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Team USA gloves made in Gloversville

The 2018 winter games kick off tonight in South Korea and the U.S. Team will be taking a little bit of New York state with them.

The U.S. Athletes will be donning red, white, and blue for the winter games but they’ll also be wearing something else – bison leather gloves created by Peter Kiernan in the appropirattely-named city of Gloversville, NY.

“Almost one year ago today they approached us with this project and they weren’t really that specific about what it was.”

Kiernan has been making gloves for Ralph Lauren for about a decade but says this assignment was special.

“It’s a few gloves in the period of a year that I’m especially proud of. But this was probably one of them.”

Ralph Lauren designed the gloves but Kiernan was responsible for making them and immediately thought of Sunderland Leather.

“This is it. Just picture the gloves with this leather.”

Soft leather from American raised bison was also created here in Gloversville.

John Hannis says everything to do with the leather happened right in the United States.

“The animals are raised in the U.S., the meat is sold in the U.S., the skins are tanned in the U.S., and the gloves are made in the U.S.”

Something Kiernan says was very important to Ralph Lauren in the process.

The care he and Sunderland put into these gloves is apparent from the moment you put one on.

“Wow the inside is so soft too. These are incredible.”

In fact, the gloves are so popular they’re already sold out online.

Hannis says it makes him proud to be from Gloversville.

“It makes me feel good. Just to know that it’s part of our area and it’s something that we do and we take pride in.”

A reminder of the history in the area

“At one time there were 300 and some odd glove manufacturers in this area now there’s two or three.”

Being shown on the world stage.

The gloves are even more beautiful in person than what you see in the pictures. If you’re tuning in to the Opening Ceremony, you’ll be sure to see all the U.S. Athletes wearing these.