The Boston fashion scene has a fresh new face. It's not NASA-inspired button-down shirts (hey, Ministry of Supply) or a suiting company that's added denim to its roster (that would be Blank Label) or, even, one of Boston's oldest sneaker brands that's making a big name in high fashion (looking at you, New Balance).
Nope. It's nautical-inspired belts and accessories hand-crafted in the U.S.A. and designed to endure decades of hard use.
It's Jack Iron, and it's now live on Kickstarter.
"We like Kickstarter because it gives us a platform to engage with passionate customers – these are people who really care about new ideas from startup brands," founder Dave Bruenner told me. "We started designing specifically to serve those people who are always on the hunt for something unique to add to their collection, to tell the story of who they are and what they like."
That unique something is, in essence, a metal clasping mechanism called a "snap shackle" – a fixture piece of sailing hardware used to hoist sails and secure lines. And, as it turns out, a distinctly superior way to secure a belt or a keyring or a dog's leash.
It's reminiscent of similar types of belts already on the market. But Bruenner and co-founder Chris Schmidt aren't worried about that.
"There are brands who have been producing nautical or mariničre styles of clothing and accessories since fashion became fashionable, and we really love some of the new 'hook belts' and other nautical-inspired products that are out there," said Bruenner. "However, we're different in that we focused exclusively on celebrating the form and function of the 'snap shackle.' We spent years obsessively editing the details to make our hardware beautiful and fun to operate."
And this belt's buckle is unique, both in form and function.
Added Bruenner:
We engineered a curved thumb release that has been calibrated with just the right amount of spring tension to make it secure but also easy to release and snap back into the shackle's swinging arm with just one hand. The hardware lies flat on the belt, so it puts minimal stress on the rich American leather. All these details were intended to make our products collector's pieces that will survive trends and decades of use.
Jack Iron's products (the name came from a favorite sailboat of Bruenner's grandfather) are largely sourced and assembled in America, from Pennsylvania leather to North Carolina rivets. Everything is strapped and assembled by hand in an industrial warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
The Kickstarter campaign went live this afternoon, and already is at more than 25 percent of its $20,000 goal. Pledge amounts range from $25 for a wallet to $65 for a dog leash and $89 for the belts, designed for both men and women.
The company is based in Lincoln, Mass. And, said Bruenner, it's been a learning experience since day one.
"We are self-taught, so we had to learn a little bit of just about everything, from design to industrial engineering to metal casting and leather crafting. We had many setbacks early on as we learned how to overcome challenges in making our custom, mechanical hardware," he said. "However, this struggle taught us so much about how to make distinctive hardware, and we've made that process, of how we took our idea into action, a core belief of our brand that we hope will inspire others to meet difficult challenges of their own."
The campaign has 29 days remaining. Products are expected to ship this June.
Image via Jack Iron.
