The Who What Wear Podcast: Denim Expert Benjamin Talley Smith on Making Best-Selling Khaite and Reformation Jeans, Plus the Styles to Shop this Summer

Benjamin Talley Smith is the founder of the denim atelier Talley Creative. Named “the most influential jeans guy you’ve never heard of” in a recent New York Times profile, Ben provides services across design, production, and marketing to brands looking to create or expand their denim offerings. Over the years, he’s worked on denim collections for Helmut Lang, Earnest Sewn, Ulla Johnson, Jordache, Re/Done, Everlane, Reformation, and Khaite—and that’s just scratching the surface. As a true denim whisperer, he often has a hand in the most exciting denim launches, including an upcoming line with Spanx in 2025. This week, Ben joins us to discuss the best pairs on the market today, the return of low rises, and naming Khaite’s Danielle jeans after his wife.