Sheppard Denim Co. is preparing to launch as a direct-to-consumer men’s and women’s denim lifestyle brand built around a farm-to-fashion supply chain. Founder Jessica Sheppard is using upland cotton grown at her husband’s family farm, Williams Farm, in the Texas Panhandle, and following it through each stage of production.
After leaving the family’s gin, the cotton is sent to Cone Denim’s mill in Mexico, where it is woven into custom Sheppard fabric. The material then travels to Los Angeles to be cut and sewn into jeans and jackets.
Sheppard, who grew up around farming and studied fashion merchandising at the University of North Texas, first considered creating the brand in 2019. She said she ultimately waited because supply-chain transparency and consumer interest in fiber sourcing, sustainability, traceability and local production were less developed at the time.
In 2024, she began contacting denim mills. Mary Black, Cone Denim’s sales representative, encouraged the mill to consider the partnership. Cone Denim design and marketing director Blake Gaines said Sheppard’s personal connection to agriculture and fashion gave the project a clear purpose beyond launching another denim label.
The company is the first brand to bring its own cotton to Cone Denim for the development of a signature fabric, according to the brand. The resulting denim weighs 14.75 ounces and uses a three-by-one twill construction with a soft feel and a dark, double-dipped shade.
Cone Denim said processing customer-supplied cotton required additional technical evaluation and coordination. Its teams had to assess the raw fiber’s characteristics and ensure that spinning and weaving could meet the mill’s quality standards while producing the intended fabric.
Cone Denim also introduced Sheppard to New York-based denim consultant Christine Rucci, founder of Godmother Denim NYC. Rucci worked with the brand on fits, trims and suppliers, including Los Angeles sewing factories, antique brass hardware and bio-compostable shipping bags. She said she was not aware of another brand with a comparable model of growing its own cotton.
Sheppard Denim Co. is scheduled to launch on November 22. Its initial offering will include relaxed straight jeans for men and women, priced at $170. The women’s sizes will run from 24 to 34, while the men’s range will be 30 to 38, with 32- and 34-inch inseam options. A $275 unisex jacket, inspired by a garment worn by Sheppard’s grandmother, is planned for a later release.
The brand is developing additional washes and fits, including a bootcut style, and plans to introduce denim accessories such as tote bags and hats next year. It is also examining the use of The Lycra Company’s bio-derived spandex made with Qira and considering a wholesale operation.
The next cotton bales are expected in January. Sheppard said the project has allowed the farm to see what happens to its cotton after harvesting and ginning, a stage that farmers typically cannot follow closely. She also said the process highlighted the financial pressures facing cotton growers, arguing that farmers contribute the foundation of the product while receiving the smallest share of the value created across the supply chain.
To communicate that story, Sheppard Denim Co. plans to share documentary-style footage on social media and promote the farm’s relationship with its cotton seed producer, PhytoGen. Sheppard said the brand wants consumers to understand that the quality of the finished denim begins with the cotton plant.
Sources: WWD.