Elwood Clothing’s Justin Saul: ‘Learning the manufacturing side of the business first was a blessing’

L.A.-based Elwood Clothing has had three lives. 

Currently a street- and loungewear brand owned by creative director Justin Saul and business director Jackson Wirht, it first launched in 1996 with different ownership and a focus on skate culture. Twelve years later, it resurfaced with styles including denim. When Saul and Wirht acquired the company in 2020, it was fueling sales with heavy discounts and had “horrible” community engagement, Saul said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. According to Saul, getting the brand on track meant overhauling everything about it except for its name.

On the podcast, he breaks down why he and Wirht bought into Elwood Clothing versus starting a brand from scratch. He also explains what’s driving the company’s recent growth, with sales increasing 165% In the last 12 months.