Tiny Engines: Shinola Brings Watchmaking to Detroit and to Barneys New York

By now, you've probably heard that there are things happening in Detroit. Things where there didn't used to be things. Big things. Good things. Guerrilla gardens, boutique hotels, souped-up bowling alleys, festivals (music, film, literary—you name it), espresso bars, hybrid cars and, just wait for it, even a Whole Foods. It's a comeback story that the entire country—Barneys New York included—is rooting for. So when Shinola, a new watch, bicycle and leathergoods brand, emerged out of the city this spring, it didn't take long to catch our eye. "When I went to Detroit and visited Shinola's home base, I knew that something good was happening there," said fashion director Tomoko Ogura. "The intention is good, the story is authentic, and there is heart and soul." That last part is the lynchpin. Shinola, and any company that chooses to manufacture here in the States for that matter, is committed not only to job creation, but also—and perhaps most importantly—building something that lasts. The Window visited Shinola's Detroit headquarters to see it for ourselves. After a tour of the factory floor and a few laps around the office on Shinola-made bicyles, we sat down to speak with creative director Daniel Caudill. Shop Shinola at Barneys.com: http://bit.ly/1auySOY