Overview
Frank Pizzuro's one-stop-shop for denim is a favorite of New Yorker denim heads.
Deep Dive
With a storied career in merchandising spanning nearly four decades, Frank Pizzuro catapulted from managing a men’s wear boutique in his home state of Michigan to launching the retail divisions of top brands like AG Adriano Goldschmied, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana and Lucky Brand.
After hopscotching across the Midwest, SoCal, Las Vegas and the East Coast, Pizzuro finally landed in New York with the aim of striking out on his own.
In 2010, he opened up shop in hipster haven Williamsburg, filling the newly minted Brooklyn Denim Co. with raw denim and a curated selection of men’s and women’s jeans, outerwear, leather, apparel and accessories from more than 50 different worldwide labels.
The denim boutique offers tailoring and repair by some of the borough’s best craftsmen, and features one-of-a-kind jeans from First Standard Company, handmade in Brooklyn.
What will the denim industry be like in the next 18 months?
The next 18 months will be a transitional time for denim. It was already starting to work on sustainability and more direct-to-consumer, and I think this will just accelerate those at a much higher speed.
What changes would you like to see in the denim industry as a result of Covid-19?
Personally, I would really like to see a move to more U.S.-made and quality denim going forward. People will be shopping less and we should move away from disposable fast fashion to higher quality denim made to last, as well as more recycling and repairing of product. A good pair of jeans gets better with time.
How do you define sustainability in a post-pandemic world?
I think sustainability needs to be redefined to apply not only to fabrics and washes but sourcing, transportation and distribution. The industry has started to move in the right direction but if you use organic products but then move them over thousands of miles and countries to get them to the stores you kind of wash out the good you have done.
Describe your dream jeans.
One that is classic, well-worn and durable. Isn’t that what everyone wants in a jean?
What is your most worn pair of jeans, and why?
That’s a tough one since I’m pretty hard on my jeans. I have a pair of LVC 1944 remakes that I have beat into the ground, but I love them.