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Buck Mason Works Hard To Make Clothing Look Effortless

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Buck Mason is a Los Angeles clothing maker specializing in the sort of effortless chic that makes people in other places long to be in California. The company's founders, Erik Schnakenberg and Sasha Koehn, are Midwest transplants themselves but are happy to play Cali dream-makers online and at the brand's flagship brick-and-mortar store near Venice Beach. I connected with them recently to learn about their inspirations, ideas and whether there really is a Buck.

Buck Mason is made in L.A. but the clothing also feels like L.A. How does the brand, in your minds, reflect the place?

Erik: It’s interesting to hear you say that. We love L.A., but in some ways I think we’re a reaction to it. We’re pared down essentials in the face of pomp and shine. That’s not to say that we haven’t learned from the garment makers here. There’s been thirty years of offshoring and ones left are true masters. I think our look really comes from the Midwest. I grew up in a small farming town in Missouri. It was jeans and tees in summer, and jackets, coveralls and thermals all winter. Brutal winters, clothing’s just a shield at that point, not to say that people didn’t step out. I still see design through function. Buck Mason is about clothing as the vessel, clothing as perfect fit and great fabric and timeless construction. It’s the person who should benefit from the clothes, not the label.

Sasha: There’s an ease to Los Angeles, a confidence and versatility that comes through in the product. Aren’t the best-dressed people always the one’s who look like they aren’t trying? That’s what we try to offer; a line that you can mix and match with stuff you already have, or with our stuff, and you’ll look terrific. It’s about crafting clothes that’ll look great in ten, twenty, thirty years. And with our quality, it’s going to.

What distinguishes your line from other casual clothing manufacturers? What’s the mindset or motto that guides the production of each piece?

Sasha: I think we’re the ultimate information age brand because we aggregate; we bring together the classics and refine them, and we do it domestically, at a fair price. If we had a motto, it would be ‘design through reduction,' which is unusual for a clothing brand. My father’s a sculptor, works in stone, chips away at these massive blocks, and we’re doing the same thing. It’s subtracting in that you take your raw material and cut away the noise, the nonsense, the excess, until you’re left with something simple and refined and perfect.

Erik: Being 100 percent American-made at our quality level and price point didn’t exist before Buck Mason. We couldn’t understand why big brands weren’t producing stateside. Levi’s, Gap , Abercrombie, blue-chip American brands, and only a tiny fraction of them are producing domestically. Why not make here? We did, and it’s not only possible, it’s better. Design-wise, it’s all about knowing when to stop. We say ‘no’ all the time. I think our core strength is discipline; restraint is a totally Midwestern sensibility. Does a garment need a flashy logo? Is that extra novelty stitch on the back pocket really necessary? That’s our daily back and forth.

If Buck Mason were a famous fictional character, an actor or musician or historical figure, who would he be and why? He feels more more Kerouac than JFK but what’s your opinion?

Erik: Probably Springsteen circa ‘75. Check out the cover of Born To Run.

Sasha: ‘Thunder Road’--you can’t beat that song. Talk about effortless, the Boss’s always been a style icon, but 75’s a great vintage.

Erik: Great style comes from the boonies, from Asbury Park to Ohio and Missouri.

Name three pieces from your collection that are hardest to keep in stock?

Erik: White Pima Crew Tee. Indigo Slim and Standard Jeans. Chambray Workshirt.

I assume there’s no Buck Mason, right?

Sasha: Funny. Erik’s dad was a brick-layer, a mason in Missouri. And my dad was a stone sculptor.

Erik: The name is really an homage to them.

Sasha: Plus there’s something visceral and punchy about the word, ‘Buck’.

Erik: Bucking trends, bucking bronco, the power of a buck. Feels pretty damn American.

What’s the biggest challenge for your right now?

Erik: Awareness. The guys that know about us are die hards. Repeat business is off the charts, but we don’t really advertise. It goes against what we’re about. Those dollars would be better spent on finer materials and product development. It’s all word of mouth, but we’re know that if we keep making superior goods, people will find out about us.

Sasha: Our stuff pairs so well with what guys already have, that they buy a few pieces and don’t always venture further out in the collection. They’ll buy a tee, and love it, and keep buying tees, but maybe they take a little while to try chinos, or the raw denim, all of which are incredible. We’re looking for full closet conversion. We’ll get there.

What’s next? What’s the holy grail or long-range dream for the Buckster?

Erik: We just bought a 71-seat, GMC Blue Bird school bus that we’re re-purposing as a fully functional retail store. That’ll be our third store, and I think we’ll do another this fall, outside of California. Long-term I think Buck Mason could really become the next great American brand. The goal would be effortless American style for the masses.

 

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