As one of three masterminds behind the influential, in-demand graphic studio/design collective Surface To Air, Daniel Jackson is always busy doing Big Things. Like: Producing a Hello Kitty crop circle for Sanrio on a farm outside Stonehenge. Shredding 180 pairs of Adidas Samoas and reassembling them into classic chairs such as Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona or Le Corbusier’s Grand Comfort. Designing the cover of The Stills’ new album. Creating the interior of BBlessing, the dapper man’s streetwear boutique on the LES. And, as he was doing on a sunny morning several days before Fashion Week, silk-screening prints onto paper-thin jersey for one of New York’s most celebrated designers. (He didn’t want to disclose who until after the show.) All this, while producing Surface To Air’s own presentation of their women’s sportswear label, Estuay. “There’s a lot going on,” he admits, offering a weak smile.

But perhaps one of his biggest projects, at least in the eyes of denimheads, has been the 2-year-plus process of breaking in a pair of 19-ounce Samurai jeans (the average jean sold in the U.S. is between 10 and 13 ounces). “They were like leather pants when I bought them,” he says. 

Here, he takes time out to discuss what’s become his favorite pair of pants: 

What did you originally like about the Samurais?
“I think the idea of wearing heavy, unwashed denim is nice. They’re really durable. And there’s an authenticity to it. There are so many denim brands that do all this pre-washing and silly treatments – it’s just retarded. It’s so much better when it’s natural. When you break it in yourself. Then they become the most comfortable things ever. It’s so much more meaningful.” 

Where did you get them?
“A store in Tokyo. I can’t remember the name, but I go every time I’m there. It’s in the Shibuya district.” 

How often do you wear them?
“Everyday to do everything for the past 2 1/2 years, except sleep. I ride my bike in them. Everything. I have to take them to the tailor every two weeks to have them fixed. The pockets have been re-lined, patches have been put in. I’ve blown out the knee, worn away the back pockets. They’re really nasty. They have stains – and are pretty much multi-colored.”

Your girlfriend lets you sit on the couch in them?
“Not really. We were at a wedding last weekend and she put her head in my lap, and was like ‘Aww, these stink!’ She’s in London right now and she made me promise I’d have them cleaned before she got back. I get them dry-cleaned once a month.”

What do you wear when they’re at the cleaners?
“A pair of jeans from Nom De Guerre. I also have a pair of Levi’s that I bought just because they were 50 bucks.”

Get It:

Samurai jeans, around $280, at Blue In Green, 8 Greene St., NYC, (212) 680-0555; blueingreensoho.com

For a good jeans tailor, Jackson recommends Prince St. Cleaners, 26 Prince St., NYC, (212) 274-0245

For more on Surface To Air, surface2air.com.

Check out their store in Paris, 46 rue de l’Arbre Sec, 75001; +33 1 49 27 04 54