Episode 31: Jack Carlson - founder of Rowing Blazers, designer, best-selling author, and former world champion bronze medalist

If there's such a thing as a *normal* path to founding a fashion brand, Jack Carlson didn't follow it. Before he was a designer and best-selling author, Carlson was an archaeologist who rowed at a national level. But as we discover in this dive into the fascinating and occasionally weird and tradition-bound world of rowing, there's a rich history of that blurs the lines of sports, fashion and cultural anthropology.

For Carlson research turned into a book (celebrated by none other than Mr. Ralph Lauren himself), which turned into Rowing Blazers. We talk about what the brand is, how the distinctive identity was formed and who it's for (hint — not just rowers), as well as the joys of a good watch and what it feels like to watch TV and see Tan France wearing your blazer. Or the surprise in finding out that multi-Grammy winning rapper Macklemore, has been one of your best customers since day one!

Make sure to listen to the end because there's an Easter egg in there for watch fans.

This episode is made possible by our sponsor, eBay. Head to eBay.com/luxurywatches to check out their great range of watches and go to eBay.com/buyauthentic to learn about the service.

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