4 Stroke, based in New York City, makes contemporary denim on the back of 120 years of manufacturing experience. Tobias Levine is the creative director. He likes motorcycles, tattoos, and leaving Las Vegas.

Where are you from?

New York City.

How did you start?

I started when I joined Aalfs Manufacturing in 2007. I started in sales, a year and half ago I designed the men’s collection for 4 Stroke. We had a cool meeting with Cone Denim Mills and have just gone to town from there.

What are the key features of your brand?

Custom woven selvedge denim. Ability to turn goods in a short time. 120 years of denim knowledge goes into all the sewing, pattern cutting and trims. We own and operate our own warehouse, which helps so much with shipping large and small orders. We have three fits, everything is real consistent across the board and everything stems from the same block.

What’s it like being part of PROJECT 10?

This is one of the proudest moments for our brand. It is a great showcase and we are honored. Retailers have been really impressed with the positioning and that is terrific too. We are just exited to be here.

Finally, what is your favorite thing about Vegas?

Leaving.

Photography by Pete Williams for Selectism.

More images follow after the click.

Given that a good percentage of team Selectism is sight impaired, it was only natural to rope some eyewear into our PROJECT 10 fold. Rainer Metz, Lunettes Kollektion sales manager, shared his thoughts on the brand and highlights from the brand range.

Where are you from?

Berlin, Germany.

How did you start?

I got to know the brand because I am a stylist. I used the glasses in a shoot, and the brand owner loved them. After that I stayed, worked in the shop, and was asked to join them at a show in Munich and then became sales manager.

What are the key features of your brand?

A mix between traditional classic shapes with a modern twist. In all most every frame you’ll find a matte material, or something else new, or a play on a vintage shape with a quirky detail. A modern timeless collection.

What’s it like being part of PROJECT 10?

It’s quite exciting to get a new perspective. I’ve seen several trade shows now, and this is a nice small niche between so many brands with a different approach to what’s being shown here.

Finally, what is your favorite thing about Las Vegas?

I’ve been in jet lag since I arrived. It is a world of its own. You never have to step outside and you can just lose track of time. It is a special and unique feeling.

Photography by Pete Williams for Selectism.

More images follow after the click.

Founded in 2009, Mors is based in the UK and manufactures handmade shoes in Europe. The brand is run by Jonathan Morss.

Where are you from?

UK.

How did you start?

I was a shoe designer for a big sports brand. I got made redundant, so I decided to start my own thing.

What are the key features of your brand?

The shoes are handmade in Europe. I use really small factories. You can see the hand of the maker, where the patterns have been cut. All the personal details are there. I tend to use Italian leathers and some elk leather as well.

What’s it like being part of PROJECT 10?

It’s been great to meet other people and brands in similar situations. Seeing their products and hearing their ideas is terrific. Obviously, it also helps with the buyers because of the creditability of both Selectism and PROJECT. It has allowed us to be in a show we might otherwise not be part of.

Finally, what is your favorite thing about Vegas?

Seeing the variety of people here. It is an interesting cross section of society. It is certainly an interesting place.

Photography by Pete Williams for Selectism.

More images follow after the click.

Benji Wagner, co-founder and creative director of Poler Camping Stuff, is all about camping stuff that goes well and truly beyond LL Bean catalog scan nostalgia. His tent set up at PROJECT 10 has generated quite a buzz on site, and we’re huge fans of the range of goods this Portland brand brings to the table.

Where are you from?

Portland, Oregon.

How did you start?

We’re new this year. Basically, we just had been involved in skate/snow and outdoor industries in different ways. We wanted to start something that brought those worlds together. A new brand of outdoor stuff with the feel of a skate company. We’re focused more on road trips and couch surfing than mountaineering.

What are the key features of your brand?

Everything is a really good price point. We have a vintage feel to the bags and look of everything. A lot of the gear out there is overly complicated for what people need and even want. We have a sleeping bag called the nap sack, it has some style… it has a sense of humor, it looks like a hoodie, it has pockets and you can stick your hands out and walk around in it. It is something different from a typical mummy bag.

What’s it like being part of PROJECT 10?

It’s great. We are really excited to be a part of it. Everyone involved is super nice and we’ve met some great people. We’re a little different in the space, with our tent, but it is really fun to be a fish out of water.

Finally, what is your favorite thing about Vegas?

I think it is just amazing to see the grand spectacle of western civilization and consumer culture. It’s like a giant mall combined with a giant frat party.

Photography: by Pete Williams for Selectism.

More images follow after the click.

Based in Paris, Kitsune is making some of our favorite graphic t-shirts  and are bringing the new Kitsune TEE to North America for the first time in Spring/Summer 2012. It’s a more accessible line than the main Kitsune collection.

Where are you from?

The brand is from Paris.

How did you start?

The collections have been available since 2005. The founders are Gildas Loaec, Masaya Kuroki, and London-based brand Abake (which in Japanese is Kitsune).

What are the key features of your brand?

The t-shirts are all made in Japan. All our denim is Kuroki Japanese denim. Our line features a bunch of collaborations this season, included Hearts Revolution, one of the bands on our label.

What’s it like being part of Project 10?

We are super lucky, because it is a good way to launch the t-shirt collection in North America. Feedback has been great, and people are excited to see brand presence here.

Finally, what is your favorite thing about Vegas?

The food is good.

Photography by Pete Williams for Selectism.

Jennifer Steeley (JJ) is CMO of Triple Aught Design, a San Francisco-based brand that equips travelers from the street to the wild… and expertly back again. We’re attracted to their innovative takes on classic design. We talked to Jennifer to learn more about Triple Aught Design live from the PROJECT 10 floor.

Where are you from?

We are from San Francisco.

How did you start?

Patrick Ma, our founder, is an avid outdoorsman and spent some time in the army. After he got out, he decided to focus on making gear that had the rugged performance that he saw in his GI kit with the technical advancements of outdoor gear. We started 14 years ago. We also make hard goods, with a special focus on custom knife designs.

What are the key features of your brand?

All performance driven. Built for rugged use. Multi-functional pieces, that you can use out in the field or in an urban context. High quality construction. Clean modern lines.

What’s it like being part of PROJECT 10?

There is a really good variety and we’re getting a chance to interact with people who are creating their own products. There is a huge emphasis on quality, and we have a lot of respect for the other brands showing here.

Finally, what is your favorite thing about Vegas?

Wow. The list is so long… But, really, it is getting inside stories from cab drivers. Apparently “I’m hungry” is hooker code to a pimp for needing to move on to the next John.

Photography by Pete Williams for Selectism.

Meet George Guest, representing New England with fine hand crafted luggage and a proud part of our PROJECT 10 brand group.

Where are you from?

We are from Boston. We both, Alex and George, grew up just out side of the city and now live and work there.

How did you start?

It was an idea that started out of the need for a backpack that had features no other products had (a need that I didn’t see in any other bag), as a school business project that we won a school business plan grant. The original idea was based on an outdoor rolltop bag idea. When we both graduated, Alex came on board and we’ve been working on the design and the brand for the past 2 and half years.

What are the key features of your brand?

The patented roll top closure system. Definitely the materials. We sought out classic, durable materials. We used 18-0z canvas, full grain leather, and I think you’ll find all our products have a technical feature. All the features are inspired by usability in outdoor and urban environments.

What’s it like being part of Project 10?

It is our fist trade show, It is the first time we’ve really presented our products to a wide variety of people – press, retailers, fellow brands. It is an opportunity we probably wouldn’t have experienced until later on, as a young brand, this opportunity is perfect for us.

Finally, what is your favorite thing about Vegas?

It doesn’t sleep. You don’t have to go outside if you don’t want to.

Photography by Peter Williams for Selectism. View the full George Guest collection after the jump.

This year at PROJECT Las Vegas, we’re proud to have curated PROJECT 10.

The season PROJECT 10 brings together a group of brands that the emerging tailored performance trend. These brands represent a community of artisans that create product for a man that works hard and plays hard. He is inspired by a design and function and looks for recreational attire that represents his overall sense of style. He is a city-dweller with a voracious appetite for sport, yet whether surfing, biking or camping, he demands not only quality but also innovation.

Our ten selected brands are:

4 Stroke Jeans
A Kind of Guise
Ebbets Field Flannels
George Guest
Kitsuné TEE
Lunettes Kollektion
mors footwear
OUTLIER
Poler Camping Suff
Triple Aught Design

Over the next few days, we’ll be introducing each brand’s story and their latest collections.

It is Vegas time again for the menswear world. As thousand of creative minds in the world of retail fashion gather together under the air-conditioned solace known as Las Vegas convention rooms, we’ll be running our usual show coverage from all locations througout the city.

One special note is our inclusion in the “Project 10″ showcase, happening on the PROJECT showfloor inside Mandalay Bay. Think of it is as a small curation. Selectism asked ten of our favorite up and coming brands to showcase their work under the “Project 10″ umbrella. Many of the brands have never shared their goods in this manner, and we hope that if you are planning to be in Las Vegas that you will spend some time with us.

Join us as well as the following ten brands: Kitsune Tee, A Kind of Guise, Mors Footwear, Outlier, 4Stroke Denim, Ebbets Field, Triple Aught Design, Lunettes Eyewear, Poler Tents, and George Guest, in the Project 10 work area. See you there.