Interviews
School House to deliver its first 'Made in America' orders
10 Oct '11
2 min read
School House, the ethical fashion brand that recently moved its manufacturing from Sri Lanka to the United States, announces the delivery of its first “Made in America” orders at the end of the month.
The decision to promote domestic apparel manufacturing has become an integral part of the company's mantra and business plan. Their first US-produced shipments, which include orders for Stanford University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Oregon, mark the end of several months spent re-training out-of-practice sewing technicians in North Carolina's struggling apparel sector.
"This delivery represents the first chapter of a whole new era for School House, " says CEO and Founder of School House Rachel Weeks. "Building a deliberate, ethical supply chain has always been foundational for us, but the opportunity to support jobs in our own backyard has opened up a new realm of possibilities for the social impact of our business.”
Weeks says the move to U.S. manufacturing will prove more profitable for the company in the long run by reducing the indirect costs of manufacturing overseas, including shipping, duties, taxes, fees and quality control.
“While labor comes at a higher cost here, it only comprises 30-40% of the cost of any single garment. If you can intelligently source the balance components and cut out the costs of freight and duty, domestic manufacturing becomes a viable proposition,” she says.
School House's new company mantra, American Collegiate Craftsmanship, is a reflection of the company's commitment to stick with U.S.A.-made for the long haul. To date, the brand has partnered with ten U.S.-based supply chain partners and supports more than 2,000 jobs, primarily in North Carolina.
In 2007, Rachel Weeks traveled to Sri Lanka as a Fulbright Scholar to build a socially responsible clothing company. Her dream, which started with a t-shirt and an order from her alma mater at Duke, has transformed into School House, a fashion-forward, ethically sourced collegiate apparel brand. School House's collections of men's and women's “Made in America” collegiate tees, hoodies, lounge pants, dresses and more are available online at our website and at 100+ collegiate bookstore retailers nationwide.
The decision to promote domestic apparel manufacturing has become an integral part of the company's mantra and business plan. Their first US-produced shipments, which include orders for Stanford University, University of Cincinnati, and University of Oregon, mark the end of several months spent re-training out-of-practice sewing technicians in North Carolina's struggling apparel sector.
"This delivery represents the first chapter of a whole new era for School House, " says CEO and Founder of School House Rachel Weeks. "Building a deliberate, ethical supply chain has always been foundational for us, but the opportunity to support jobs in our own backyard has opened up a new realm of possibilities for the social impact of our business.”
Weeks says the move to U.S. manufacturing will prove more profitable for the company in the long run by reducing the indirect costs of manufacturing overseas, including shipping, duties, taxes, fees and quality control.
“While labor comes at a higher cost here, it only comprises 30-40% of the cost of any single garment. If you can intelligently source the balance components and cut out the costs of freight and duty, domestic manufacturing becomes a viable proposition,” she says.
School House's new company mantra, American Collegiate Craftsmanship, is a reflection of the company's commitment to stick with U.S.A.-made for the long haul. To date, the brand has partnered with ten U.S.-based supply chain partners and supports more than 2,000 jobs, primarily in North Carolina.
In 2007, Rachel Weeks traveled to Sri Lanka as a Fulbright Scholar to build a socially responsible clothing company. Her dream, which started with a t-shirt and an order from her alma mater at Duke, has transformed into School House, a fashion-forward, ethically sourced collegiate apparel brand. School House's collections of men's and women's “Made in America” collegiate tees, hoodies, lounge pants, dresses and more are available online at our website and at 100+ collegiate bookstore retailers nationwide.
School House
Popular News
Leave your Comments
Editor’s Pick
Jason Kent
British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA)
Alex and Zofia Torun-Shaw
Brand - Laird Utility
Esteemed Clients
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
