Community Highlights: Meet George Wilson of Rivi Good Times

Today we’d like to introduce you to George Wilson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Jacksonville Beach, Florida surfing and skateboarding. When I was 18 I moved to Venice and started riding for the infamous Z Flex skate team. Needless to say Venice was very different back in 1978!
I fell into the clothing industry with an idea to make a clothing brand for skateboarders. I teamed up with my friend Mike Cassell who had started a company called Bronze Age based out of Venice. The brand exploded in Japan. I ran the development and production and was fortunate to have my hand in all aspects as we were a four man team. We were part of a quickly growing streetwear industry and it was here I learned the in’s and outs of making clothing in LA.
After a few years I teamed up with my good friend Kelly Gravel who many know as RISK and started developing & producing a line called Third Rail. At the same time I had a snowboard line called Brand 8 that was mostly sold in Japan.
After that I started my company Double Down Development . It became a very successful Private Label company and I went on to work with hundred’s of companies developing and producing their clothing exclusively in Los Angeles. Over the years companies began to leave and explore cheaper options overseas. I stuck to my guns and with my gut to work in LA exclusively. I found my niche of producing some of the best denim in LA and was on the front end of the rebirth of selvedge denim.
During these years I built little passion projects for myself and this is where Rivi was born. The name Rivi came from a custom ’63 Buick Riviera I had at the time. It started as a small men’s workwear line that was sold in a couple of stores here in the US but was sold to some of the best stores in Japan. Working with Japan I was really able to hone my skills and focus on simple, high quality details.
I’ve always tried to keep it as simple as possible focusing on the three aspects of Fabric, Ft and Quality. I’ve always been kind of under the radar and prefer to let my work and product speak for me.
Today my focus is on Rivi Good Times which is a small, grassroots line with an extremely loyal following that has been growing over the last eight years. We sell at a few markets around LA and Orange County and through our Instagram.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Producing clothing is a very difficult job especially here in Los Angeles. It’s not like producing overseas where most of your work is behind a computer and working with agents.
I closed the private label company because of stress and anxiety. In a way this was a blessing as it saved me from dying in a factory trying to make everyone happy besides myself.
The thing that almost killed me saved me though. When I started again I was selling vintage clothing at the flea markets around LA. I thought I would never produce clothing again and then Covid hit. I had numerous people asking me to make masks. I was like no way but then my friend Jason Redwood – amazing chainsticher and tattooer – asked if I would help him to make masks. This was days into the pandemic when no one knew what the hell was happening. We made thousands of those masks and it got me moving again with purpose.
When the markets opened up again I started selling a unisex pant I developed during this time and that’s how our EZ Pant was born.
Now my biggest obstacle is a supply and demand, growth and interest. I have amazing people in my corner from fabric people, to cutters and sewers and friends that have helped me along the way. We are a two person company, my partner Tara and I, and we do everything so we work our asses off.

We’ve been impressed with Rivi Good Times, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’ve always been an artist and a creative but struggled with the word artist for a long time. I started painting years ago as a kind of therapy. I’ve always been hard on myself and thought my art was terrible but then I would look at a piece and say “if someone else did it I wouldn’t think it was as bad”. Then I started having artists I respected start to compliment my art which was cool.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I have a love hate relationship with LA. I don’t like how expensive it’s gotten to live and work. The traffic. Homelessness. The heat. But I love this city and the beauty and opportunity it can afford.

Pricing:

• 50 – 500

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @rivigoods