Shinola: Behind The Brand

Shinola started out in shoe polish, a brand that was prevalent throughout the war but died out not long after. The name however, has been rekindled and revamped and is now a champion of stateside manufacturing, pulling against type in a world that is increasingly going East. We spoke to Jacques Panis, the company president and one of the driving forces behind Shinola’s meteoric rise about what makes them tick.

Driving’s an apt word to use, as the company have decided to call Detroit home, a city that for so long was the centre of the American automotive industry but fallen on some tough times since, have filing for bankruptcy two years ago; although recovery is now underway. Shinola presence presents a light among the abandoned buildings, bringing good, skilled jobs back to a city that has suffered so much in the recent past.

Everything Shinola makes is assembled in America and that’s part of the thought process behind their eclectic product range, from watches and bicycles to leather goods such as bags, pet-wear and piggy banks. “The common thread is what can we make in America? It’s very driven by what we can make in the US, what can we assemble in US? We’re on our way to all of our leather goods being 100% American made, our watches are built in Detroit, our Bicycles are built in Detroit,” Panis told us.

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The Runwell 47mm, £475 from Shinola

So why Detroit specifically? “It’s a city that is filled with people who have manufacturing in their DNA, people who understand quality. So for us it was a natural place to call home because of the heritage of the city in terms of manufacturing. We’re making motors in Detroit, our motors power our watches and so it was at a certain level a very natural fit.”

It would be a fair assessment to say watches and bicycles are Shinola’s most recognisable products. Their production of watches really put them on the map. In 2013 they released their first watch, The Runwell Limited Edition, both sizes available completely sold out in under 2 weeks. They now have a wider range, which remains just as popular and relatively affordable, especially when you take into account that they’re not Far-East assembled.

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The Runwell 47mm (Stainless Steel), £605 from Shinola

Shinola are the only company in America building watches at such a scale and that has more than resonated with customers. It’s not just the high-quality products that are behind the brand’s burgeoning reputation but the story also,

“This isn’t just another thing, or another item, or another bag, or another watch or another bike, it’s something with story, it’s something that has a life to it and all of these objects here at Shinola have blood, sweat and tears and love built in to them from the people that are assembling them, our craftspeople in Detroit and around the country for that matter… they’re working with their hands,”

Shinola isn’t alone in their quest to give America a voice once again. Collaboration is proving central to the brand’s philosophy but their fundamental principles remain. They’ve got ongoing partnerships with the likes of photographer Bruce Weber for pet accessories, Golden Bear for apparel and a watch partnership with American heritage brand, Filson,

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Colored Edge Dog Collar, £65 from Shinola

“We want that type of collaboration to happen when we’re thinking about product categories, when we’re thinking about marketing initiatives or product development ideas, we’re always looking for partners to work with and collaborate with… it’s about finding the right partners that can help tell the story and really share the story with the consumer in a wholesome way, not just 3 watches in a case, it’s about being able to share Shinola’s story.”

Shinola has just crossed the pond and gone transatlantic, opening a store in the heart of Soho as their first London location bringing their extensive range of expertly crafted products to the UK. For them Soho, like Detroit, was a natural move.

“Well this neighbourhood is one that’s rich with culture, a lot of heritage here and a great sense of community…I mean this street really speaks to what the brand is about and it’s about this community.”

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The Bixby Bicycle, £1,675 from Shinola

You can visit their London space, situated on 13 Newburgh Street, where they stock everything from watches to bikes and their beautiful linen journals and leather goods. Selfridges have also recently opened their esteemed doors to Shinola as well, both with a suitably styled in-store concession and an online range. So what’s next for a brand that has taken hearts, minds and wrists by storm?

“We have to continue innovating and through the next product categories that we’ll be launching, you’ll see a lot of great innovation and very interesting stories to be told.”

Undoubtedly we’re excited to see what comes next, as you should be too, gents.

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