I was wandering through J. Crew yesterday and was happily surprised to find a few American-made items in store… and then even more online! The majority are the products of J. Crew’s “In Good Company” collaborations… but these partnerships do seem to fuel future design, so here’s hoping J.Crew starts adding more American-made products to their core assortment.
J.Crew is pre-empting the holiday craziness with 25% off, ending today! use the code GETGIFTING.
I discovered Reading My Tea Leaves shortly after launching TAE and it has quickly become one of my favorite blogs… Erin has amazing taste, is a fantastic photographer and writer, and shares a lovely perspective on her life in Brooklyn. Unsurprisingly, her favorite American-made items are amazing, and she’s introduced me to some new brands that I’ll be following. Thanks so much, Erin!
I can’t believe we haven’t talked about Zady yet! The socially conscious e-commerce site has become one of my favorite online shopping experiences, and I had the opportunity to meet with co-founder Maxine Bedat while in New York to learn a little more about the vision for the brand.
Maxine founded Zady with Soraya Dorabi – the two met in high school (in Minneapolis!) and reconnected in New York over a shared appreciation for well-crafted products. While building The Bootstrap Project, they saw an opportunity to impact the apparel industry by building a community brand based on items made with style and integrity.
And they have delivered. Zady is not only a curated marketplace of amazing, ethically-made brands (Imogene + Willie, Small Trades, Clare Vivier, Pendleton, and more…) but they do a phenomenal job of telling the story – from the background of the Garment Factory, to building a closet based on cost-per-wear, to the history of denim. Even more, when you shop with Zady, a percentage of all proceeds are donated to the Bootstrap Project, which provides microloans to artisans around the world.
What I love most about Zady is how accessible the brand is – from the impeccable but still realistic styling of the products on the site, to the team’s presence on social media, to the thank you notes sent with each order. Maxine spoke passionately about building – and supporting – a community, and that belief is apparent in every single aspect of Zady.
Zady currently has a holiday pop up that looks amazing – be sure to check it out if you are flying through LGA!
Thanks for meeting with me, Maxine… I can’t wait to see what you and Soraya come up with next!
Have you heard of Northern Grade? Managed by the founders of Pierrepont Hicks, the U.S. Made Pop Up Market started in Minneapolis in 2009 and has now popped up all over the country. It’s officially a men’s market, but I always manage a few (too many) things that I want for myself! We stopped by yesterday and as always, the people watching (this heritage movement has spawned a fascinating sub-culture… only amplified by Movember!), coffee, cocktails, and shopping were a great way to spend the day.
The amazing Elizabeth Dehn and Suzanne LeRoux set up an adorable One Love Organics Grooming Lounge… everyone I ran into was raving about the amazing products – don’t forget about the $5.95 sample pack if you have been thinking about trying this line!
The cutest Block Bots from Oh Dier! and the J.W. Hulme weekender of my dreams.
Faribault Mill wool scarves and a Black Blue St. Paul x Faribault collaboration blanket and great iPhone cases from Wood Chuck.
If you missed the market, Northern Grade will launch a B&M pop up at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts later this month!
Thanks to the team from Pierrepont Hicks, Black Blue, and Askov Finlayson for celebrating American made in Minneapolis!
