This series follows Tailors from around the world–highlighting their craft, passions, love for the brand and the impact they have on bettering the planet through extending the life of your garments. For Vol. 18, we interviewed Austin Beamon from Austin, TX to delve into his knack for giving once-treasured items a new lease on L-I-V-I-N. Austin approaches signs of wear as an opportunity to reshape the past to fit the vibes of today. This volume provides an inside glimpse of how Austin’s uniquely Austin roots are helping him craft the next generation of western workwear nostalgia. My journey didn’t seriously begin until I moved out of Austin and started my degree in Fashion Design at the University of North Texas. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school, but I knew I appreciated clothing and my interest was growing. So, I quickly put together a portfolio after learning how to sew from my grandma. In between semesters, I worked a few internships in New York and found some great mentors that taught me a lot about the industry. At the end of my time at school, I learned just about everything I know about denim from a true master of the craft – Ciano Farmer. Once I graduated and saw a tailor job opening with Levi’s®, it all seemed like serendipity and I knew I had to jump on the opportunity. I’ve been here about 2 years now and have yet to get tired of seeing all of the different things people bring into the store to work on Since Texas is the *best* state in the country, it never fails to reveal beauty anywhere you look. I’m always just a few minutes from a good nature spot, which is a big inspiration – not only in the color and form of my work, but how the clothing interacts with its surroundings. But being an avid thrifter, I tend to utilize the great thrift and vintage shops around Austin. I get excited when I find a piece tied to the deep history of Texas and discover how it has shaped western workwear, which has been such a staple in American fashion. Skate culture has a special place for me because it's essentially how I developed a passion for clothing and fashion in general. Back in 7th & 8th grade I began accumulating about $50 every couple weeks from mowing lawns. With my newfound “wealth” I would end up scrolling for hours online just looking at t-shirts or clothes Odd Future would drop. I was fascinated with the graphics and color palettes they used. From there, I would discover the people and music associated with the clothing I was seeing. My love for the whole culture grew, and I really connected to the mentality and approach of skaters. I eventually started skating but quickly realized it wasn’t my thing. That’s when denim and tailoring called to me, giving me an outlet to express myself and connect with the punk & rave scenes that I was exploring, and still resonate with today. Growing up having a drummer as a brother, I was surrounded by music at a young age. I began going to concerts in elementary school and always admired the passion of the crowd and how it was one of the few places where everyone could enjoy something together, regardless of their issues or beliefs. I feel like fashion reflects community and goes hand in hand with how music connects people . The strongest example of where I see this are punk/HC shows and raves. These settings inspire me because of their pure expression and being fully detached from the norms and restrictions of day-to-day life. How everyone dresses and expresses themselves in these environments is what moves culture and fashion forward, and I try to enforce that same attitude in the clothing I create. For this pair, I wanted to circle it back to my hometown here in Austin. I desired to create a story by imagining the hypothetical owner as a typical Austinite in the 80’s who took advantage of every ounce of life in the jeans, and then imagining how the jeans would look after being found in a thrift shop, years later. With vintage and chain stitched patches added to recycled fabric, I made references to Austin icons like Barton Springs and Dirty Martin’s, as well as a mechanic shop a family friend owned just up the road from where I live now. My dad was an airplane mechanic and there are a few family members on my mom’s side who have worked in the livestock industry. All of the different personalities that I grew up with influenced the identity of the “owner” seen through the patchwork created on the jeans. I used this pair to reflect my upbringing as well as my love for patchwork and a beautifully aged vintage piece. Probably to take more chances and to be okay with failures. Making mistakes and foolish decisions can lead to some of life’s best lessons. It’s how we learn. There’s no better time to do that than when you’re young, and you have your whole life ahead to reflect and make “the right” decisions. Whether it's putting yourself out there in a new community or making something you don’t feel like you’re professional enough yet to make, I’ve learned it's best to jump in and try. The times I’ve done this still stick out as some of my favorite, most empowering memories. If that’s my reputation, even a little bit, I love it! Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen my fair share of repairs, from going through countless thigh repairs to someone sending me boxes of torn up jeans to fix from their basement in Ohio. The entire process usually ends up being the most rewarding for me because it connects to one of the base reasons of why I make clothing – to have a garment that you savor and want to hold on to for as long as it fits your body. When I see someone get back a freshly darned pair of jeans and I know it’s going to last them a few more years, that’s the best feeling. But out of all of my repairs, probably the *best* one was an old pair of Redlines my friend found at Goodwill that was completely separated at just about every seam, but still intact enough to not be thrown away by the owner! I was tasked to reconstruct it with some Sashiko repairs, and to see it come to life was truly special.MEET AUSTIN BEAMON
Tell us about your journey on becoming a Tailor in Texas.
What is your go-to spot in Texas for inspiration before starting a new project?
I get excited when I find a piece tied to the deep history of Texas and discover how it has shaped western workwear, which has been such a staple in American fashion.
Tell us about your love for skate culture? Has it inspired your style/craft?
Tell us about the influence those scenes and music as a whole has had on you?
Tell us about the story behind the patched-up vintage pair of Levi's® jeans you created?
All of the different personalities that I grew up with influenced the identity of the “owner” seen through the patchwork created on the jeans.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
From rips to tears – word is you are the repair guy. Do you have a favorite repair story you can share?
