Fall has arrived in Seattle. And with it a flourish of color, painting the picturesque city’s surrounding hills with vibrant oranges and yellows. While nature works its magic outside, inside a modest studio space in the Fremont neighborhood, Amos Culbertson works on the latest designs to be stamped Grease Point Workwear, his one-man clothing brand specializing in durable, double knee denim.
Culbertson hails from the vast mountains of Colorado where he was raised on his family’s organic peach farm, The Fortunate Orchard Peach Farm. Growing up on a farm has played a huge roll in his life. As a youngster he learned to farm and live a healthy, thoughtful lifestyle, and to follow his dreams. After receiving his masters degree in biology and being faced with the choice of getting his PhD or working for an oil company, he decided to chose neither and moved home for the summer to get back to farming peaches. It was at this same time that he broke his ankle skateboarding and so to pass the time he picked up an old sewing machine. He took to the craft quickly, and spent his evenings tearing apart old jeans just to sew them back together, learning the ins and outs of jean design and pattern making. Soon thereafter, feeling a need to create a pair of work wear pants that fit well and would last through years of rugged conditions, Culbertson created his first pair of double knee jeans. “Teaching yourself allows you to be more creative,” Culbertson says, “you’re doing it your own way and not someone else’s.”