In the summer of 2015, while the first batch of Three Pocket Jackets, Field Shirts & Four Pocket Pants were being sewn in downtown San Francisco, I met the owner of orSlow, Ichiro Nakatsu, while visiting New York. I instantly had a great deal of respect for his work - the clear focus and seriousness he has towards it, and the passion for only making products that he finds meaningful.

Over the years, we would catch up where we could, in New York, Paris or his hometown of Osaka. I always enjoy the process of getting to know the people behind a company - as you peel back the layers you get a sense of what really drives them, the unique point of view that brings their work to life.

My approach to collaboration has been simple. I like to work with friends, particularly when they specialize in something I don't make. My guiding rule has been, if someone does a really good job making a certain product then I don't feel the need to make it. I'm more motivated by dissatisfaction or not being able to find what I'm looking for.

Around five years ago I started to ask Ichiro if he would ever make a larger silhouette, something with a wide leg and high rise - but it didn't seem like that was his thing. I would tease him every so often, asking if he had changed his mind. He never strayed from his point of view and eventually he just told me to develop the pattern for it. So that's how this project came about; we built on the orSlow base pattern and established the fit of our own version of their classic five pocket jean. Cut from their custom developed ''one wash'' denim that orSlow has been using for years, which possesses a beautiful shade of indigo and a great texture that's brought out in the rinse process.

We began the project with the initial pattern development in the fall of 2022. Sometimes it can feel like a long and twisting journey for ideas to become reality. But that only makes it more exciting. More photos from our orSlow visit can be found in the notes post.