When a brand leads with the fact that its products are "Made In America," unfortunately, it's a trigger for a lot of shoppers to tune out, assuming the aesthetics won't be up to par. In Shinola's case, that couldn't be farther from the truth. We went to Detroit to get the story behind the watch, bike, and leather company bringing manufacturing back to Motor City and quality timepieces, two-wheels, and accessories to an international cult following. There, we met incredibly warm-hearted individuals, each dedicated to making products the right way — right here, by hand.
Shinola's top-of-the-line factory felt more like a start-up than many of the offices we've seen in NYC. Aside from Shinola's own bottled cola, we found the chicest break room we've ever seen (furnished with restored wood, vintage posters, and a ping pong table). The fact that the company also happens to be bringing jobs and industry back to Detroit is both part of its do-gooder ethos as well as a happy byproduct of the quality work that goes into its sought-after, luxury wares. The best part is, there's no style sacrificed in the process. We could go on about the friends we made, all we learned about watches, and what it was like to ride one of the signature bikes around Detroit (ahem, all awesome), but instead, we'll let the hands behind the watch hands do the talking for us.
Watch the video, re-think what it means to be Made In America, and tune in next week for our next installment as we get to know the craftsmen and women behind more of the products we love.