I started Brothers We Stand to share the menswear I love - garments that look great and are made by people who are honoured.
Menswear like this is difficult to find, but that makes it even better when you do.
King of the beards, Rikki Hall in Monkee Genes
I searched high and low for a denim brand that combines strong design with a genuine commitment to ethical production. Monkee Genes, with their signature gold stitching were the treasure at the end of the rainbow.
Phil Wildbore, Monkee designer and founder, brings over forty years of experience in the denim industry. At 19 he designed his first pair of jeans, under the tutelage of the legendry John Ingram - the man who decked out the Mods in their discreet, refined style. Phil went on to create his first label ROAD which became a hit with the style mavens of the rave era.
Having become something of a denim seer, Phil created Monkee, a brand to represent his vision of everything a pair of jeans should be. ‘Cut, feel and visual. Alongside a respect for the people who make our jeans.’ That’s Phil’s blueprint for a great pair of jeans.
Monkee designer and director Phil Wildbore
Phil’s approach to those who make his jeans is simple yet uncommon, ‘When someone cleans your windows, you give him a cup of tea and pay him decently. It is the same with the people who make our jeans. Basic respect.’
All Monkee Genes are made in one factory in Turkey which Phil visits regularly. Unlike many brands which move production from season to season in search of ever cheaper prices, Phil is committed to the factory and is helping them work towards Global Organic Textile Certification.
The brand has recently been accredited by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) after moving from leather jean patches to all animal-free, coated recycled cardboard patches. PETA UK Associate Director Mimi Bekhechi said, ‘Monkee Genes is at the head of the pack when it comes to offering products that are as kind to the Earth as they are to animals.’
The Monkee team celebrating their accreditation from PETA
Monkee Genes combine strong design with an essence and character that is unmatched in denim brands.
The view from Monkee HQ in Derbyshire.
Monkee Genes Skinny's in Dark Inega - one of our picks
Browse the collection here.