First Look

ACL & Co.

Michael Williams, the Americana-loving aesthete behind A Continuous Lean, is launching his ACL & Co. brand today and talks us through the process.

It Started with a Bag

"Years ago, I was looking for a zippered pouch to put my camera, charger and things in. All of the options out there were cheap plastic so I decided that I'd make my own. With ACL, I finally had an outlet to sell them, so I started sourcing fabric and found a factory in New Jersey. It seemed boring to just sell the bags, so there's co-labeled products from brands I like. Stuff you can't find anywhere else."

Made in America

"The shop is doing its part to further American manufacturing, something I care deeply about, but we'll also be offering some other goods made outside the US. Mark McNairy's shoes, for example, are all made in this place called England. I think it is some province of China."

Canvas bags, $24.50 to $98.50; Cargo pants, $228; Dirty bucks, $295; Briefcase, $325; all at the ACL Shop.

On Designing

"Let me just say that I'm not by any means a designer. I think McNairy will attest to this—I probably asked him a billion questions about the canvas bags I made, which are pretty fucking simple things."

It Ended with a Bag

"The bag I did with Billykirk is one of my favorites. They're based on a WWII bag made for the U.S. Navy. For ours, we used Talon zippers and Horween leather for the trim."