The Row

Based: NYC, NY

Description: Although The Row seems like a clothing company that has been around for 20 years, being run by someone whose been in the fashion industry for 40 years, it was actually started in 2006 by Ashly and Mary-Kate Olsen.  By 2012 the Council of Fashion Designers of America named them 'Designers of the Year'.  The brand describes themselves aptly as reflecting, "a sense of relaxed and timeless elegance, focusing on fine fabrics and the perfect fit."  The Row has an opportunity to be transparent about their fabric sources, The Row specifically supports high-end manufacturing in the United States. 

Social Responsibility: Supports US manufacturing, Women designed and owned.

Consciously produced clothing for women has exploded in growth.  Just a few years ago if purchasing locally made clothing was important to you, there wasn’t a lot of choices and it was difficult to find out what they actually were.  After the Rana Plaza disaster in 2008, consumers really started to pay more attention to where their clothes were made and who was actually making them.

Small independent labels have been sprouting up as well as the biggest brands in the country are getting behind local production, which further proves that more and more consumers are demanding quality more than quantity.

If you have made the decision to make a conscious effort to support locally made brands, hopefully this list will help you get started.  If you are already shop small and local brands and see that we’ve missed someone, we’d love to know!