Olsen Twins and The Row get the CFDA Nomination….and We Like It!

I’ve already lauded The Olsen Twins for their incredible endeavors for bringing manufacturing back to the U.S as they work with NYC’s garment district and have gone to Washington D.C. to lobby.  Now they are being nominated for the most prestigious award in the Fashion Industry and that is the coveted CFDA Award.  They are deserving of it as they are their own entrepreneurial force to be reckoned with whose aesthetics and business ethics remain  unchallenged by others.  Though they are not complete saints, but are no Alexander Wang or Nike in the sense of where they make their garments and how they treat their employees.  Their attention to quality is sterling with The Row’s collections.  The Row made almost entirely in the U.S.A. has minimal detailing that is specific to the body and emphasizing the luxury of fabrics and lines.  They have brought back an almost 90’s minimalism that designed by Calvin Klein, Tom Ford, Jil Sander and the radical Helmut Lang where the quality of fabric, construction and laser like attention to line as a detail made these garments so amazing.  This will certainly push them into a bigger arena of fashion attention as I’ve watched them evolve over the last 4 years.  Hopefully I will make that huge plunge and invest in their incredible cashmere coats!

Fashion: Made in the U.S.A

As America’s economy slowly crawls it’s way back out of the recession we are forced to look to the future of manufacturing in this country.  Look at New York and it’s eager facilities in the garment district and the  garment district of Los Angeles where there is a plethora of talent waiting to be sub-contracted.  With the imminent changes happening in the U.S. government and our private sector business growth sputtering at 1% growth there is only one way and that is UP!   Over 30 years ago 95% of America’s retail clothing was manufactured in the U.S.  Can we ever get that back?

Several high end market fashion labels ARE GOING UP in America as they seek to use Made in the U.S.A as a marketing tool and economic boost for the interior of this country.  They are profiled here in this article.

The Row by The Olsen Twins    www.TheRow.com

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have committed to using American Made talent for manufacturing their clothing line entitled The Row, after Saville Row in London.  These self proclaimed independent business moguls have consistently pushed the idea of manufacturing in the United States with enough fervor to go to Washington D.C. as part of the garment district’s initiative. Michele Obama wears The Row apparel.  These business savvy women understand the importance of employing domestic talent within the the U.S. to encourage growth for the garment industry that has been  out sourced to China which is now becoming a foreign policy problem.  With the future relying heavily on the next administration that will subsidize companies to manufacture domestically and employ the talent in America, will we see other companies contribute to the next generation of Made in the U.S.A.

These particular business ethics will save this country as business leaders implement them for others to follow.  The Olsen Twins are those types of leaders for the fashion industry!http://savethegarmentcenter.org/