With over 20 years experience, Carl is an incredibly well-respected figure in the denim industry and brings a wealth of experience to the creative and design side of what we do. Plus, Carl is a long time advocate of sustainability and circularity in design—values we share at AGI—and he always offers a fresh perspective as we develop ideas for new products and designs each season.
Recently, we had a chance to catch up with Carl and learn a little more about him. Covering everything from his experience in the industry to his first memories of denim, in this blog we share insights (and a few fun facts) from the man who helps us create some of our most iconic designs.
AGI: What’s your very first memory or experience with denim?
Carl Chiara: I’ve worn 501s for as long as I can remember. I would buy them second-hand, customize them and wear them over and over again. I had a favorite pair of 501s that was thrashed that I patched together with patches from Bands I loved from California Punk Rock music scene in the in the 80’s. I wore these everyday and they were my favorite. One day I went to swim party and came home to find that my mother had thrown them out and had a new pair of Calvin Kleins for me. I refused to go to school or leave the house until I had them back. This was really the first and only fight I can remember with my Mom. Not much has changed to this day.
AGI: What drew you to working here?
CC: I like the people I’ve met here and the product I’ve seen. It’s inspiring to work on a beautiful product with a team of experts. The potential to make beautiful and sustainable products at scale with such an innovative company and driven people is incredibly exciting to me.
AGI: If you could go back in time, would you do something other than this?
CC: I don’t think so. I love the work and to make things that serve a need, fill a niche, and tell a story. I am particularly interested in scale and how small changes made in the manufacture of products can result in big improvements on its environmental impact. Work on the supplier side directly supports and in many cases can drive sustainable ideas on the brand side and that is exciting for me. I feel very lucky to be able to do the things I love with AGI.
AGI: What inspires you?
CC: I believe that you can find inspiration in everything. I am inspired by people and their drive to create. I am inspired by old and new jeans and the stories they tell. I am inspired by shifts in consumer mindsets and discovering or provoking new opportunities through creative ideas. I believe that I am more of a creative problem solver and alot of my design work is as rational as it is emotional so alot of my design and creative work is around making things better or creating something new that is more useful or has other benefits. I believe that good design is also about disciplined approach that revolves around purpose and that good designers design products because they should not simply because they can.
AGI: Speaking of inspiration… what are you reading and listening to right now?
CC: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a favorite book of mine that I have read over and over throughout my life. I also just read How to Be an Artist by Jerry Saltz.
I listen to a lot of pop, folk, and hip hop. Right now I am listening to Donda.
AGI: Now that the world is slowly starting to open up again, is there anywhere you’d like to visit?
CC: Karachi, Pakistan – I still haven’t made it over there yet! I made it to NYC and LA for that short little window right before Delta came through. It was so inspiring to see people out and optimistic and engaged in culture – gathering and celebrating. It felt like a new world – a world I remembered from before the pandemic but it seemed so much brighter and happier in this moment.
AGI: Tell us one thing that no one would believe about you.
CC: My dog can run 45 MPH.
Thank you so much to Carl for taking the time to speak with us!
To learn more about Carl and the work he’s doing at AGI, visit AGIDenim.com.