Learn more about us
COLLECTION is a coming together of manufacturers, workers, makers, and creators. We are a federation of mills in the Western North Carolina region, called The Carolina Textile District, cooperatively pooling our expertise to join together in offering a regional, ethical, and beautiful product line.
Our products create quality jobs that provide a fair wage, root wealth in rural communities and create better livelihoods for frontline workers. We are building a bright future for responsible manufacturing developing renewable and closed-loop materials with and for our local supply chain.
Our work meaningfully engages with each other and with the consumer in all aspects of design, production and distribution. We collect thoughts, ideas, emotions, tips, tricks, best practices, stories, relationships, friendships, families and products with integrity.
COLLECTION is a collective of The Industrial Commons, EthixMerch and Partners of The Carolina Textile District.
PEOPLE & LIVELIHOODS
We want everyone to have a “seat at the table.” It’s our motivating vision. We welcome the diversity and rich backgrounds that our teams represent. Skill and expertise have immigrated here from all over the world, merging with a legacy of manufacturers to cultivate a rich group of problem solvers and leaders. It is their collective knowledge and ability that provide us the shirts on our backs. Honoring them and giving them agency is how our domestic manufacturing economy can survive the volatility of our global marketplace.
WORKER DEMOCRACY
Our factories are finding new ways to engage and empower workers. Through cooperative ownership, open book management, profit sharing and other tools our member mills not only increase workers’ economic mobility they also provide jobs with more dignity, agency and voice. This creates better quality jobs and better livelihoods for workers and their families.
RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURING
Since 2011 the Carolina Textile District has cultivated a collection of domestic suppliers, manufacturers and trades people into a tight-knit supply chain that operates with a philosophy of “co-opitition”. We respectfully and honestly work together to build an new landscape for manufacturing in our Western North Carolina region by problem-solving industry-wide challenges and lifting up best practices.
All the materials for COLLECTION products have been responsibly sourced, using domestic mills and natural fibers whenever possible. All the production of COLLECTION products are conducted with our Carolina Textile District Partners, and some of our friends!
We work closely with the Material Return to . . . . .
TRANSPARENCY
COLLECTION is committed to be as transparent and authentic as possible. We seek out manufacturers who are ethical, provide quality jobs and care about the environment. We focus on local supply chains and creating a direct connection to workers so the consumer knows exactly where and how their clothing is made.
We offer Manufacturing Immersion programs to . . . .
IMMIGRATION
Our story is one of opportunity, for people who have worked in the textile industry in the U.S. and abroad. Our region has a rich cultural diversity that honors the skill of those who have worked here in the textile industry for decades and those who bring skills from their home country. Our mills help provide immigrants to our country with opportunities to plant roots by buying homes and saving for their children’s college. They also build their leadership capacity and contribute to the broader community.
INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION
We wouldn’t be where we are without knowing where we came from. Our region has a strong history of textile production but the mills taking part in COLLECTION are doing things differently. They believe in “coopetition”, the idea that factories that would typically be in competition are making a conscious choice to collaborate instead. They are harnessing their expertise and skill to root wealth in rural communities, promote local ownership and rebuild communities previously impacted by offshoring.
COLLABORATIVE DESIGN
This is YOUR collection! This is OUR collection! Let us know what you think of what we’re making, what your dream products are, what feels good, what looks good, what doesn’t. We have all kinds of ways you can reach us:
(Intsta, FB, whatever)
We offer Design Charrettes to . . . .
Our products are designed from the factory floor. Highlighting the work that our Partners enjoy producing with their niche expertise, offers . . . .