The Story Behind Finest Ever Made

An exclusive with Yan Liang, founder of NYC Denim Atelier: We asked Yan how she came up with the tagline Finest Ever Made

To explain this, Yan says she must first share her experience with names, particularly those of her two children:

I went into labor with my first born on a snowy November afternoon. I was rushed to the Brooklyn Downtown hospital after my water broke. My husband rushed to meet me there and accompanied me in the operating room. After countless hours of intense, stressful, and painful labor, we were horrified to learn that my baby may die during childbirth. She did not have enough room in my womb to turn around. If we did not act now, my baby girl would be born feet-first.

At that time, my husband and I understood very limited English, but somehow, the hospital staff was able to help us comprehend the issue. The doctors successfully completed an emergency c-section, delivering a healthy girl weighing 6 lbs 2 ounces. I cannot accurately portray how terrified and horror-stricken my husband and I were during the process. I was giving birth to my first child. I did not know how to give birth. I couldn’t even recall enough English to tell them I was in pain. I just screamed. Somehow we got through it, and to this day, I thank the staff at Brooklyn Downtown Hospital for my first born.

My husband and I had lots of ideas for baby names before the day my daughter was born. I threw those names out the window the instant I held her in my arms. I knew exactly what I wanted for my daughter. I wanted her to be safe. The Chinese phrase for safe is 平安 (ping- ān). I took the second character in that phrase and translated it to English, Ann. In whatever Ann chooses to pursue, I pray she be blessed with safety.

Soon, I was pregnant with my second child, a boy. Each night of my nine month pregnancy, I silently prayed that my son would be safe. I couldn’t bear the thought of going through another heart-wrenching childbirth experience as I did with Ann.

One day during my third trimester, I was at the office cutting a pattern for jeans. I remember my hands were so swollen that I couldn’t hold the scissors properly. My friend and co-worker, Anna, made idle chatter and asked if I had a name for my child. I was dumbstruck by the question.

I looked up from the pattern and said “Anna, I don’t know,” with tears in my eyes. I was overwhelmed with worrying about the safety of my unborn child and caring for Ann. I thought to myself, what kind of mother wouldn’t know what she wanted to name her son? I was ashamed that the question never crossed my mind. Anna looked at me with her kind golden-brown eyes and sat me down with a cup of tea to calm me down.

I panicked. All I knew were Chinese characters, but I wanted my son to have an American name. I felt very helpless, but Anna came to my rescue. She said she would help me.

I always liked Anna. She is one of my first American friends. She is always very nice to me and often spoke to me to help me improve my English. Anna contemplated for a while and shyly suggested the name Jason.

I remember the excitement that rushed through my body. Jason was a short name and had the word son in it! I knew the word son! I had learned that word in my English class! Yes, I was having a son and his name is Jason. I was overjoyed. I thanked Anna for her great suggestion with a bear hug, or the closest thing to a hug a very pregnant woman could give someone.

Over twenty years after Jason’s birth, I have another chance to pick a name, a tagline for NYC Denim Atelier. So finally, equipped with the background on how I chose the names Ann and Jason, I can tell you how I chose Finest Ever Made.

Firstly, I’ve definitely learned a few more English words since I named my children! I thought long and hard about what NYC Denim Atelier means to me. The opportunities I’ve had in America allowed me to find my passion. I love making custom and bespoke jeans because I thrive from the excitement and the process of working with my customers to craft their denim dreams. I don’t ever want to retire because this keeps me young!

I don’t want to make just any pair of jeans that anyone can purchase off the shelf. Each pair I make is unique to the customer. I personally create the pattern after the consultation appointment. It’s not just about the numbers on my measuring tape, but about how the customer wants the jeans to flow, what image he is trying to portray and his relationship with denim. I seek to understand each customer’s denim dream and then work with him to choose the fabric, style, fit and accessories to make the dreams come true. To try to sum up this experience into three little words, I chose Finest Ever Made.