Custom Jeans Maker Detroit Denim Co. Shuts Down
Detroit Denim Co. is shutting down after 14 years of making jeans in Motor City.
Owners of the Michigan-based design shop and manufacturer known for its custom denim announced the closure on its website.
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In an open letter, husband-and-wife owners Eric Yelsma and Brenna Lane stated: “What an incredible privilege it has been to make clothes for you. We are incredibly proud of what we’ve built, and never could have imagined all the thrilling experiences this adventure would throw our way. We are eternally grateful to our customers, staff, friends and family, and industry peers who have supported us along the way.”
They added that they’re “not disappearing overnight.” Existing customers will have a “last call” to order jeans and all current orders and repairs in progress will be fulfilled.
Detroit Denim will also release a small batch of bags, aprons and small leather goods made from its remaining fabric.
Forced to shutter its physical storefront during the pandemic, the company has been operating solely online but planned to reopen a brick-and-mortar store.
Founded in 2010, Detroit Denim sought to transform the U.S. denim industry by promoting lean, small batch manufacturing and personalized relationships. Yelsma, who at 6-foot and 6-inches wears a 36-waist and 36-inseam—took the leap into made-to-order denim to help other fit-challenged consumers find the perfect pair of jeans.
In addition to collaborations with local artists, custom jeans put the company on the radar of denim heads. An online Build Tool allowed Detroit Denim’s customers to select their preferred fit, fabric, leg, size, fly, and length. Customers could also book a 15-minute virtual fitting with a stylist for more guidance. They could elect to add personal details like their name to the garment label or a message sewn into jeans.
In 2015, the company was one of the first of 10 businesses to receive support through Motor City Match, a grant program run by the city to support local businesses. Citing an “underdog” mentality, Yelsma attributed his company’s success to a commitment to its identity as a niche market brand, made and sold in his hometown.
In an interview with Rivet last year, Lane said about 40 percent of Detroit Denim’s customers came from Michigan; others are Michigan ex-pats. “Detroit has a magnificent manufacturing legacy and people know that if something is made here, it’s made extremely well and probably robustly over-engineered,” she said.
An equally significant portion of Detroit Denim Co.’s customers, Lane said, were people who can’t find what they want off the rack that fits them. “They want to wear raw, selvedge denim. They want to wear ‘real’ denim that’s 100 percent cotton and doesn’t have like 12 percent Lyrca in it, but they just can’t find anything that fits their body that’s offered in those types of fabrics,” she said.
“The size inclusivity and just the way we’re able to cater to our customers’ changing desires and has been such an amazing opportunity,” Lane added. “We were approaching this from the sustainability side. We don’t want to make waste from overproduction, but there are other benefits too, like giving our customers exactly what they want.”
