{"id":16347,"date":"2017-01-03T07:30:22","date_gmt":"2017-01-03T12:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/?p=16347"},"modified":"2017-01-03T07:30:22","modified_gmt":"2017-01-03T12:30:22","slug":"divine-denim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/divine-denim\/","title":{"rendered":"Divine Denim"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div id='fullscreen_slider_1'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link av-control-default' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids=''  data-video_counter='1'  data-autoplay='true'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_1'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout='av-control-default'  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-1 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-control-default av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 100%;' ><li  data-controls='' data-mute='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_mute' data-loop='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_loop' data-disable-autoplay=''  data-mobile-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_078.jpg' data-fallback-link='http:\/\/' class=' av-video-slide av-element-cover av-video-service-html5  av-mute-video av-loop-video av-mobile-fallback-image av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap ' style='background-image:url(\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_078.jpg\");'  ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center caption_center_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  style='font-size:28px; ' class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >DIVINE DENIM<\/h2><div class='avia-caption-content  av_inherit_color'  itemprop=\"description\"   style='font-size:18px; '><p>Bill Mitchell is an evangelist in the American denim revival.<br \/>\nBy Savannah Mozingo \u201915<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class='av-click-overlay'><\/div><video class=\"avia_video\" poster=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_078.jpg\" autoplay loop preload=\"metadata\" muted controls id=\"player_16347_1499047473_2070356670\" >\t<source src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Header.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\" \/><\/video><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16347'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><blockquote>\n<p>Once synonymous with bowlegged cowboys and the miners of the San Francisco Gold Rush, denim has transformed itself into one of the most innovative fabrics in today\u2019s textile trade. It has weathered the trends from the rough and ready 19th century utilitarian uniform through 70s bellbottoms to today\u2019s skinny jeans and many more in between to become a permanent staple in every closet. Like any icon, denim has its own fans who follow it with a near-religious zeal.<br \/>\nBut there are also the artisans like Bill Mitchell \u201910 who step forward to own the movement, reshape it for the next generation. In the manner of a true ambassador, Mitchell has taken it a step further, specifically in his commitment to using denim to revitalize the South\u2019s rich textile history.<br \/>\nBut the road from denim fan to culture preservationist has not been short.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_2'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='no scaling'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='16430'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_2'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-2 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-no scaling av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.7692307692%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_026.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-2' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_bottom caption_bottom_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >Coming up with something cool<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_2'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16347'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><blockquote>\n<p>For most college seniors, desks are a clutter of last-minute assignments, job applications and maybe a graduate school application or two. But scattered over Bill Mitchell\u2019s desk were scraps of denim and bits and pieces of patterns.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhen I wasn\u2019t at class, I\u2019d be back in my room with a giant rack of clothes compiled from all my friends, and I would go through and fix them,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cMost of senior year I was just listening to podcasts and sewing.\u201d<br \/>\nIt began with just the odd tuck here and a stitch there on whatever was at hand. A natural born tinkerer, Mitchell loved the problem solving that came with clothes. He approached them just like another one of his childhood Lego sets: no directions, just a visual image and the powerful combination of creativity and a can-do attitude. Almost unconsciously, his natural curiosity soon pushed past tailoring back to square one \u2014 the design itself.<br \/>\n\u201cThe idea of building something from raw materials was so exciting to me,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>While Mitchell didn\u2019t know it at the time, he was taking the first step of what was going to become Billiam Jeans: an artisan boutique that would be hailed as a pillar of the returning Southern textile craftsmanship \u2014 turning out raw, highly coveted selvedge denim, made on vintage shuttle looms and custom stitched to order.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAt the time, I was just trying my absolute best to come up with something that was cool and something that was me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_3'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='no scaling'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='16437'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_3'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-3 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-no scaling av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.7692307692%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_078.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-3' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >Learning to be curious again<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_3'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16347'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>But who was Bill Mitchell? It was going to take him some time to come to that answer. Uprooted by a family move to the Greenville area when he was in high school, Mitchell found himself an outsider at his new school.<br \/>\n\u201cI kind of had a crazy, go wild sort of period in my life,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what I was doing, and I was making decisions that probably weren\u2019t the best.\u201d<br \/>\nChuckling to skirt the details, he says he eventually came to a fork in his road. Either he could continue living the way he was living or he could be a totally different person and figure out his life. While he\u2019d attended the local tech school, Mitchell had friends who went to Clemson and were members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). After a bit of encouragement, they finally convinced Mitchell to join them for one of the group\u2019s weekly Thursday worship sessions.<br \/>\nHe still remembers how electric that first night was. Ever since moving to South Carolina, Mitchell had searched for a community where he could belong and contribute. And finally here it was.<br \/>\nThe realization had stunned him.<br \/>\n\u201cI saw the band and was like \u2018Man, that\u2019s what I want to do,\u2019\u201d said Mitchell. That night he returned home with a challenge before him: do well at Greenville Tech so that he could transfer to Clemson and be a part of this community.\u00a0 His sophomore year Mitchell buckled down, taking 46 hours of credit and practicing for his audition. Almost before he knew it, it was the fall semester, and he was on stage as the FCA guitarist and taking management and marketing classes in Sirrine Hall.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Looking back at what he learned, Mitchell sees that it was never about tests or grades. \u201cI learned how to be curious again, and I think that was the most important part,\u201d he said. \u201cI learned how to be a kid again.\u201d<br \/>\nIn Clemson, the childhood habit of tinkering came back full force. \u201cI had taken so many things apart that I kind of understood through reverse manufacturing how [clothing] worked,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cSo I bought a pattern and was like, \u2018I\u2019m going to make a pair of jeans.\u2019 I wanted to create something from nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It had started with just one pair of jeans, born out of curiosity more than anything else.<br \/>\n\u201cThey were pretty rough,\u201d Mitchell recalls, laughing. The legs hung unevenly and there wasn\u2019t even a button to recommend them, just crudely stitched belt loops that Mitchell wound a rope through. First and foremost in Mitchell\u2019s mind was that he wanted to improve. The first pair had been good in its own way, but good needed to be better; better needed to be perfect.\u00a0 It was just the sort of creative challenge he thrives on.<br \/>\n\u201cI started tailoring things, then I designed my patterns,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cThen after that I began putting things on Facebook. The posts simply said \u2018Making jeans now. If you want some, then send me a message.\u2019 People would start messaging me, and I would take it from there.\u201d<br \/>\nAided by Mitchell\u2019s contagious charisma and his innate desire to get out of the woodwork, Billiam Jeans was quickly on the tip of everyone\u2019s tongue. He soon had a waiting list more than 400 orders long scrawled in one of his school notebooks.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI got to this point where I was hiding from everyone because everyone was asking \u2018Jeans? Where are my jeans?\u2019 I was one person; I couldn\u2019t make 400 pairs of pants!\u201d Mitchell exclaimed. \u201cI\u2019m sure there are still people who are waiting on their jeans from six years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><p><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>What makes a pair of jeans well crafted?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/Dv4BQYWZsqc' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Dv4BQYWZsqc\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/Dv4BQYWZsqc<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_4'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-17  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids=''  data-video_counter='1'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_4'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-4 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 100%;' ><li  data-controls='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_controls' data-mute='' data-loop='' data-disable-autoplay='aviaTBaviaTBvideo_autoplay'  data-mobile-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_009.jpg' class=' av-video-slide av-element-cover av-video-service-youtube  av-hide-video-controls av-mobile-fallback-image av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-4' class='avia-slide-wrap ' style='background-image:url(\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_009.jpg\");'  ><div class='av-click-overlay'><\/div><div class='mejs-mediaelement'><div height='1600' width='900' class='av_youtube_frame' id='player_16347_813581488_1764607512'  data-autoplay='0'  data-videoid='VDPrhuPuok0'  data-hd='1'  data-rel='0'  data-wmode='opaque'  data-playlist='player_16347_813581488_1764607512'  data-loop='0'  data-version='3'  data-autohide='1'  data-color='white'  data-controls='0'  data-showinfo='0'  data-iv_load_policy='3'  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/VDPrhuPuok0' ><\/div><\/div><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_4'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16347'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-18  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-19  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3>DENIM DEALER<\/h3>\n<p>As he moved toward graduation, Mitchell realized he needed to get serious if he wanted to grow his hobby into a real business. He sold his car to purchase the first of many machines that began to fill his parents\u2019 basement with their steady whirring. The small room was soon packed wall-to-wall with straight stitchers, sergers, rivet presses and any friend with nimble fingers that he could get to help. When they inevitably grew out of the basement, a friend offered them the backroom of his rock climbing gym. After that, Billiam Jeans expanded once more in the backroom of Dapper Ink, the screen-print boutique on Wade Hampton Boulevard. He eventually moved into the storefront space next door.<br \/>\nEven as he nestled himself more firmly into the Greenville community, Mitchell was picking up traction in the larger world of denim connoisseurs. \u201cThere\u2019s a massive culture of people who are just addicted to denim,\u201d he said. \u201cThey won\u2019t wash their jeans for two years and will watch them fade and take on a character of their own. \u201c<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Mitchell will joke that he\u2019s a \u201cdenim dealer\u201d for these sorts of fanatics, the connoisseurs who obsess over every element of the product.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And details abound in Mitchell\u2019s jeans. Most important is the unmistakable weave of selvedge denim \u2014 a tighter, denser knit that gives the material a sturdier feel than traditional denim and also results in visible variations on the material\u2019s surface. Cuff the leg and you can see the delicate chain stitch. Hardwear, rivets, buttons, thread, pocket linings \u2014 it\u2019s all American made. The machines that bring it all together are a blend of the old and the new \u2014 some from the 1940s sourced from warehouse auctions and old estates, in a variety of conditions, that Mitchell has coaxed back into a semblance of working order in his pursuit of holistic denim. Balancing that out are some of the newest machines available.<br \/>\nThen of course there is the fabric itself.<br \/>\n\u201cThe things needed to make denim were all right here, and I did not know about it when I started doing things,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cSo I literally haphazardly walked into a goldmine of living in the perfect area. I mean, talk about full circle of my parents first moving here and me hating living here, and now it\u2019s kind of been the best thing ever. Where I sit now was only really made possible by their decision.\u201d<br \/>\nWoven on American Draper x3 Shuttle Looms from the early 1900s that bounce off the hardwood floors of the mill, the fabric is sourced from Cone Mill, one of the oldest and most renowned mills in the world. Famous as the exclusive supplier for Levi Strauss &amp; Co since 1922, it\u2019s also America\u2019s last selvedge mill \u2014 located right in Greensboro, North Carolina, just three hours from Billiam\u2019s headquarters.<br \/>\nThe intention behind Billiam Jeans extends even beyond its final product. A portion of the proceeds from every pair goes toward supporting Wellspring Living in Atlanta, a nonprofit that serves to rehabilitate the victims of domestic sex trafficking. It\u2019s not part of a marketing plan. In Mitchell\u2019s eyes, it\u2019s about doing what\u2019s right, and that should be a given, not a gimmick.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if they\u2019re the best jeans in the world; every pair of jeans, they\u2019re cotton. By its very nature, it\u2019s going to fall apart,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cI have this kind of, now I wouldn\u2019t call it fatalistic, but I have this understanding that nothing lasts forever.\u201d He goes on to explain that while material things might not last, the impact that they can have when paired with intentionality can be powerful. Jeans will just be jeans, but Billiam will be a movement. It says by example that craftsmanship without purpose is only half an idea.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-21  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><p><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Why the nontraditional approach to financing your business?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/ACd5TfYaPZk' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ACd5TfYaPZk\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/ACd5TfYaPZk<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_5'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-24  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='no scaling'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='16435'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_5'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-5 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-no scaling av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 66.7692307692%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_071.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-5' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center caption_center_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >American denim crosses the pond<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_5'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-16347'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-25  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-26  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><blockquote>\n<p>These passions for details are what attracted Mitchell\u2019s next business opportunity. Drawn by the quality craftsmanship, the London-based luxury shoe designer Oliver Sweeney approached Billiam Jeans with a special request.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe were on Instagram and had liked one of their photos,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cHe saw and turned around and bought a pair of jeans immediately. I think he was looking for a denim brand to collaborate at the time so it was definitely a right time, right place scenario for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Sweeney and Mitchell began talking business and eventually dived into a full-on collaboration. Roughly a year later in the summer of 2015, Billiam had completed a line for the London designer. For the grand opening, Mitchell and several of his denim magicians were flown over to London to act as the artists-in-residence at the Oliver Sweeney shop. Europeans were pulled in by the living embodiment of the American denim revival; jeans flew off the shelf.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s been seven years now since it all began in his Clemson dorm room. The jeans that used to lie in piles on his bedroom floor are now stacked neatly on shelves in London and in his very own workshop.<br \/>\n\u201cI got an external hard drive two days ago, and I saw all of the beginning photos of what we started with,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cLooking at those pictures again, it was a thought of, \u2018How did this even happen?\u2019\u201d<br \/>\nBut the waiting list hasn\u2019t grown any shorter since that 400 orders. And now Mitchell isn\u2019t sewing alone. Several fulltime employees and interns from virtually every college in the area huddle over their sewing machines in the light-filled front room of Billiam\u2019s workshop, trading jokes between stitches. Americana music plays over the speakers, and friends and clients are a constant stream through the front doors paying homage to Mitchell\u2019s vision with their enthusiasm.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s not a huge factory of days past, but this is undoubtedly a creative preservation of that history, a new spin on an old idea.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-28  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_gallery  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><p><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Why Billiam Jeans?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/dPycOWYicGI' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/dPycOWYicGI\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/dPycOWYicGI<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-gallery  avia-gallery-1 avia_lazyload avia-gallery-animate avia_animate_when_visible  avia-builder-el-31  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_full '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class='avia-gallery-thumb'> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_009.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_009-495x400.jpg' class='first_thumb lightbox ' data-onclick='1' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_009-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_009' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_051-1030x688.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_051-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='2' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_051-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_051' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_109.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_109-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='3' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_109-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_109' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_033.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_033-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='4' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_033-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_033' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_028.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_028-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='5' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_028-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_028' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_085-1030x688.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_085-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='6' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_085-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_085' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_076.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_076-495x400.jpg' class='first_thumb lightbox ' data-onclick='7' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_076-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_076' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_064-1030x688.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_064-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='8' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_064-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_064' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_014.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_014-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='9' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_014-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_014' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_016-2-1030x688.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_016-2-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='10' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_016-2-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_016' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_057-1030x688.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_057-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='11' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_057-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_057' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_058-1030x688.jpg' data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_058-495x400.jpg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='12' title=''  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" ><img  src='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_058-495x400.jpg' width='495' height='400'  title='Billiam_058' alt='' \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-32  el_after_av_gallery  el_before_av_one_third  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/VDPrhuPuok0' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/VDPrhuPuok0\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/VDPrhuPuok0<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_third  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-34  el_after_av_one_full  el_before_av_one_third  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/dPycOWYicGI' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/dPycOWYicGI\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/dPycOWYicGI<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_third  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-36  el_after_av_one_third  el_before_av_one_third  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/Dv4BQYWZsqc' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Dv4BQYWZsqc\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/Dv4BQYWZsqc<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_third  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-38  el_after_av_one_third  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/youtu.be\/ACd5TfYaPZk' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ACd5TfYaPZk\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/ACd5TfYaPZk<\/a><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-40  el_after_av_one_third  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-41  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">Savannah Mozingo \u201915 is a budding techie working with Blackbaud Inc. when she\u2019s not busy turning words into stories. She lives in Charleston.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-43  el_after_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-last  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bill Mitchell made his first pair of jeans in his dorm room. Now he&#8217;s an evangelist in the denim revival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[372,951,1112,1236,1240,1647,2133,2620,2953,3311],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-16347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-billiam-jeans","tag-denim","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-features","tag-features-winter-2017","tag-jeans","tag-oliver-sweeney","tag-small-business","tag-textiles","tag-winter-2017-features"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/12\/Billiam_007.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16347"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=16347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}