The Balvenie & Todd Snyder to celebrate American crafts

The world's most handcrafted single malt Scotch whisky, The Balvenie, in partnership with menswear designer Todd Snyder is celebrating some of the best examples of American craftsmanship with the Rare Craft Collection, a series of gallery-style events that honor the practice and preservation of traditional crafts.

This unique Collection is the product of The Balvenie Rare Craft Roadshow, a two-year search across the United States for craftspeople whose collected works exist as the foundation of rare craft in America. 

To help curate the Collection, The Balvenie has teamed up with Todd Snyder to select a small group of artisans to represent the hundreds of craftspeople the brand has met on its travels.  Their crafts and labors of love will be presented in the following six cities across the US:

"As the only single malt Scotch whisky to retain complete control over the five rare crafts that go into the production of its acclaimed single malt, The Balvenie has a kinship with artisans who still ply their craft the way it has been done for decades," stated Andrew Weir, US Senior Brand Manager for The Balvenie. "Todd Snyder has shown a discerning eye and appreciation for well-crafted goods through his work on his own menswear line as well as his history with Ralph Lauren and at J. Crew and he's helped us create a remarkable Collection that honors some of the best in American craftsmanship today."

Iowa native Todd Snyder, whose surname means "one who makes outer garments" in Dutch, learned the art of cutting and sewing at the iconic Des Moines haberdashery Badowers while studying textile and clothing design at Iowa State University. Inspired by Savile Row craftsmanship, military tailoring, and a distinct New York sensibility, Todd launched his eponymous menswear collection for Fall 2011 and garnered wide critical and commercial praise in the US. Snyder has been nominated for the CFDA Swarovski Award for Menswear in 2012 and 2013, was named one of GQ's Best New Menswear Designers in 2012 and is currently one of ten finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

During the previous two decades, Snyder honed his skills in New York, designing outerwear for Polo Ralph Lauren, working as Director of Menswear for the Gap, and SVP of menswear at J. Crew, where he revamped men's styling, introduced formalwear, and launched a series of collaborations with heritage brands that culminated in the popular Liquor Store boutique in 2008.