TONY PATELLA OF TELLASON JEANS INTERVIEWED BY A CONTINUOUS LEAN

(above image courtesy of A Continuous Lean)

Tellason - Strummer
in blue

DETAILS: With a slightly slim straight-leg and low, relaxed front rise, these are an excellent denim choice for pretty much any guy. Button fly using vintage-looking donut buttons. Lining along bottom side of back-pockets to protect against holes caused by your wallet. The waist runs slightly large but, due to the denim being unwashed, expect around 1-3% shrinkage when the denim is soaked in water or washed. Unwashed selvage denim provided by Cone Mills out of Greensboro, NC. Leather label made by Tanner Goods from Portland, OR. Final product is constructed in San Francisco, CA.

$190

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From A Continous Lean:

"Safe to say that the end of last year was probably not the ideal time to introduce a premium denim collection, but for the guys behind Tellason — a new San Francisco based men’s denim collection — it was “economy be damned” as they set forward on their mission to make their mark on a wardrobe staple, quality jeans.

Established in 2008 and shipping its first product in 2009, Tellason has already gained a loyal following among some of the best specialty shops in America. The strong stocklist makes sense when you consider the specifics. The first limited run of jeans (some 240 pairs; priced at $198) and made of Cone selvage denim from North Carolina with a leather patch from Portland’s Tanner Goods and all sewn in San Francisco with a strong attention to detail and make. Tellason’s Tony Patella took a few minutes to sit down and chat about the new collection.

ACL: How did you guys get your start in the denim trade?

Tony Patella: In 1993 I opened a boutique in San Francisco and became friends with a local denim veteran, Cliff Abbey. In the ’70s he had a line called Sticky Fingers, which was one of the first “fashion/designer” denim brands — at that time the market was dominated by Levi’s, Wrangler, Britannia and Lee. When I met him in 1993, he was operating a premium denim brand named Claudio Agnelli, which he sold to Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and better denim boutiques across the U.S. He was just in the process of launching a new brand, Sutter’s, aimed at the young men’s and junior’s market. I eventually became a partner in the company and together we built Sutter’s into a well-respected player in the category. We sold the product to Delias, Pacific Sunwear, Urban Outfitters and the best denim shops across the country. We had a great eight-year run and then the ubiquity of private label made playing in the medium price point impossible. I also worked in men’s denim product development and production at Gap in San Francisco for a “cup of coffee.”

ACL: Where does the name Tellason come?

TP: It is a combination of my last name and my business partner’s last name, which ends in “son.” We wanted a name that had a story behind it, that had an old workwear feel to it and that did not involve the words “indigo” or “blue.”"

Click here to see the rest of the interview on AContinuousLean.com