Brooklyn-based pin accessory and lifestyle brand Pintrill, has been at the forefront of the resurgent personalization trend in denim and streetwear.
Pintrill has benefited from both the rediscovery of collectible pins among younger generations, as well as consumers using denim in ways that show off their personalities and hobbies—be it sneaker collecting or social causes.
The company pays close attention to what’s current and newsworthy both online and in the streetwear circuit to design pins that will resonate with consumers keen to express themselves. With an e-commerce site replete with pop culture-inspired pins and a gold-on-black pin that says, “Good Vibes Only” as a consistent bestseller since day one, it’s no surprise the trendy brand has secured its place in the customization game.
“I think that the personalization trend affects our business in a great way. People want to make their jackets and their overalls and their shirts more personalized, more customized, so they look to us for pins,” Pintrill founder and creative director Jordan Roschwalb, said.
Roschwalb’s interest in pins goes back to his childhood, when he would pick out a pin at the check-out counter each time he accompanied his dad to the Harley Davidson dealership. “In the dealership where they sell bikes, they have their whole apparel section, and it really evokes the lifestyle,” he said. “A pin was an easy thing that was not too expensive for me to get, so it was an easy thing for me to collect.”
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The entrepreneur started collecting pins again in 2013, and soon after, decided to leave his corporate job at Mercedes Benz as he felt there was a void in the pin making market, with no company focused solely on that.
In just three and a half years, Pintrill has evolved into a high-quality pin manufacturer that has collaborated with brands like Champion and Uniqlo, as well as artists including Naturel and Kai.
In addition to wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales, Pintrill has a private label business, where it works with different companies to manufacture the pins.
Roschwalb believes that Pintrill became a leader in the market thanks to the timing of its launch—when consumers are particularly interested in personalization—and as first on the scene. But it’s the product that’s garnered the company the most popularity.
“Our attention to detail and our attention to quality is much different from any other pin brand, whether they are an actual brand or a manufacturer,” Roschwalb said.
And there’s more yet in store for Pintrill if you ask Roschwalb. “I don’t always consider Pintrill to be so successful,” he said. “I think that we have so many things left to accomplish.”
Next on the agenda for the company will be products that work as sets. Using the brand’s PB & J pins (a peanut butter jar and a jelly jar) that sell as a set as an example, Roschwalb said his aim is to release patches or keychains that go with a pin and complement each other to “give people the opportunity to express themselves in more ways.”
These types of products would allow consumers more options as to how they wear Pintrill and customize their fashion. “We really want to give people the opportunity to really personalize,” Roschwalb said.