Jeansland is a podcast about the global denim ecosystem—from cotton farmers and denim mills to sewers, retailers, and everyone in between. It explores how the jeans industry employs millions of people and is bigger than the movie and music businesses combined. Through conversations with people across the industry, the show shares their unique stories and deep love for jeans. The host aims to capture the rich, complex lives behind a garment that connects so many.
Episodes
Ep. 93: How Amsterdam Became a Denim Capital with Mariette Hoitink
How do you turn an entire city into a destination for denim? Apparently, it starts with a good idea, a few coffees, and getting the right people together.In Episode 93, Andrew is joined by his longtime friend and collaborator Mariette Hoitink, one of the driving forces behind Amsterdam’s transformation into an international denim hub. As the founder of HTNK International and co-founder of House of
Ep. 92: Bringing American Denim Back to Life with Maurice Malone
What does it take to rebuild an industry? Maybe it starts with teaching someone how to make a pair of jeans.In Episode 92, Andrew is joined by Maurice Malone, a pioneering denim designer, entrepreneur, and one of the original figures in American streetwear. With more than four decades in the business, Maurice has seen just about everything. And he's certainly done a few things differently alo
Ep. 91: Bringing the Fun Back to Denim with Erin Barajas and Amy Leverton
Who says the denim industry can’t have a little more fun?In Episode 91, Andrew is joined by two longtime friends and familiar faces in the denim world, Erin Barajas and Amy Leverton. Between the three of them, there are decades of industry experience, plenty of stories, and a shared appreciation for the wonderfully unusual people who make this business what it is.Amy, founder of Denim Dudes and on
Ep. 90: Cotton, Polyester, and the Stories We Tell with Terry Townsend
What if some of the things we think we know about cotton aren’t quite what we’ve been told?In Episode 90, Andrew welcomes Terry Townsend into his Houston home for a rare in-person episode of Jeansland. And when you put two people with decades of experience in the cotton industry together, there’s plenty to talk about.Terry is an agricultural economist who spent 27 years with the International Cott
Ep. 89 — REVISITED: Adriano Goldschmied Part 1 - “The Godfather of Denim” - Founder and Designer, Genious Group, House of Gold, Daily Blue Denim
What does the future of denim look like through the eyes of someone who spent a lifetime helping shape it?In this revisited episode, Andrew sits down with Adriano Goldschmied, the legendary designer, entrepreneur and innovator known throughout the industry as the “Godfather of Denim.”Their discussion moves quickly from the state of the denim business to a much bigger question: where does it go nex
Ep. 88: Can We Fix the Global Supply Chain? with Auret van Heerden
For decades, the fashion industry has been auditing its supply chain. So why are so many of the same problems still there?Twenty-one years ago, a jeans factory Andrew was working for faced allegations of serious labor abuses. Orders were disappearing, the accusations were mounting, and he didn’t know what to do. He reached out to Auret van Heerden at the Fair Labor Association in Geneva. That meet
Ep. 87: PETA, Wool, and the Protest That Went Viral
Usually, there isn’t much to laugh about in our industry. But on September 13, funny arrived at New York Fashion Week.A PETA protest disrupted the COS runway show. CFDA CEO Steven Kolb stepped in, things got physical, the video went viral, and five days later Kolb resigned.But that’s really where this episode begins.In Episode 87 of Andrew’s Take, he looks beyond the spectacle to what PETA was act
Ep. 86: The Afterlife of Our Clothes with Jennifer Wright
What actually happens when an old pair of jeans goes into a collection bin?In Episode 86, Andrew is joined by Jennifer Wright, professor and researcher at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, whose work explores what really happens to textile waste after we’re finished with it.Jennifer takes Andrew through the surprisingly complicated journey of discarded clothing, from sorting and resale to overs
Ep. 85: What Eco-Grazing Teaches Us About Innovation
My daughter introduced me to a company in New Jersey with an unusual kind of employee. It works outdoors, eats continuously, and never reads a sustainability report.It’s a goat.Across the U.S. and Europe, goats and sheep are being put to work clearing invasive plants, managing difficult terrain, and even helping create natural firebreaks. No herbicides. No heavy machinery. And what they eat comes
Ep. 84: Better Design Starts with How It’s Made with Angie Furlong
Angie Furlong has spent more than four decades designing clothes, building teams, traveling the world, and learning the industry from the inside out. Some things in fashion can only be learned by understanding how they’re made.In Episode 84, Andrew is joined by designer and creative director Angie Furlong, whose career has taken her from Guess and Esprit to Lucky Brand, J Brand, True Religion, Sun
Ep. 83: Do You Understand the Game?
I read an article about basketball this weekend that made me think about denim. Strange, I know.The argument was simple: we’re seeing more basketball and understanding less of it. Highlights, hot takes, 30-second explanations. Why understand the game when somebody can just tell you who won?I think our industry has developed the same problem.We talk constantly about sustainability, circularity, reg
Ep. 82 — REVISITED: What if Sustainability Was the Standard? with Roian Atwood
What if sustainability wasn’t a competitive edge, but the baseline for the entire denim industry?In this revisited conversation, Andrew sits down with sustainability expert Roian Atwood to look at what real progress in denim actually requires.A former Global Sustainability Director for Wrangler and Lee Jeans, Roian spent more than 15 years in the apparel industry developing and implementing sustai
Ep. 81: Do We Need Another Denim Mill?
Kingpins New York left me with a question: how many denim mills does the world actually need?Some longtime mills may be fighting for their future, while new mills keep entering an already crowded, increasingly price-driven market. Walking the show, I kept wondering what a new denim mill can offer that somebody, somewhere, isn’t already doing.My bigger takeaway goes beyond denim. With Kingpins leav
Ep 80: The Art and Science of Pattern Making with Alessio Berto
A great garment begins long before it reaches a sewing machine.In Episode 80, Andrew sits down with Alessio Berto, founder of The Tailor Pattern Support and one of Italy’s most experienced pattern designers. Over nearly four decades, Alessio has worked across denim, menswear, sportswear, teaching, and product development for brands including Replay, Jean Paul Gaultier, DKNY Jeans, Diesel Denim Gal
Ep. 79: Modern Slavery Is Closer Than We Think
Nearly 50 million people worldwide are estimated to be living in modern slavery.When I first read that number, I was shocked. It sounded almost too large to believe, so I decided to look into where it came from, who was behind it, and what modern slavery actually includes.What I found is that this is not simply a problem of poor countries, distant factories, or one particular industry. It exists i
Ep. 78: Japanese Denim—Past and Future with Bobby Tohma
Japanese denim is admired for its quality, craftsmanship, and the extraordinary care behind how it is made.In Episode 78, Andrew sits down with Bobby Tohma, owner of Amhot Holdings and Idea Blue in Osaka. Andrew has known Bobby for more than four decades, and Bobby has spent nearly his entire career in the Japanese textile business, working across fabric export, trading, mills, weavers, and denim.
Ep 77: Can AI Grow Better Cotton? with Brendan Collins & Tricia Carey
For decades, developing new crop varieties has been slow, expensive, and full of trade-offs. Avalo believes better genetics, better data, and artificial intelligence can change that.In Episode 77, Andrew sits down with Brendan Collins, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalo, and Tricia Carey, Avalo’s Chief Commercial Officer and one of the textile industry’s most respected voices on fiber innovation and sust
Ep 76—FRESH BLOOD, Part 8: Questioning the Process with Sean Vossen
FRESH BLOOD continues with Part 8, featuring Sean Vossen, who works with Frontline in Hong Kong.Sean grew up between Hong Kong and Milan, surrounded by the apparel business, but chose to explore other industries before joining the family trade. Today, he brings a fresh perspective to the supply chain, combining curiosity with a willingness to question how things have always been done.Andrew and Se
Ep 75: Building a Life Around Denim with Beau Lawrence
Beau Lawrence built his career by following the work, then building a life around it.In Episode 75, Andrew sits down with Beau Lawrence, founder of Ace Rivington, to talk about denim, entrepreneurship, retail, Santa Barbara, and what it takes to build a business that can actually support the life you want.The conversation starts in Nashville, moves through Los Angeles, design school, Guess, The Te
Ep 74: The Future of Traceable Cotton with Imran Asghar
Pakistan’s cotton crop is recovering. But that is only part of the story.In Episode 74, Andrew sits down again with Imran Asghar, Head of Asia Pacific at FibreTrace, to discuss cotton, traceability, sustainability, and the growing pressure to prove where products actually come from. FibreTrace uses physical tracers and real-time scanning to help verify fiber movement through the supply chain.The d
Ep 73—FRESH BLOOD, Part 7: From Upcycling to Opportunity with Landon Williams
FRESH BLOOD is about renewal. Every industry either regenerates itself or slowly hardens. In this Jeansland series, Andrew steps back to listen to the next generation already working inside denim’s supply chain, upstream in fibers, sourcing platforms, laundries, and raw materials.In Part 7 of the series, Andrew sits down with Landon Williams, denim designer, artist, and founder of Nolia James.Land
Ep 72: The End of the Everlane Experiment
In Episode 72’s Andrew’s Take, Andrew reflects on the sale of Everlane, one of the most visible transparency-focused brands of the last fifteen years.For years, Everlane tried to bring sourcing, factories, pricing, and production into the consumer conversation. Whether you agreed with everything the company did or not, it stood apart from most apparel brands by making transparency part of its iden
Ep 71: Designing Denim Through Change with Lucia Rosin
Some people enter denim through fashion. Lucia Rosin came to it through patternmaking, textiles, and the discipline of building a garment from the inside out.In Episode 71, Andrew sits down with Lucia Rosin, founder of MEIDEA, to talk about craft, sustainability, education, and the long path from technical knowledge to industry perspective.The conversation begins in Veneto, where Lucia grew up in
Ep 70—FRESH BLOOD Revisited: A New Generation of Mills with Lucille Ix and Lucas Van de Woestyne
Before we continue with the next episodes in the FRESH BLOOD series, we’re revisiting a conversation that helped define what the series is really about: listening to the next generation already working inside the industry.Andrew speaks with Lucille Ix and Lucas Van de Woestyne, two young professionals who grew up around fabric manufacturing and are now working inside it themselves. It is a useful
Ep 69: How Denim Gets Its Blue with Paul Cowell
Paul Cowell taught Andrew a great deal of what he knows about indigo.In Episode 69, Andrew sits down with Paul Cowell, whose career has moved through ICI, BASF, DyStar, BluConnection, and Archroma. His work sits at the intersection of chemistry, denim processing, mills, brands, and the commercial reality of making innovation work at scale.The conversation begins with chemistry. How synthetic dye d
Ep 68: The Rise of Resale
In Episode 68’s Andrew’s Take, he looks at the rise of secondhand clothing. Not as a side story in fashion, but as one of the fastest-growing parts of the global apparel business.Secondhand clothing is now growing dramatically faster than traditional apparel retail. In some cases, three or four times faster. And younger consumers are beginning to ask the question the industry never really wanted t
Ep 67—FRESH BLOOD, Part 6: Rebuilding Local Manufacturing with Justin Bastarache
FRESH BLOOD continues with Part 6, featuring Justin Bastarache, Founder of Whelk and Pipo Canada.Justin started with a sustainable headwear brand, then found the larger problem: almost nobody was making caps in Eastern Canada anymore. So he began building the factory himself.Andrew and Justin talk about what it takes to make locally in a category dominated by imports. Labor, pricing, training, min
Ep 66: The Missing Denim Boom
Growth in denim follows a pattern.In Episode 66’s Andrew’s Take, he looks at what has actually driven expansion in the jeans business over time, and why it’s stalled.Every real boom came from a shift in the product itself. New machinery, new yarns, new fits, new finishes. Changes that made people stop wearing what they had and buy something new.That hasn’t happened in a while. The industry has be
Ep 65—FRESH BLOOD, Part 5: From Volume to Value with Saifullah Minhas
FRESH BLOOD is about renewal. Every industry either regenerates itself or slowly hardens. In this Jeansland series, Andrew steps back to listen to the next generation already working inside denim’s supply chain, upstream in fibers, sourcing platforms, laundries, and raw materials.In Part 5 of the series, Andrew sits down with Saifullah Minhas, Director of Sales and Marketing at Delta Garments, a t
Ep 64: The Hidden Cost of War
The war doesn't show up where you think it does.In Episode 64's Andrew's Take, he looks at the war in Iran, not politically, but through the lens of the jeans industry. Orders were booked months ago. Prices were locked when oil was lower, freight was cheaper, and currencies were more stable.None of that is true anymore.Factories across Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam are absorbing
Ep 63—FRESH BLOOD, Part 4: Bridging Design and Production with Hayato Nishi
FRESH BLOOD is about renewal. Every industry either regenerates itself or slowly hardens. In this Jeansland series, Andrew steps back to listen to the next generation already working inside denim’s supply chain, upstream in fibers, sourcing platforms, laundries, and raw materials.In Part 4 of the series, Andrew sits down with Hayato Nishi, a second-generation industry professional whose path into
Ep 62: The Cost of Conflict with Umer Farooq Qureshi
Before the garments even leave the warehouse, the damage is already done.In Episode 62, Andrew sits down again with Umer Farooq Qureshi as the industry finds itself caught in the middle of a war it didn’t start. One year after their last conversation, the same pressures are back, only now they’re accelerating. The U.S. is actively engaged in a growing conflict with Iran, and the ripple effects are
Ep 61: Building the Denim Finishing Industry with Alice Tonello
Before there was a denim finishing industry, there was nothing.This week, Andrew sits down with Alice Tonello, Chief Brand & Strategy Officer at Tonello, a second-generation company that helped build that industry from scratch. In 1981, her uncle Osvaldo, a maintenance technician in a dye house, saw brands trying to figure out how to wash jeans and built the first machine to do it. No roadmap.
Ep 60: The Human Side of a Contract
In this short, I go back to a moment in the early 90s, sitting across from a senior executive at Calvin Klein who asked me to cancel a fabric order we had already made. I couldn’t. He understood, the goods shipped, and the order was honored as agreed. Years later, I faced similar situations. Orders were canceled, but there was still a sense of responsibility. In each case, the customer stepped up
Ep 59: Pakistan’s Vertical Denim System with Rizwan Shafi
Some businesses are built through planning. Others are built through history, disruption, and decisions made under pressure.In Episode 59, I speak with Rizwan Shafi of Crescent Bahuman, one of the defining names in Pakistan’s denim industry. His family’s story begins in the years after Partition, moves through cotton trading and textile expansion, and eventually leads to one of the first fully ver
Ep 58—FRESH BLOOD, Part 3: A New Generation of Mills with Lucille Ix and Lucas Van de Woestyne
This is the third installment of our Fresh Blood series. I wanted to hear directly from two young professionals who grew up around textiles and are now working in fabric manufacturing.My guests are Lucille Ix, 22, based in New York and working across China and Vietnam, and Lucas Van de Woestyne, 27, based in Ghent, Belgium and working for a denim mill in China with a focus on Europe. Their familie
Ep 57—FRESH BLOOD, Part 2: Denim and Transparency with Beyza Baykan
This is Part Two of our FRESH BLOOD series, where I sit down with the next generation of denim leaders and ask what they see that we may not.FRESH BLOOD is about perspective. It is about how young professionals view sustainability, transparency, collaboration, and the future of this industry.In this episode, I speak with Beyza Baykan, founder of HMS Hand Made Stone. At 26, with a background in mat
Ep 56—FRESH BLOOD, Part 1: A Different View of the Future with Kaela Bonaquist and William Wood
This is our second two-part special, and this time I step back and listen.Fresh Blood is about renewal. Every industry either regenerates itself or slowly hardens. In this episode, I sit down with Kaela Bonaquist from Lenzing and William Wood from Material Exchange to hear how the next generation sees denim, sourcing, fibers, and technology.They are already inside the system. Upstream in fibers. I
Ep 55: The Experience Architect: Arne Koefoed
Andrew sits down with Arne Koefoed, co-founder of WINK, to talk about how throwing parties slowly turned into a creative life.Arne never planned on designing experiences. There was no event school, no formal path. It started with squats, punk parties, and rave culture, and with the realization that bringing people together could be just as creative as making an object. That first party set the ton
Ep 54: The Cost of Rushing Innovation
Andrew reflects on a new report from the Transformers Foundation, Unlocking Equity in Innovation, and why so much meaningful innovation never makes it to market.The supply chain spends years and real money developing better fibers, cleaner chemistry, and smarter processes, only to be told to prove everything in 18 months or less. Andrew shares a personal story about a breakthrough alternative to i
Ep 53—Water: Above and Below | Part Two: Will You Help?
This is Part 2 of our two-part Jeansland special, Water: Above and Below.In this episode, we continue the conversation with Rick Kellison and Brent Crossland, shifting from understanding the water problem to confronting what it will take to address it. The focus turns to the future of the TAWC (Texas Alliance for Water Conservation) project, why its work matters, and why keeping it funded is criti
Ep 52—Water: Above and Below | Part One: The Ogallala Aquifer
Today’s conversation is about something the denim industry rarely wants to look at directly, and that’s water. Not recycled water in factories. Not marketing claims. But the groundwater that actually makes cotton possible in the first place.This is the first episode of a two-part Jeansland special called Water: Above and Below. For this conversation, I’m joined by Rick Kellison and Brent Crossland
Ep 51: If Everyone’s So Unhappy, Why Not Band Together?
A conversation with a friend about international politics turns into a simple question. If so much of the world is disturbed by the direction the United States has been taking, why doesn’t everyone just band together and try going it without the U.S.?That question leads Andrew to what he calls the Jeansland Nations, the countries where most of the world’s denim is produced. From there, the episode
Ep 50: Putting Humanity Back Into Denim with Piero Turk
Andrew sits down with Piero Turk, a longtime friend from the old Italian denim days, when companies were small and you learned the business by doing everything yourself.For those who don’t know Piero, he’s a freelance designer who started in 1983 and has worked with major jean brands across Japan, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, New York, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, and the UK. He’s collaborated with Andrew
Ep 49: Commodity Power and Egypt's Textile Rise
Happy New Year. 2026 is here and Andrew starts the year with a reset on where real power lives in the textile world.He talks about the four major cotton traders: Louis Dreyfus, Cargill, Olam, and Ecom. Governments and sovereign wealth funds now control much of what the world consumes. Abu Dhabi owns 45% of Louis Dreyfus. Singapore and Saudi Arabia control Olam. Trading what we need is as powerful
Ep 48: Rethinking Growth in Fashion with Shamin Vogel
This week, Andrew sits down with Shamin Vogel, editorial director and co-publisher of of WeAr Media Group—the people behind WeAr Global Magazine, one of the most widely read fashion trade publications in the world, and WeAr Denim, the biannual deep dive for the denim supply chain, backed by a monthly newsletter that actually gets read—to talk about where fashion really is right now, and why so muc
Ep 47: Portugal and the Long Game
This episode starts in 1975, just after Portugal’s Carnation Revolution. A dictatorship ends. No civil war. No collapse. Just a quiet reset and a country that suddenly has to figure out how to function without fear, hierarchy, or shortcuts.Then we jump to now. Portugal is one of the strongest-performing economies in Europe, and almost nobody is talking about it.So the question is not “what happene
Ep 46: Inside Denim Journalism with Sophie Bramel
Sophie Bramel is the technical editor at Inside Denim, and she watches the entire global denim ecosystem. Brands, mills, fibers, innovation, sustainability. All of it.In this conversation, Andrew and Sophie trace her path from music and fashion reporting to becoming one of the industry's most trusted observers. She talks about why denim mills feel like "cathedrals to blue," why true
Ep 45: What COP30 Actually Means
In this week’s episode of Andrew’s Take, Andrew breaks down COP30 in Belém, Brazil and why so many people still don’t know what COP is or why the world gathers every year to discuss climate goals that rarely materialize.He walks through the entire arc, from COP’s 1992 origins to the Kyoto years, the Copenhagen disaster, the Paris moment of optimism, and the long loop of promises made and ignored.
Ep 44: Building Jeans Worth Defending with Menno van Meurs
“If the supply chain isn’t something I can be proud of, the garment isn’t worth making.”— Menno van Meurs, Founder of Tenue de Nîmes and Tenue.Menno van Meurs runs one of the most respected denim stores in Europe, Tenue de Nîmes in Amsterdam. He also makes his own jeans under the Tenue brand. He's not chasing trends. He's holding the line on craft, quality, and supply chain integrity in
Ep 43: Are New U.S. Tariffs Even Legal?
In April, the White House called it Liberation Day. The apparel industry called it panic.Andrew breaks down what happened when decades of predictable duty rates got wiped out overnight. Global jeans suppliers were hit with numbers no one saw coming. Vietnam at 46%, Cambodia at 49%, Bangladesh at 37%. Orders paused. Panic spread. The rollout felt like a list of naughty countries with penalties post
Ep 42: Fifty Years of Denim at Over the Rainbow with Joel and Daniel Carman
In 1975, Joel Carman opened Over the Rainbow with $2,000, a love of jeans, and no idea what he was doing. Fifty years later, Joel and his family run one of the longest-standing independent denim retailers in North America.Andrew sits down with Joel and Daniel to talk about what it takes to survive five decades in retail—from the early days when Joel was making $15 a day and driving a cab at night,
Ep 41: Are Corporations Psychopaths?
If a corporation were a person, what kind of person would it be? Andrew revisits the 2003 documentary The Corporation, which diagnosed the modern company as a psychopath. No empathy, no remorse, no conscience. Just profit with zero regard for human cost.He applies that lens to denim. Chasing cheaper wages. Blue-washing sustainability while underpaying the people who make the jeans. The 2020 sequel
Ep. 40: The Fight Worth Fighting—with James McKinnon
James McKinnon runs a 72-year-old family textile business in South Carolina. He's third generation. He sits on the Cotton Board, advises the USDA on cotton standards, and he'll tell you straight up that U.S. textiles are fighting some incredibly strong headwinds.But he also thinks it's a fight worth fighting.In this conversation, Andrew and James dig into what it takes to keep Ameri
Ep. 39: Andrew's Take: Do Jeans Really Symbolize Freedom?
Jeans have long been seen as the uniform of freedom. But if freedom is what we're selling, what's the truth behind the people making them?In this solo episode, Andrew looks at two global scorecards, one for freedom and one for happiness, across the 11 countries that produce most of the world's denim. The results aren't comfortable. China ranks third worst in the world for freed
Ep. 38: Denim That Means Something with Michael Morrell and Paul Ledgett
Andrew sits down with two people who lived through the denim business alongside him for years. Michael Morrell and Paul Ledgett were his partners at Olah Inc., and together they built something that worked because they gave a damn about the product, the people, and doing things right.In this conversation, they go back. They talk about what it meant to run a denim agency in New York when the indust
Ep. 37: Who’s Got the Water?
The denim industry runs on water. But most of the places we make jeans don’t have enough of it. In this short, Andrew breaks down what happens when cotton, sewing, and finishing all depend on freshwater we can’t afford to lose.Countries like Canada have 74,000 cubic meters of water per person. Bangladesh? Just 635. Yet we keep building supply chains in places with the least to spare. Even rainfed
Ep. 36: The Denim Deal with Romain Narcy
One question froze Romain Narcy in his tracks fifteen years ago: "Do you know the environmental impact of making jeans?"He didn't. That moment sent him on a path from running suitcase sales trips across France to building one of Turkey's greenest denim factories to joining the steering committee of the Denim Deal. Their goal? One billion jeans made with recycled cotton by 2030.
Ep. 35: Andrew's Take: Artistic Milliners Acquires Cone Denim
Big news in denim: Artistic Milliners of Karachi has taken a majority stake in Cone Denim, one of America’s most storied mills. From its 1891 roots in Greensboro, NC, to powering Levi’s 501s, Cone’s history now collides with one of the most ambitious players in the industry.Andrew breaks down what this deal means for global supply chains and why, even together, Artistic and Cone make up just one p
Ep. 34: The Illusion of Circular Fashion with Subir Ghosh
This week on Jeansland, Andrew sits down with Indian journalist Subir Ghosh for a clear-eyed look at how sustainability narratives often miss the mark. Subir challenges the fashion industry’s fixation on circularity, calling it more of a marketing loop than a real solution. He explains why cotton farmers in India remain under immense pressure, why worker struggles beyond the sewing floor go largel
Ep. 33: Why Are Jeans So Cheap?
Andrew rewinds to 1980 in this solo short. Cotton has been priced at 80-cents a pound ever since, while everything else (burgers, beef, coffee, gas) keeps inflating honestly. Farmers work harder for the same pay, garment workers get pushed offshore to 60-cent wages, and polyester quietly takes over as “oil in disguise.”Jeans don’t get cheaper because of efficiency. They get cheaper because the sys
Ep. 32: American Hemp with Mark D’Sa from Panda Biotech
This week, Andrew digs into the future of fiber with Mark D’Sa, Senior VP at Panda Biotech. After decades sourcing for brands like Ralph Lauren, Gap, and Levi’s, Mark is now betting on U.S.-grown industrial hemp.He explains why hemp matters for American farmers facing water shortages and soil stress, how Panda’s cottonization process makes hemp soft and fully compatible with cotton, and why the sw
Ep. 31 (Short): Styrofoam, the Cockroach of Packing
In this solo short, Andrew swerves away from denim to call out one of the most stubborn materials on earth: Styrofoam. After a hospital stay in Houston where every meal arrived on trays of squeaky white foam, he asks why a substance banned in 62 countries is still so common in the United States.Cotton biodegrades. Polyester eventually breaks down. Styrofoam never dies. It just crumbles into microp
Ep. 30: How Heddels Built a 'Buy Less Buy Better' Community with Nick Coe and David Shuck
Heddels began as Rawr Denim, a blog for selvedge lovers, and has grown into one of the strongest independent voices in slow fashion. Andrew talks with founders Nick Coe and David Shuck about their philosophy of buying less, buying better, and why keeping what you already own is often the most sustainable choice.Nick shares how a pair of APC jeans started his obsession with raw denim and eventually
Ep. 29 (Short): The Real Facts on Water Use in Denim Indigo Dyeing
Behind the Transformers Foundation Water ReportThis bonus short features Andrew getting straight to the point. At Kingpins, he often hears mills talk about how they save water in their indigo dyeing process. They explain their methods, but sometimes the explanations are too technical for the audience or simply taken at face value without real verification. Over time, Andrew and his late colleague
Ep. 28: Retail, Reality, and the Tariff Storm with Mark A. Cohen
Episode 28: Retail, Reality, and the Tariff Storm with Mark A. CohenMark A. Cohen didn’t plan on going into retail. He was an engineer by training who took a department store job to cover rent. What happened next was a decades-long ride to the top, including stints at Sears, Lazarus, and Mervyn’s, and nearly 20 years teaching at Columbia Business School. These days, he’s the guy business networks
Ep. 27 (Short): Kingpins July Recap - Trade Shows, Tariffs & the Denim Domino Effect
Trade shows are usually about deals and discovery. But at this July’s Kingpins in New York, the most important moments came from the conversations happening off the show floor. In this solo episode, Andrew Olah shares what he saw, what he heard, and what’s on his mind. The turnout was strong, the food was excellent (people notice!), and the hospitality made a difference. Still, there was an underc
Ep. 26: The Art of the Find with Doug Gunn and Roy Luckett from The Vintage Showroom
What happens when two street market dealers turn a love of vintage into one of the most respected fashion archives in the world?In this episode, Andrew Olah sits down with Doug Gunn and Roy Luckett, the co-founders of The Vintage Showroom, a London-based archive and consultancy that has quietly shaped the way global fashion houses think, shop, and design. From rainy mornings at Portobello Market t
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 y
Ep. 24: From Begging for Orders to Building Power with Umer Farooq Qureshi - Part 2
In this powerful two-part conversation, Andrew Olah welcomes back Umer Farooq Qureshi for a deep dive into the structural imbalances plaguing the denim supply chain. Framed by the enduring legacy of colonial capitalism, the discussion explores how suppliers have been conditioned to act like beggars in pursuit of orders — and how that mindset must shift. Together, they challenge conventional wisdom
Ep. 23: From Begging for Orders to Building Power with Umer Farooq Qureshi - Part 1
In this powerful two-part conversation, Andrew Olah welcomes back Umer Farooq Qureshi for a deep dive into the structural imbalances plaguing the denim supply chain. Framed by the enduring legacy of colonial capitalism, the discussion explores how suppliers have been conditioned to act like beggars in pursuit of orders — and how that mindset must shift. Together, they challenge conventional wisdom
Ep. 22: What if Sustainability Was the Standard? Breaking Down Denim’s Future with Roian Atwood
What if sustainability wasn’t a competitive edge — but the baseline for the entire denim industry? Andrew sits down with sustainability expert Roian Atwood to unpack the urgent challenges and overlooked opportunities shaping denim’s future.Roian is a seasoned business leader and sustainability practitioner who’s spent over two decades improving the social and environmental performance of products
Ep. 21: Brand Building and Design with Johnny Diamandis
Designer and brand consultant Johnny Diamandis joins Andrew Olah to explore what it truly takes to build a fashion brand today. With a globally successful track record designing menswear, accessories, and more for brands like Evisu, Burberry London, Nike, Fake London, and CAT Footwear, Johnny shares candid insights from both industry and academia. The conversation covers the financial realities of
Ep. 20: Global Cotton – Trade, Support and Sustainability with Tim North
In this episode, cotton expert Tim North discusses global cotton production, trade dynamics, and government support programs in key countries like the U.S., India, China, and Pakistan. He highlights how subsidies distort markets, why some traditional exporters have become importers, and the challenges facing producers.The conversation also covers the rise of regenerative and traceable cotton as sc
Ep. 19: Umer Farooq Qureshi - Disruptive Product Leader / Textile-to-Tech Strategist / AI for Brand Protection
Andrew and Umer Farooq Qureshi pull back the denim curtain to reveal Levi’s jaw-dropping 62% margin is built on supplier suffering. From closed-door biddings to so-called partnerships, from collapsing currencies to cotton politics, this episode shows exactly how the kings (brands) are bleeding the commoners (factories) dry, and what happens when the commoners stop playing nice. This isn’t just a t
Ep. 18: Andrew's Post Kingpins Thoughts
In this solo episode, Andrew returns from a whirlwind week—first as a guest at the Kingpin Show in Amsterdam, his first time attending since selling the business, and then at a high-level diplomatic event in Washington, D.C.—to share unfiltered reflections on industry dynamics, global economic shifts, and the rising impact of U.S. tariffs. From the importance of venue vibes to why group negotiatio
Ep. 17: Peter Caplowe - Fashion Pioneer/Entrepreneur Who Brought EVISU to the WEST!
This edition covers ground close to my heart because it's about discovery, it's about feeling, and about the heart in business. I get to talk to Peter Caplowe, who was not in the jeans business in 1994 but went to Japan, discovered Evis, or Evisu, the Japanese brand that had a domestic cult following, super expensive 1940s Levi replications with hand painted back pockets, that Mr. Yamane
Ep. 16: Anatt Finkler - Global Denim Creative Director / WeAr Denim Editor
Anatt Finkler, an enthusiastic member of the denim industry from Mexico who finds joy not just from her work but in education and sustainability.Learn more about Anatt’s professional journey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatt-f-70229181/Please follow us on: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Ep. 15: Ethical Denim Council (EDC) with Sharmon Lebby & Chana Rosenthal
Ethical Denim Council is a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to help create order sanctity. Simply put, we want an agreement from buyers that place orders to simply agree to carry out their commitments, just as they expect the supplier to carry out theirs. Seems simple enough, but it’s not part of our industry. YET.Sharmon Lebby – Project Manager, Ethical Denim CouncilChana Rosenthal –
Ep. 14: Bob Antoshak - Industry Strategist and Policy Expert
Bob Antoshak calls himself an Industry Strategist and Policy Expert. I call him an experienced, industry professional having spent chunks of his life on trade policy, cotton marketing, consultancy, and sourcing. Bob’s been where must people never get to.Bob's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rantoshak/Please follow us on: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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