Hey everybody, we have a special bonus episode for you today. We're having a conversation with Bayard Winthrop, the founder and CEO of American Giant, one of our favorite clothing companies.

This episode is all about the intersection of design and entrepreneurship. Designers often hear that they need to develop business acumen: they need to know how a business works, and how a product makes money. And Bayard shares some of those insights here in our conversation.

This episode is different in one other way: it's our very first sponsored episode. We want to occasionally bring you stories from brands that we love, who share our values, and who we feel have something to teach us about design.

American Giant’s mission is threefold: to make clothing that stands apart, grow jobs for people who need them, and revitalize local communities. They also care deeply about sustainability, and makes clothes that are durable, not disposable. Bayard speaks in depth about their mission in this episode, and it’s one of the reasons we love the brand.

Another reason is the clothing itself. Sometimes being a designer can be painful, because we pay attention to all the details: we check into a hotel room and the faucet doesn't work right, or the light switch is in the wrong place, or they don't have space in the closet for your luggage. So when we encounter a company like American Giant— where it’s clear that every little detail from the zippers to the stitching has been cared for immensely—it’s something that we want to bring into our lives.

We love everything about American Giant, and we know you will too. Their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for?

We’ve got a special partnership running with American Giant, where Design Better listeners can get 20% off your first order. Just go to dbtr.co/americangiant and use the code “DESIGNBETTER” at checkout.