Demopolis City Schools faculty and staff were greeted this morning by two special guests all the way from Tupelo, Mississippi, who have made waves in the fashion industry but have not forgotten where they started — or who was cheering them on.
Josh West and Nick Weaver grew up together in North Mississippi, sitting side by side (alphabetically) in class at South Pontotoc under Principal (then “Mr.”) Pugh, now DCS Superintendent Dr. Pugh. One was a baseball player, the other in band — neither was the kind of student their teachers expected to make waves. According to Weaver, they weren’t “on the list of students that would be talking to teachers” today. As they like to say, they were “good kids but bad students — two C students that shouldn’t be on this stage.”
Yet both found mentors who believed in them: teachers who said, “You know you can go to college,” and “You are smarter than you think.” One of those mentors was Dr. Pugh, who encouraged them. According to Weaver, “DCS is lucky to have Dr. Pugh at the helm… he cares about the students.” Those small moments helped shape their drive to create and lead.
Years later, without any fashion or manufacturing background, they started Blue Delta in a junkyard weld shop in Tupelo, Mississippi. Their goal was simple but bold — to make custom, made-to-measure jeans in America, one pair at a time. For six years of their 14 year venture, they struggled financially, but they refused to give up. Their persistence paid off: Major League Baseball players, PGA golfers, NHL stars, and even celebrities like Morgan Freeman and Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy became clients. Now their jeans appear at the Kentucky Derby, the Ryder Cup, and beyond.
When the pandemic hit, they pivoted from denim to become a PPE provider for the state of Mississippi, keeping their employees working and their community supported. Afterward, they leveraged that resilience to expand internationally, creating experiences in nine countries and combining craftsmanship with technology — even using an AI tailor to measure customers online.
Despite their success, Josh and Nick haven’t forgotten their roots. They both grew up in communities where few people had four-year degrees — except for their teachers, the ones who “encouraged us.” They didn’t come from wealthy families; being poor and hungry drove them to keep working hard. Because of that, they continue to hire and train new generations in Tupelo, passing along the skills that fueled their rise.
Their message remains simple: value your product, believe in yourself, and never stop trying. As they like to remind others, “You don’t fail until you stop.” To the teachers at Demopolis City Schools, they shared a powerful reminder: “What you say will make an impact in our world.”
