About Daeker

Handmade Denim, Made in Denver

I've been making clothing full time since I moved out of my mom and dad's house at 18 years old. It wasn't really a side project or a hobby. I just knew what I wanted to dedicate my life to. Sometimes I would only make a few hundred dollars a month, and other times I'd see some success here and there. Either way, I kept making clothes.

Now, as I'm writing this, I have a studio in Denver, Colorado with some of my best friends. We produce handmade garments specializing in denim, jeans, and American workwear. Everything we make is produced in small batches, with a huge focus on the construction and details that originally made me fall in love with denim.

How I Learned

I was very lucky with my internships and previous work experiences. I worked as an intern with an industrial sewing machine mechanic, where I learned how to repair and work on really old machines, some of them up to 100 years old. After that, I worked in a small-scale clothing factory. The machinery there wasn't nearly as interesting as what I saw in the mechanic shop, but I learned a ton about small-batch clothing manufacturing and producing garments at volume.

These two experiences were pivotal for me and my development. One taught me the machinery and the other taught me production. Eventually, I learned how to produce hundreds of pairs of jeans a month while still keeping the price reasonable and the production in-house.

My goal has always been to make some of the best handmade jeans you can get your hands on while keeping them genuinely handmade and not taking any attention away from the details.

Why Handmade Matters

I think once jeans go into mass manufacturing, people naturally start to lose some of that care. I don't blame the companies or the people making the clothing. I just see the issues with it. People work to provide for their families; they aren't always connected to the actual product they're making.

With my name stamped on every single pair, I view these jeans as an extension of myself.

I make them the best I possibly can with the machines and resources around me. If I don't have the correct machine for a task, I simply won't make the product until I do. That's a big reason I've spent years collecting and restoring vintage American industrial sewing machines for denim production. Different machines exist for different operations, and I think using the right equipment makes a difference in the final product.

Why It Takes Time

Making clothing this way takes time. A single pair of handmade jeans goes through a ton of different operations and machines before it's finished. I'm cutting, sewing, finishing, and working through every order that comes into the shop.

I'm not pulling your order off a warehouse shelf, and I'm not sending it to an overseas factory to have it produced. Every pair is made in small batches here in Denver.

I'd rather take a little longer and send you something I'm genuinely proud of than rush through an order just to get it out the door.

What Daeker Stands For

My goal with Daeker is to continue building a small American denim factory in Denver that can provide the best product possible for all of the people who support me.

I want Daeker to grow without losing what made it special in the first place: handmade denim, small-batch production, vintage machinery, quality materials, and attention to detail.

I don't want to make something look handmade. I want it to actually be handmade.

When you purchase a pair of Daeker jeans, you're buying a part of me. My whole life has been dedicated to this, and I have no intentions of changing my plans anytime soon.

I love my job, and I love that you guys give me the ability to continue working on something that is this fulfilling. The customer matters so much to me, and I want to provide the best experience and make the best product I possibly can for the people who continue to support what I'm building.