Meet the Designer That Makes Millions From Vintage (Better With Age)

Quick Overview

The designer of the brand Better With Age, Remy, built the multi-million dollar operation by focusing on high-quality, meticulously crafted vintage-inspired pieces, such as hand-stitched jeans and single-stitch tees, sourced from various suppliers and then refined in-house, rejecting the trend of fast-fashion replication.

Key Points: Better With Age is a multi-million dollar operation founded by Remy, who started the brand as a side hustle while working at Young & Reckless. The brand prioritizes high-quality production, using techniques like single-stitch tees (pre-1997) and double-needle cover stitching on new denim. Original vintage pieces, like 1950s Swedish prison pants, are highly valued and meticulously examined for authenticity. The design process is described as being like being a rapper, where creativity and storytelling are crucial, contrasting with brands that only focus on looking cool. The company handles most production in-house, including sourcing, distressed washing, finishing, tagging, and packaging, to maintain strict quality control. A pair of the brand's custom-reworked jeans (like the double-wide blank ones) can resell for $550 or more on platforms like eBay. Remy advises aspiring designers to focus on making good, authentic product rather than chasing trends, stating that if the product is good, people will find you.

Context: The video features an interview by Superline with Remy, the Creative Director and founder of the fashion brand Better With Age, inside the brand's Los Angeles workshop/warehouse. The interview focuses on how Remy grew his niche brand from a side project into a successful operation, detailing his commitment to high-quality, vintage-inspired manufacturing techniques and his underlying philosophy about authenticity in fashion.

Detailed Analysis

The video interviews Remy, the founder and Creative Director of the vintage-inspired brand Better With Age, revealing the keys to its success as a multi-million dollar operation run from a Los Angeles warehouse. Remy began the brand as a side hustle while interning for Young & Reckless and later started his own vintage store in Miami at age 15. He emphasizes that their success comes from prioritizing high-quality, authentic production over simply following trends. For example, their vintage tees are predominantly single-stitch (pre-1997), and their custom denim features meticulous details like double-needle cover stitching and precise distressing, with blanks costing around $550 before labor. Remy notes that they handle about 80% of production in-house, including sourcing, washing, distressing, tagging, and packaging, to ensure everything meets their high standards, contrasting this with brands that copy trends without substance. He points to a sign listing their internal quality checks: embroidery, distress print, chain stitch, double stitch, and press/chain stitch. He also shows off unique accessories, like a vintage-fabric pouch made from Pendleton scraps, and mentions that their custom-reworked jeans are 'one of one.' Remy's advice to aspiring designers is to focus on creating truly good products with a story, as quality will eventually attract the right customers, even if it means ignoring the typical corporate fashion structures.