CC15 is a new brand based in LA that wants to revolutionize the way denim is sourced, produced and delivered.
The man behind the undertaking is Englishman Nathan Bogle, former co-founder of Rag & Bone, who was inspired by his native homeland’s CC41 revolution.
He makes all items locally using deadstock or organic fabric – 100% sourced, cut, sewn and made in LA. New denims, colors, weights and weaves are created every two months with every batch different than the last and individually hand-numbered.
At a very reasonable $125 per pair, here’s the full concept behind CC15 in Bogle’s own words.
The world doesn’t need another clothing brand. But it could certainly use a more efficient way of approaching materials, production and distribution, as we know it. One that begins with a conscience and respect for how we impact our environment, and that carries this ethos throughout every step of the process. Something that I regrettably admit was not a priority in my previous brands. For me, this is a do-over of sorts.
The inspiration for this new approach came from something older; the CC41 Utility Scheme that began two years into the Second World War, where eliminating excess in all its forms became not just a wartime rationing necessity, but a national movement. This British Board of Trade designation appeared on clothing, footwear and furniture indicating that an item met the Government’s strict austerity regulations. The “CC” stood for “Civilian Clothing” and the “41” represented the year the scheme was first proposed. In the hands of CC41, the mark became recognized as a guarantee of sensible design, high-quality materials and workmanship at affordable prices. It is this belief of living within our means and eschewing excess that inspired me to create CC15 for this century.
To this end, CC15 begins by utilizing premium deadstock denim (fabric that would otherwise go to waste), which eliminates the thousands of liters of water, kilowatt hours and miles of transportation normally involved in the making of virgin textiles, in one fell swoop. The next step is to shrink the carbon footprint even further, yet still make production highly functional and uncompromised. Doing this means keeping everything in Los Angeles, so that the fabric sourcing, cutting, sewing, finishing and distribution processes all take place within a 15-mile radius—instead of the usual thousands of overseas miles, typically clocked.
The end result is limited, numbered batches of jeans released every two months in different denims depending on what we find. Every batch is different from the last and made using denim by Candiani, Kaihara, Kurabo, Nisshinbo and Cone.
Is it perfect? Am I wearing a halo? Not by any means, because I’ll freely admit that the hardware had to be made in Argentina and the only label we use comes from Asia, only because of the dwindling manufacturing options in the U.S. But it’s a positive start. Balancing the lack of waste, the reduction of the footprint, and producing high-quality contemporary denim, without a high price point is a feat that borders on fashion alchemy!
In the meantime, don’t expect to see images of me posing in earnest at the CC15 factory or issuing a heartfelt hashtag, because it’s not about flaunting the brand values. It’s not about a heavily crafted brand story shaped by focus groups. CC15 is about straightforward substance and candid conversations. So perhaps the world does need another clothing brand, after all. But it’s conditional on these terms.