Knickerbocker Interview: Andrew on New York Roots, Design Philosophy & Bringing the Brand to the UK
We sat down with Knickerbocker founder Andrew to talk through the story behind the brand, how he keeps each collection consistent season after season, and which pieces best capture what Knickerbocker is all about.
“Knickerbocker was founded in New York City in 2013. I was really just a kid trying to make things and it all started in manufacturing before there was any real intentional movement around the building of a brand.
Through a bit of luck with a Kickstarter campaign we were able to purchase a factory I had been working on the border of Brooklyn and Queens, and everything grew from there. There was intent but it was simple and direct without any sort of grand business plan, just a focus on making things the right way and seeing where it could go.”
That's how Andrew bought Knickerbocker to life, we chatted through his intentions with the brand and who is around his dream dinner table...
What's the thinking behind the Knickerbocker name?
The name comes from old New York. Knickerbocker was a term used to describe early Dutch settlers and later became shorthand for the city itself. It felt like a natural way to root the brand in New York without being too literal.
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Knickerbocker is known for its high-quality fabrics and consistent collections each season. Can you give us a brief overview of your design process and how you maintain that level of consistency?
Each season builds on what is already there. We are not starting from scratch, we are refining. That usually means adjusting a fit, improving construction or developing fabrics further based on what we have learned over time.
It may sound obvious when put this way, but consistency comes from having a clear foundation and understanding of who you are as a brand, and then simply building on that foundation. Working from that foundation, and understanding that product design is not a solitary process but one built through long term relationships with the same mills and factories, creates a shared understanding of what we are trying to achieve. That continuity shows up in the product each season.
I spend two days each week with our factories here in Portugal, which is a critical part of the process. Being close to the product allows us to make ongoing adjustments that would be difficult to do otherwise. Many of those decisions are small and not always immediately noticeable, but over time they add up. The intention is that you feel it in the product, even if you cannot always point to exactly why.
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For the TGD customer that is discovering Knickerbocker for the first time, which items from our curated buy would you recommend to give over the essence of the brand?
The Beefy Cotton Oxford is grounded and versatile. It is a core shirt for us and a good example of how we think about fabric and fit. The cloth was developed from a vintage oxford that had the weight we were after, something that sits between a work shirt and a more formal shirt without being boxed into either. The fit is slightly relaxed with a shorter tail so it works just as well untucked as it does dressed up.
The Scout Nylon Jacket is technical and understated. It comes from an outdoorsman reference but is done in an elevated Italian fabric that offers water repellency while still feeling natural in hand. It is built with function in mind but easy to wear day to day without feeling overly technical.
The Canal Pleated Twill Cotton & Linen Pant is structured and adaptable. It combines utilitarian construction through flat-felled chain stitched seams with more tailored details in the pleats, waistband and fly. It is a pant made for the work week while being just as reliable as your favorite 5 pocket jean.
The Penny Loom Shirt is textural and relaxed. The familiar camp collar silhouette is made in an open-weave fabric from a European mill, which adds a different surface feel and lightness to a very traditional shape.
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We always like to ask what influences your brand creatively and what other brands and aesthetics do you look up to? Where do you get your inspiration?
A lot comes from my first love of vintage. We look closely at those references and consider how to carry them forward in a way that feels relevant today. It is a mix of references from military, workwear and sportswear.
There is also a strong European influence, especially through textiles. We often take more traditional silhouettes and reinterpret them using more fluid fabrics from European mills rather than the rigid materials they were originally made in. We appreciate both materials and how they sit at different ends of that spectrum. We try to find a balance between structure and ease as well as functionality and wearability.
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Lastly Dead or alive, what 5 people are you inviting to the Knickerbocker x The Great divide dinner party to celebrate the brand coming over to the UK?
This is an impossible one but these were some of the first that came to mind. A mix of people who each had a clear point of view and stuck to it. All have inspired me in different ways. I'll go with Yvon Chouinard, Miles Davis, Jean Prouvé, Daniel Day-Lewis, Eric Cantona.