that each and every pair of boots has that makes Viberg boots so unique.
CHUP Socks is the brainchild of their director, Mr. Hashimoto. They have made their presence known in the boots and workwear community as you will often find a pair of Red Wings or Vibergs paired with a CHUP sock. CHUP consistently delivers unique patterns that pay homage to past and current folk and indigenous cultures. Using a low gauge stocking frame machine and the addition of hand-linked toes results in a laborious process that produces about 30 socks per day.
Corridor NYC really shines in their shirting and their ability to use unique fabrics in a subtle form. The benefit of that comes in being able to wear a shirt appropriate for many occasions, while at the same time being much more interesting than your standard button-up. Coming from government work, where fashion is often an afterthought, owner Dan Snyder sought to create a shirt that fit just as well as it looked – their signature three-panel fit, a fit that is slim without being constricting.
Railcar Fine Goods has really expanded their business in the last couple years from their core of denim to introducing shirting, apothecary, and to opening up their retail and barber shop. Railcar is unique in that all their clothing is made in-house from the initial cut of the fabric, to the sewing, to the final assembly for packing and shipping; and it’s all done out of their 5,000 square feet building in Monrovia, CA. When you start talking with Steven, the owner of Railcar, the immediate thing you’ll sense is his sincere enthusiasm for the work that he does in making quality clothing.
3sixteen and Alpha Industries have come together for a truly special project on the M-59, M-65, and the accompanying liner jacket, by bringing together 3sixteen’s denim following with Alpha Industries military-inspired clothing. While 3sixteen is no stranger to military inspirations, we have found this project so interesting for Alpha Industries – the first time using indigo-dyed fabrics in their jackets, the first time since the 1990s where an Alpha Industries jacket will have been made …
