Meet James J. Gibson of Messrs. R/R in Downtown Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to James J. Gibson.

James, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The idea for Messrs. R/R started in the same way most of great our ideas begin – over a dram of proper whiskey.

The three of us, me, Que Lynch and Nene Kisseih, in a moment of folly, decided that we had something to offer to the menswear conversation. I do not think any of us consider ourselves to be designers. Rather, we just wanted to make garments we thought were missing from our collective closets.

That led to us producing some samples. They were really just accessories and handmade leather goods at the time. Despite that, we had some really good and talented friends, namely the lovely folks at You’ve Been Noted and rapper savant, Gilles, that believed in what we were doing and invited us to participate in pop-up shops- we owe that group of people a great debt.

During those pop-up shops we met a lot of good people and those folks reacted really well to what we were offering and they asked questions like “where can we buy these items?” We promised them they could purchase on line, the only problems were: (1) we didn’t have any goods other than the samples that we had displayed and (2) we did not have a website.

So, we just decided to throw ourselves into the process and we’ve spent the last few years making good on those promises.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The short answer is no. The road has been and continues to be rough. I do not think it really ever smooths out, I just think you get better at seeing and reacting to its imperfections.

I think one thing we have realized is that being interesting doesn’t really count for much. Everyone is interesting. Having dope ideas doesn’t really count for much. Everyone has dope ideas. Even making high-quality garments doesn’t really count for much. All those things are merely the price of admission. Those are the things you have to do to even be near where the conversation is happening.

So, with that said, you are at all times working to hone your skills while simultaneously working to communicate your vision to folks in a way that is sharp. And what you realize is it’s never time to work on this or time to work on that, you have to work on it all all the time.

That is challenging, but it also puts you at the helm of your story and that is exciting.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Messrs. R/R story. Tell us more about the business.
We make menswear. But more to the point, we make what we call tailored workwear.

We take the elegance and refinement of tailored wear, enmesh those characteristics with the functionality of American workwear and add a bit of devil-may-care attitude with the hopes of making garments that are decidedly new and unique.

Take our M. Oxford shirt, for example. The shirt is made from fabric sourced from Europe. The exterior of the fabric is a heavy and rugged oxford material, but we’ve washed it in a way that leaves the shirt’s interior feeling as soft and worn in as your favorite t-shirt.

The shirt has an elegant spread collar, but we’ve finished it off with a functional workwear tab. Lastly, the shirt has a utility chest pocket that we’ve designed that has a pen pocket and a hidden smuggler’s compartment as well.

So, we have really tried to obscure that line between tailored wear and traditional workwear in a way, that is unique and innovative and functional but also isn’t too clever by half. And that DNA and ethos can be found in all of the garments we design and create.

I think what I am most proud of as a company is likely the same as what I think sets us apart from others. This process has been an iterative one of us. We spent so much time planning and experimenting that we’ve been forced to really distill down our aesthetic – to truly filter our vision. That being the case, I think I am as proud of the garments we have decided not to make as I am of the garments we have made. There have been countless times where we’ve had ideas that we really think are objectively good, but we have passed on them because they do not fit that vision. I really think that restraint and unwavering observance of a world view means something.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’ve always thought luck was one of those things you only recognize in hindsight. The first stroke of luck for us was just meeting one another. I can honestly say that, had I not met Que and Nene, I wouldn’t be making clothes today. Now, we are just working and trying to stay open to opportunities. You obviously have to put in the work, that goes without saying, but I do think there is something to being in the right place at the right time and we are doing everything we can to make the right time, now and the right place, here.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.messrsrr.com
• Email: gentlemen@messrsrr.com
• Instagram: @messrs_rr

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.