Scott Morrison is obsessed with denim. The designer and president of Earnest Sewn, the company whose handmade-style blue jeans are worn by Uma Thurman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Beyoncé, lives and breathes thread counts, rivets, back pockets and washes. Earnest Sewn's PR director and muse, Eleanor Lembo, a Manhattan It Girl, is obsessed with fashion. The pair make a killer team. "Eleanor's style, attitude and personality are perfect for the company," raves Morrison. "Scott is a denim purist," says Lembo. "I'm Scott's idea of our female customer: a city girl who is uptown and downtown." The concept of Earnest Sewn, which will soon include In Earnest Cut and Sew, a line of sweaters, outerwear, knits and T-shirts, is old-school mom-and-pop craftsmanship. "I've always been in love with having a cottage industry," explains Morrison, who spent a year as a pro golfer before getting into the rag business. "Things you'd see in a general store, a little imperfect but with a lot of attention to detail." The label's first concept store is under their headquarters in the Meat Packing District, selling the complete Earnest Sewn line (including limited-edition pieces and one-offs) as well as distressed-leather messenger bags and hand-cobbled footwear by Carpe Diem. There will also be a monthly exhibit illustrating how a pair of jeans is produced from sketches to final product and a customization area where shoppers can design their own perfect pair of jeans, right down to the last rivet.
PETER DAVIS
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