Revered globally for his historic ties to Levi Strauss & Co. and its American Draper X3 selvedge looms, White Oak’s closure after 112 years continues to weigh on the minds of denim heads and entrepreneurs alike. Despite being a small client, Pete Searson, co-founder of Tellason, said the brand did everything it could on a “cultural and business level” to support White Oak. While larger companies “chased the rainbow to profits by going overseas,” he said, Tellason was never tempted by cheaper fabrics from Italy, China or Turkey.
