“As Thomas Benjamin is in
the beginning stages, I am still figuring out the words to describe who we are.
All I know is that my goal is to create products that are high quality, that
have amazing shape, and that make you feel as confident as one can. Thomas
Benjamin’s goal is to create a world where people can be 100% themselves with
out the fear of being casted to the wasteland by the outside society. I am
Thomas Benjamin. You are Thomas Benjamin. We are all Thomas Benjamin.”
"The sun scorched the crusted fields that once lay plush with vegetation. An orphan of ten lives alone after his parents perished many moons prior. He is hungry but perserverant. Everyday walking miles along the dirt roads looking for any sign of life other than that of the vultures flying above.
After nearly a century alone in this world, the young boy, who was now a man came across the first human that he had seen in weeks. The man was seated in a dirt covered cloak, rocking back and forth on the squeaky boards of a veranda that looked as if at one time would have been an exquisite estate.
"Here is a bag of seeds" the elder stated. "I am unaware of what species lies in this bag. Many of them must be planted and treated in various ways. But you are the first sign of hope that I've seen in many years and I would like you to take these seeds and feed the world. I only ask that once they grow, you will not be stingy with your abundance and that you will feed anyone that is hungry."
The young man proceeded to thank the man and then left. For months he would try different locations to plant the seeds, but none would take in such dry soil. Until one day when hope was all but lost, inklings of green began to contrast with the brown that swept the horizon.
Throughout filling orders for Collection One, I learned many aspects of how to make each product better. This has allowed me to rework many design features of the 001 and 002: including increasing comfort level, raising the level of fit, lowering the break-in process and just overall creating a better product."
"Hair blowing in the wind. The smell of flowers, manure and petrol create a fusion of sweet aroma that surrounds us. The recently released Creedance Eight Track blares through the speakers of the drop top as the rubber comes in contact with the fresh asphalt.
For a moment the world felt at peace. No protestors facing off against the war effort, or legislation from the president that would set back the civil rights movement for the next 50 years. Only the smile of her eyes through the tinted lenses of rounded tortoise shell glasses had me lost in a trance.
For hours the only glimpses of humanity that we passed were tractors plodding down the road with a slight wave from the pilot of these machines, and the farm houses that sat atop of the hills.
The world felt at peace.
When all feels lost and the dread of the news becomes to much to overwhelm, hop in the car, buy a train ticket and just venture to a small town for a few days.
Nature will always bring a reset to one's life."
“The earliest known pair
of shoes were created from sagebrush bark and date back to 8000 BC. Shoes were created as a way to
protect our feet from the rubble under our toes and to be worn until no longer
possible. Only in the last century has this changed. With Thomas Benjamin, the goal is to create footwear
that is meant to be worn and that gets better with age rather than worse. “
“With every crease, every
discoloration, every blemish there is a story. The story won't be told on the
pages of flammable parchment, in a long-forgotten library or on a database that
could be erased with the collapse of the power grid. The story will be told
through supple pieces of fine leather that stand between one's foot and the
earth. These pieces of leather will go places that many men will never have the
opportunity. See things that some can only imagine. These boots will walk
across America.”
“Left. Right. Left. Boots
pressing against the earth creating a ripple effect that morphs the outcome of one’s
life at every moment. I once heard a quote that said, "life's not short, you just need to
do more". Find what you love and do it every day.”
“In a world where
technology prospers, may we take a step back and slow down as civilizations had
once before. May we create a world that will live on for generations rather
than one that we lose interest in, in eight seconds. One of Thomas Benjamin's goals
is to create products that will live with you year after year. That are
timeless and that are made by craftsmen that focus on attention to detail.
With each product being sculpted by hand from
raw materials, a significant time commitment is required.”
“The pyramids have lasted
thousands and thousands of years, not because they were built for a generation,
but because they were crafted for the lifetime of this world. Millions of
stones were hand-carved by highly skilled workers. Taking their time. Making
everything perfect. The stones were a canvas in the sky slowly taking shape
with each brush stroke laid in the sand. With only the artist themselves able
to see the final masterpiece hidden in a pile of rocks.
If one wants to leave an impact for a generation,
then focus on building something modern, but if the House of Benjamin is meant
to last for eternity then I must focus on taking the steps to cement itself in
history for a lifetime. At this
moment, I am in the initial planning phase of the pyramids, but soon the
construction will begin.”
“Dust on the tabletop.
Plastic covering the furniture that crackles if you were to sit on it. That
eerie smell of a mixture of moth balls and cigarettes that have been scorched
into the wood from the 60s when they once used the room to get high with
strangers and listen to records from the speaker in the corner. That smell that
no matter how hard you try to cover... it never seems to go away.
A pair of shoes should never be treated like your
grandmother's antique living room. Meant to be kept pristine, so that no one
gets to enjoy the true meaning of the space. A pair of shoes are meant to be
worn.
Step in mud. Scuff them up. Jump in a puddle. Live
your life. Because with wear and tear comes memories and memories give
character to the piece.
If you ever choose to buy a pair of Thomas
Benjamin's, I want to see the life that was lived in them. The memories that
were made, because every crease tells a story and that story is yours.”
“The days. the nights.
the present. the past. photos capture memories that our minds may forget. they
capture moments of happiness. moments of sadness. moments of pain. and moments
of joy.
The upcoming collection was captured with the
help of many of many friends. wearing boots. taking photos. living life and I
am grateful for them all.”
“Failure should always be
seen as a possibility. Without the acceptance of failure one will be
conservative in their output. Being conservative in your ideas has never lead
to innovation. Taking risks, accepting the potential for failure, and believing
in oneself is the only way to truly create something that has the ability to
reshape the minds of others.
As Thomas Benjamin is in the beginning stages of
realization, I have accepted that failure could be an option. This allows me to
truly focus on what Thomas Benjamin will be, rather than morphing to the
parameters of an industry that has long been segregated.”
“If innovation and excellence came easily,
everyone would be able to achieve it. it's the failure that happens time and
time again that teaches you the most when you are working to create something
new.”
“An albino bison goes for
a swim in an unfamiliar watering hole, but when it reappears from the water it
is much darker than it was when it entered. The unknown allowed the bison to
transform into something new. Those that are willing to accept change allow the
world to grow and move forward.”