About
Knickerbocker, a New York-based brand founded by Andrew Livingston in 2013, began as a manufacturing company on the border of Brooklyn and Queens.
Knickerbocker's philosophy centers around a deep appreciation for people and processes, which the brand has carried with it as it has expanded to work with like-minded mills and factories. Knickerbocker's collection reflects a fusion of classic American style with layered elements of art, music, and sports, emphasizing tradition, utility and purpose.
Read on for more of the story from the founder.
Our New York Factory
I had been making hats with a 60-year-old factory on the border of Brooklyn and Queens known as Watman Headwear Corp when the owner asked if I would be interested in buying the space off him—sewing machines included. With funds from a Kickstarter campaign, two friends and I did just that, founding Knickerbocker Manufacturing Co. and putting pen to paper on the contract you see here. We manufactured pieces for other companies alongside our own Knickerbocker label.
The factory provided the ideal foundation for the brand—allowing us to develop, experiment and fail in a hands-on environment. But producing a single garment in America can be an arduous journey. As a small brand with limited resources, we needed to tap into an ecosystem that would allow us to focus more on making great products and less on the logistics that came from piecing together a lackluster supply chain. After five years of operating Knickerbocker Manufacturing Co., we shut it down in the summer of 2018.
Moving To Portugal
I showed up to Portugal on a hunch, and what I found exceeded my expectations. Portugal's rich textile history and warm people welcomed me with open arms. Following the winding roads of Northern Portugal, I arrived at these mills and factories nestled amidst the farm-dotted landscape. Always greeted by the owner, there's a shared sense of mutual appreciation. A morning’s meeting is inevitably followed by a big, long lunch—where even the strongest espresso will struggle to get you back on your feet. Most of the factories we work with in Portugal are family owned and operated. When taking it all in—the people, the culture and the environment—it feels quite romantic.
From the beginning, the thing I most appreciated in Portugal was a willingness to collaborate, to problem solve and come up with solutions. I found a common mindset—one that respected heritage and the many things we love in well-worn and well-made products while also being eager to innovate and improve on the past.
The Brand Today
Knickerbocker’s design is rooted in sensibility. Naturally, we are drawn to the widely referenced world of workwear, military and outdoor wear for their emphasis on utility. We love pieces that not only tell a story but live to tell the tale as they pass from one generation to the next. While use and needs have changed, the ethos of these sub-sectors of American style remains.
Most of our products are made in Portugal, with some exceptions. We make our watch-caps in the United States, at the same factory I’ve been working with since before the Knickerbocker Manufacturing Co. days, and our alpaca sweaters are made in a small factory in Peru. We source our fabrics between Japan and Europe. Whether small or large, we place a high value on the personal relationships with our factories and work to ensure the manufacturing practices are something we can be proud of.
Fashion is not an enviromentally sustainable industry—all new clothing takes up resources. That said, our goal is to always put our best foot forward, and we will always be immensely proud to open the hood of Knickerbocker operations. We strive to make products you will keep in your closet year after year, and season after season—products that will hold up, and are composed primarily of natural fibers like cotton and wool. Our manufacturing partners hold certifications from BCI, EcoVero, GOTS, GRS by Textile Exchange, OCS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and REACH, among others.
In 2021, we opened up our flagship store on the corner of Canal and Wooster Street in Soho, Manhattan. Today, our team consists of my wife Maxine and me, our production manager, our production partners in Portugal, and our amazing store staff. As a small team, we have to wear a lot of hats, but we prefer it that way.
The brand has come a long way since the factory days, and we have to thank all of our staff (former and current), friends, family and customers. They have always made Knickerbocker what it is, and even during the hardest times, kept it feeling more like a family than a brand.
— Andrew
